Berlin, 31 March 1944.
Subject: Utilization of jewels and so forth, which were acquired by official agencies in favor of the Reich.
According to the oral confidential agreement between vice president Mr. Puhl and the chief of one of Berlin's public offices, the Reichsbank took over the selling of local and foreign currencies, gold and silver coins, precious metals, securities, jewels, watches, diamonds, and other precious objects. All incoming objects will be processed under the code name "MELMER".
The large number of precious objects acquired hereby have been turned over to the Municipal Pawn Shop, Div. Ill Main Office Berlin N 4, Elsaesser Str. 74, for the best possible utilization after checking the number of pieces and their weight, provided they have not been smelted. As it is evident from the enclosed copy of a letter from the Pawn Shop, dated 29.3.44., it refuses further acceptance of such items and declines to process items already in their possession, whose processing has not yet been completed.
We have been informed that the City Treasurer, to whom the Zentralstelle as a municipal office is subordinated, wants to use its personnel in the office for war damages. .
The question of a uniform utilization of the precious objects is important not only because the Reichsbank should be given the opportunity to sell unprocessed jewels, etc., from the Melmer delivery the same way as it did before, and not only because its equivalent belongs to the Reich, but also due to the following reasons:
So far the Pawn Shop made the purchases according to the world-wide gross prices minus 10% for purchasing charges. In case the price obtained in the final disposition was a higher one, this surplus went to the benefit of the Reich. Through sales to
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, foreign countries, a considerable amount of foreign currency must have been acquired. A large number of goods ready for export are still in possession of the Pawn Shop. Among others, diamonds of 35,000carats and very small diamonds (roses) of a very high value.
The Reichsmarshall of the Greater German Reich, the deputy for the Four Year Plan, informed the German Reichsbank, in a letter of 19.3.44., a copy of which is enclosed, that considerable amounts of gold and silver objects, jewels, and so forth, at the Main Office of the Board of Trustees East should be delivered to the Reichsbank according to the order issued by Minister of the Reich, Funk and Graf Schwerin Krosigk. The utilization of these objects should be accomplished in the same way as the Melmer deliveries. The Reichsmarshall informed us also about the utilization of objects of the same kind, which have been acquired in the occupied Western territories. We do not know to which office these objects have been delivered and how they are utilized.
We received a further inquiry about the utilization of jewels
a.s.f. from the Reichsbank in Kattowitz (compare with enclosed copy).
Besides the above-mentioned cases, where the Reichsbank is, or will be, indirectly participating in selling of jewels, there is yet to clear the question of utilization of jewels a.s.f. which have been acquired as war booty. As far as we know, the entire war booty consisting of jewels a.s.f. is in the safes of the Reichshauptkasse. Probably there are objects and items still fit for export which after smelting can give us gold and silver. The official in charge of it is Ministerialrat Dr. Maede, as attorney—in fact— from the Reich Ministry of Finance in Sigmeringen.
In our opinion it is absolutely essential that a uniformed utilization be established of goods acquired by official agencies. The simplest solution would be to separate the pawn institution, which has the necessary skilled personnel and the connections necessary for sale abroad from the Municipal authorities for this war job. Should this be impossible, another appropriate agency should be appointed for this work.
Considering the large amount of incoming foreign currency as a result of the sale of these objects in foreign countries and the considerable acquisition of gold and silver not fit for export from smelting, the immediate uniform settlement of this problem seems to be very advisable.
Hauptkasse [signed] KROPP
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Memorandum on the Reichsbank's handling of valuables (currency, gold and silver, diamonds and other jewels, etc.) turned in by agencies under the "Melmer" code name, which previously had been sold via the Municipal Pawn Shop, with comments on the need for a new arrangement
Authors
Kropp (Accounts Office, Reichsbank (1944))
Kropp
- Additional details not yet available.
Date: 31 March 1944
Literal Title: Subject: Utilization of jewels and so forth, which were acquired by official agencies in favour of the Reich.
Defendants: Walther Funk, Hermann Wilhelm Goering
Total Pages: 2
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-3947
HLSL Item No.: 452852
Notes:See also documents PS 3944 and 3948-3849. According to the Blue Set, the chief agency involved was the SS (vol. 33, p. 577). Goering advised that other valuables would be delivered from the eastern territories.
Document Summary
PS-3947: Photostat of a report from the Hauptkasse, signed Kropp, re; Transactions with stolen gold, jewelry and securities at the Reichsbank
PS-3947: File memorandum by the main accounts office of the Reichsbank in Berlin, 31 March 1944: under a confidential agreement with the Ss, the Reichsbank has hitherto realized for the benefit of the Reich (through the medium of the Berlin municipal pawn office) such foreign currency, precious metals and jewelry as were delivered to it by the Ss; unified regulation of the realization of such articles, including those taken as war booty, desirable; Goring wishes all such articles delivered to the Reichsbank, including those collected in occupied territories