Z.f.O.
Draft Copy
„ Berlin, 17 June 1944.
SECRET
Note for the Director of Operational Group [Fuehrungsgruppe] P-4, Herrn v.d. Milwe-Schroeden, in the building
Concerning: Bolshevic Atrocity Propaganda.
Case: Memoranda of the Special Staff RR dated 15 April 1944.
1. Evacution of the Population. The undersigned was in Kiev
during the whole of October 1943 until the beginning of November, shortly before the occupation of the city by Soviet Russia. At the beginning of October a part of the population had been evacuated especially in the parts of the town by the Dnieper and the areas in question were declared "b'allte zones". During October the population of the city was further evacuated quarter by quarter. This evacuation took place by order of the military authorities; it was, however, carried out by the civil administration [Stadtkommandantur]. The trolley line and the railway trains had already been put in readiness by the German civil administration. Nonetheless, the greater proportion of the inhabitants listened to the Soviet counter-propaganda, with the result that they did not wish to abandon the city ; they sought accommodation in quarters still untouched by the evacuation or went off on foot to the neighboring areas of the city. There was an uninterrupted stream of homeless people wandering through the streets, with a few belongings. Hardship was unavoidable as a result of the evacuation, but it was still further increased by the passive resistance of the population. Protection could not be set up in the evacuated sections of the city, so there were very soon no locked doors. It was probably mainly members of the local bands dressed in field gray, who are to be held responsible for the plundering of empty dwellings, etc. At this time much property belonging to museums and institutions was destroyed. .
2. The Removal of Cultural Property. A great deal of material from museums, archives, institutions and other cultural institutions was taken out of and away from Kiev in the autumn of 1943, in the proper way. These actions to safeguard the material were carried out by the Special Purpose Staff RR as well as by the individual institute directors etc. at the instigation of the Reich Commissar. At the beginning a great deal of the evacuated property was taken only to the rear areas ; later on this material was forwarded to the Reich. When the undersigned, towards the
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I109-PS
end of September, received the mission from the cultural division of the Reich Commissar to take out of Kiev the remaining cultural effects, the most worthwhile materials from the cultural point of view had already been removed. During October some 40 carloads of cultural effects were sent to the Reich. In this case it was chiefly a question of valuables which belonged to the research institutions of the national Research Centre of the Ukraine. These institutions are continuing their work at the present time in the Reich and are being directed in such a manner that at a given moment they can be brought back into the Ukraine. The cultural valuables which could not be promptly safeguarded', were plundered. In this case, it was always a question, however, of less valuable material, as the principal valuables were taken away in accordance with orders.
In October 1943 factory, workshop etc. plants were taken out of Kiev by order of the Reich Commissar. To what place they were removed I do not know. At the time of the entry of Soviet Russia there was nothing valuable in this respect left in the city..
[Signature] Dr. Ulmann
TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT II09-PS
Date: Date Unknown
Total Pages: 1
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-II09
HLSL Item No.: Unknown