Instructions to ministries and offices of the four-year plan, for the economic development of territories that will be incorporated within Germany and the exploitation of territories that will not, including the seizure of Polish and Jewish properties and the transfer of resources and enterprises to Germany

Volume 37a [in pencil]
Appendix 10 [in red ink]
Copy
Berlin W 8 October 19, 1939 Leipxigerstreet 3.
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tions for the economical administration of the occupied territories. I will repeat them here in short:
1. The task for the economic treatment of the various administrative regions is different depending on whether a country is involved which will be incorporated politically into the German Reich or whether we deal with the Government General which, in all probability, will not be made a part of Germany.
In the first mentioned territories the reconstruction and expansion of the economy, the safeguarding of all their productive facilities and supplies must be aimed at, as well as a complete incorporation into the Greater German economic system at the earliest possible time. On the other hand, there must be removed from the territories of the Government General all raw materials, scrap materials, machines etc. which are of use for the German war economy. Enterprises which are not absolutely necessary for the meager maintenance of the naked existence of the population must be transferred to Germany, unless such transfer would require an unreasonably long period of time and would make it more practical to exploit those enterprises by giving them German orders to be executed at their present location (compare also appendix 2 of the decree by the supreme command of the army of October 9, 1939, number 1927/39 secret).
2. In spite of the different political treatment, the fact, that all territories have up to now belonged to a uniform economic expanse with many mutual obligations, requires a uniform economic direction center for the time being and this can be exercised from Berlin only, the way things stand now.
3. I have reserved this uniform direction for myself already in my decree of September 28, 1939 (St. M. Dev. 8924/39). Also under the new order of these matters, I reserve for myself to a large extent not only the issuing of general directives, but also of individual orders in the economic field.
4. In order to make the territories—especially also those to be added to the Reich—serve in the best way the aim pursued by the Fuehrer, the property of real estate, plants, mobile objects and claims, which are to be taken over by the Reich from Polish hands, must receive uniform custody and administration.
For this purpose, I have formed a Main Trustee Office East [Haupttrenhandstelle Ost] which is under my personal jurisdiction and which has to fulfill the following tasks:
a. The seizure of the property of the Polish state within the territories occupied by German troops and provisions for its lawful administration; corresponding measures are in force for private property in Polish and Jewish hands;
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b. The regulation of the money and credit system according to more detailed instructions by the Reich Ministry for Economics ;
c. the ordering of all economic measures which are necessary for the transfer of the economic administration to the individual administrative districts, and the execution of the necessary settlements of claims and accounts;
d. the preparation of a settlement with the foreign creditors which might possibly become necessary.
e. The Main Trustee Office East [Haupttrenhandstelle Ost] which has its seat both in Berlin and at the Reich Minister Frank will set up trustee offices in the individual administrative districts; these offices will be under the direct jurisdiction of the Main Trustee Office East. The trustee offices have to keep the administrative chief of its administrative district, at all times, informed about their activities.
f. Only the Main Trustee Office East can, in agreement with the corresponding administrative chiefs, respectively with the Governor General (Supreme Administrative Chief) order confiscations. Confiscations carried out up to now by local offices are valid only if they are confirmed by the Main Trustee Office East. If the confirmation has not been issued up to February 1st, 1940, the confiscation loses its validity.
The Main Trustee Office can appoint commissary administrators for the administration of enterprises and property of all kind. Inasmuch as such administrators have already been appointed by other offices, the Main Trustee Office can recall them and assign other administrators. The administrators need the exoneration of the Main Trustee Office East. The Main Trustee Office East may transfer its power to the local trustee office. Military requisitions and the use of real estate, furniture etc. for the direct purposes of the civil administration will not be affected.
g. The Main Trustee Office East may issue administrative regulations for the execution of its task. General orders have to be published in the official gazettes of the administrative districts, in order to become valid.
h. I have charged the mayor Winkler, retired, with the setting up and temporary direction of the Main Trustee Office East.
5. As I have already outlined in the meeting of October 13th, I expect the leaders of the administrative districts to give the fullest support to the measures carried out by the Main Trustee Office and the trustee offices. The smoother this support will be rendered, the faster the Main Trustee Office East will be in a
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position to finish its activity in the individual administrative districts. Every wild confiscation and every enrichment of individuals will be prosecuted on the basis of the general penal and martial laws; the main issue is that the dispossessed Polish property which has been confiscated will be used in the interest of the Reich, that means in everybody's interest, but not for the benefit of some individuals.
Signed Goering
To:
a. Reich Minister Frank
b. Gauleiter Forster
c. Supreme President and Gauleiter Koch
d. Supreme President and Gauleiter Wagner, Breslau
e. President of the Senate, Greiser, Posen
I send you this copy for your acknowledgement and further action.
Signed Goering Verified : STRANDMANN Administrative Secretary