Instructions to military commanders on assistance to Rosenberg's operation to gather cultural goods for the Nazi ideological program and to seize cultural goods owned by Jews

Army High Command, General Staff of the General Headquarters Headquarters Army High Command 80/9/1942.
Az. Dept. War Administration No. 11/11564/42
SUBJECT: Deployment of Special Units of the Special Service
Staff of Reischleiter Rosenberg, for the occupied Eastern areas.
I. Tasks:
The Fuehrer, in his decree of 1/3/1942, has delegated Reichsleiter Rosenberg in his capacity as "Commissioner for the supervision of the entire spiritual and philosophical indoctrination and education of that NSDAP", with the spiritual battle against Jews, Free-Masons and the affiliated philosophical opponents of
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National Socialism, who are the cause of the present war. The planned spiritual battle against these powers was declared essential to the war effort by the Fuehrer. For this purpose, the Fuehrer has ordered, among other things, that the "Special Purpose Staff of Reichsleiter Rosenberg for the occupied areas" should be authorized in the occupied areas under military administration and in the occupied Eastern territories under civil administration—exclusive of the General Government—to " a. Search libraries, archives, lodges, and other philosophical and cultural institutions of all kinds, for material suitable to the accomplishment of his task, and to have this material seized.
b. To cause the seizure of cultural goods which are owned by Jews, or without ownership, or the owner of which cannot readily be determined.
c. The Reich minister of the occupied Eastern territories has established on 12/6/1942 a "Central Office for the seizure and safekeeping of /cultural goods in the occupied Eastern Territories." Disregarding exceptional cases, in which the safeguarding of endangered cultural goods is urgent, it is desired to keep these goods in place for the present. This has been agreed upon, according to the agreement reached between Armed Forces High Command General Staff of the General Headquarters, and the Special Purpose Staff of Reichsleiter Rosenberg.
d. In the Eastern Theatre of operations, also such cultural goods as do not fall under §6—especially museum pieces—are to be concealed, respectively safeguarded, to save them from damage or destruction.
For the accomplishment of the missions named in la, b and c, the "Special Purpose Staff Reichsleiter Rosenberg" employs special units. With the consent of Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the deployment of these special units is regulated as follows :
1. For the central steering of the Special Units, according to need, a delegate of the Special Purpose Staff of Reichsleiter is employed, who is director of the Special Units in the Army Group area, respectively the Army area. This man is obligated to inform the Supreme Commander of the Army Group respectively Army in time, of the directives he has received from Reichsleiter Rosenberg or from the staff leader. The Supreme Commander is authorized to give the delegate directives which are necessary to avoid disturbing the operations. These directives supersede all others. The delegates depend upon steady and close cooperation with the G-2 (Intelligence Officer). The Special Unit authorities can demand the furnishing of a liaison man by the delegate to the G-2. The G-2 has to coordinate, the missions of
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the Special Purpose Units with the military intelligence [Abwehr] and the secret field police. For the cooperation with the defense officers, respectively defense offices, the decisions reached in the talks between Special Purpose Staff Rosenberg and Armed Forces High1 Command/Foreign intelligence, will apply.
2. The Special Units of Reichsleiter Rosenberg carry out their
work in their own responsibility and according to the directives given by Reichsleiter Rosenberg. '
3. For the accomplishment of the missions described in la, b, c, the Special Units Reichsleiter Rosenberg have the right to search buildings in the theater of operations for relevant material and confiscate it. The secret field police is to be informed of the confiscations. The secret field police furnishes official aid to the Special Units if necessary.
4. The demarcation line between the working territory of the Special Units Reichsleiter Rosenberg and the Special Units of the Chief of the Security Police and the security service is regulated by direct agreement between both service offices.
5. a. The Special Units belong to the Armed Forces. They wear brown uniforms with the swastika insignia.
b. The Special Units have a strength of 20-25 men, their clothes and equipment, together with a corresponding number of vehicles, is secured by the Special Purpose Staff, Reichsleiter Rosenberg.
c. The Special Units are always subordinated, to the service branches to which they are attached for the execution of their mission, with respect to care, march, accommodation and rations.
d. The members of the Special Units are identified by a "service-book" of the Special PurposeUitaff Reichsleiter Rosenberg, which corresponds to the pay-book. This service-book is to contain always the rank of the owner. It is further noted there, how the owner is to be treated in comparison (E.M., NCO, Officer). The service branch, which receives a Special Purpose Unit, has to certify on a special sheet, provided for this purpose by the service office, the fact and duration of the deployment with this branch as members of the Armed Forces. The service-book counts as identity card.
e. The Special Units are eligible for medical care. They are to be vaccinated according to the orders given to the Army.
/. Distribution of a fuel contingent is always to be arranged with the chief quartermaster of the Army with which a special unit is placed. Vehicles are to be cared for by the H.K.P.
g. Field postal service of the Special Units during movement, is
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carried by way of the field post number of the service branch which has a Special Unit attached. By transformation to long, permanent work, application for their own field post number can be made with the army field postmaster concerned.
h. Under priority of military necessity the Special Units have the right to use Armed Forces telephone and telegraph lines forward, and, when possible also to the rear. Within the area of the military administrations, connection with the Armed Forces telephone net is to be made possible.
i. With regard to the use of means of transportation, the rules decreed for the army also apply to the Special Units. Armed Forces driving licenses are to be furnished by the service branch, to which a Special Unit is attached.
It is to be made certain, that the above regulations are always made known to the commanding authorities, which receive Special Units for deployment.
The Special Units Reichsleiter Rosenberg are to be supported in every way in the execution of their mission. Particularly, insofar as operations permit, deployment directly with the fighting troops is to be made possible.
IV. Independent of the missions of the Special Units Reichsleiter Rosenberg, in accordance with paragraph la, b, c, the troops and all military service offices employed in.the theater of operations, are directed to save valuable art monuments whenever possible, and safeguard them from destructions or damages.
The preliminary safeguarding of cultural goods, museums etc. by the troops and military service units under subsequent agreement, respectively yield to Special Units Reichsleiter Rosenberg, wins particular significance in the occupied Eastern territories where, in contrast to the West and South East no organizations for the protection of art have been designated by Armed Forces High Command/General Staff of the Army/Generals' Quarters.
By direction
/&/ Wagner
Distribution
All High Commands of the Army Groups with signal co's [Nachrichtenabteilung] 5; each for all field commanders of the Army territory.
All Army High Commands and Panzer Army High Commands with signal co's [Nachrichtenabteilung] each, Staff Don with 3 signal co's [Nachrichtenabteilungen].
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(with each 6 Signal co's [Nachrichtenabteilung])
Military Commander in France,
Paris
Military Commander in Belgium and Northern France, Brussels Army Territory (W.B.) South East With each 2 signal co's for Commander, General and Military Governor of Serbia Military Governor of Soloniki-Agnis Military Governor Southern Greece
With each 1 Signal Co's for the Commander of the Fortress Crete, Foreign branch Armed Forces High Command/Gen-eral headquarters South, Armed Forces High Command/ Armed Forces Command Staff.
With each 2 Signal Battalions for Military Governor Eastland, Military Governor Ukraine.
Reichsminister for the occupied Eastern territories Berlin, with each 2 Signal Co's [Nachrichtenabteilungen].
Special Purpose Staff Reichsleiter Rosenberg for the occupied territories, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Bismarckstr. 1.
Center—Force—East.
8/10/1942
Special Purpose Staff Rosenberg for the occupied territories. Berlin-Charlottenburg 2, Bismarckstr. 1.
To all Chief Labor Groups, Labor Groups, Special Units and Liaison Agencies in the. Special Purpose Staff Reidhsleiter Rosenberg
High Command of the Armed Forces 3 a 5U Armed Forces Command Staff/Org. (Ill)
Reference: No. 0655/42 Secret Armed Forces Command Staff/ Quarter (II) of 28/2/42.
SUBJECT: Special Purpose Staff Rosenberg. '
In carrying out the relevant order, it has been determined: The material from libraries, archives, lodges and similar things, safeguarded by the Special Purpose Staff Rosenberg in the execution of its mission, is to be treated like Armed Forces goods.
All other goods are expressly excluded from this.
The Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces
By direction,
/s/ MUENCH
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Distribution:
General Staff of the Army—General Quartermaster Navy High Command
High Command of the Air Force—General Staff—Gen. Qu. Armed Forces High Command—A Foreign Intelligence OGW II—Intelligence III.
Chief of the Army Transport System.
Armed Forces Command Staff/Quartermaster Org. (Ill) Draft Ktb.
Informatory: Special Purpose Staff Reichsleiter Rosenberg for the occupied territories.