I name Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as my Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East-European Region. .
An office, which is to be established in accordance with his orders, is at the disposal of Reichsleiter Rosenberg for the carrying out of the duties thereby entrusted to him.
The necessary money for this office is to be taken out of the Reich Chancellery Treasury in a lump sum.
Fuehrer's Headquarters 20th April 1941.
The Fuehrer Signed: Adolf Hitler
Reich Minister and Head of Reich Chancellery . Signed: Dr. Lammers
TOP SECRET
The Reich Minister and the Head of the Reich Chancellery
Vo^strasse 6, Berlin W8, 21st April 1941 At present Fuehrer Headquarters. Mail, without exception, to be sent to the Berlin address. To: the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces, General Field Marshal Keitel
Personal. By courier.
My dear General Field Marshal.
Herewith I am sending you a copy of the Fuehrer's Decree by which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his Commissioner for the central control connected with the East-European Region. In this capacity Reichsleiter Rosenberg is to make the necessary preparations for the probable emergency with all speed. The Fuehrer Wishes that Rosenberg shall be authorized for this purpose to obtain the closest cooperation of the highest Reich authorities, receive information from them, and summon the representatives of the Highest Reich Authorities to conferences. In order to guarantee the necessary secrecy of the com-
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865-PS
mission and the measures to be undertaken, for the time being only, those of the highest Reich Authorities should be informed, on whose cooperation Reichsleiter Rosenberg will primarily depend. They are: the Commissioner for the Four-year Plan, the Reich Minister of Economies, and you yourself.
Therefore may I ask you, in accordance with the Fuehrer's wishes, to place your cooperation at the disposal of Reichsleiter Rosenberg, in carrying out of the task imposed upon him.
It is recommended, in the interests of secrecy, that you name a representative in your office with whom the office of the Reichsleiter can communicate and who in addition to your usual deputy should be the only one to whom you should communicate the contents of this letter.
I should be obliged if you would acknowledge the receipt of this letter.
Heil Hitler Yours very sincerely Dr. Lammers
TOP SECRET
The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces
25 April 1941 By courier.
«
To The Head of the Reich Chancellery, Reich Minister Dr. Lammers Personal.
Dear Reich Minister,
I acknowledge receipt of the copy of the Fuehrer's Decree in which the Fuehrer appointed Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg as his Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East-European Region. I have named General of the Artillery Jodi, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff, as my permanent Deputy and Major General Warlimont as his Deputy.
Heil Hitler Yours very sincerely K.
25/4.
622
865-PS
TOP SECRET
The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces
25th April 1941. By courier
To Reichsleiter Rosenberg Personal
Dear Reichsleiter,
The Head of the Reich Chancellery has sent me a copy of the Fuehrer's Decree, by which he has appointed you his Commissioner for the central control of questions connected with the East-European Region. I have charged General of the Artillery Jodi, Head of the Armed Forces Operational Staff and his Deputy, Major General Warlimont with solving these questions, as far as they concern the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces. Now I ask you, as far as your Office is concerned, to deal with him only.
Heil Hitler Yours very sincerely
K.
25/4.
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Notice of Hitler's appointment of Rosenberg as commissioner for eastern Europe, and follow-up letters regarding Rosenberg's agenda and other officials who should coordinate with him
Authors
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Hans H. Lammers (Dr., Chief of Reich Chancellery)
Hans H. Lammers
German jurist, Nazi politician, and Head of the Reich Chancellery (1879-1962)
- Born: 1879-05-27 (Lubliniec)
- Died: 1962-01-04 (Düsseldorf)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: judge; jurist; lawyer; politician
- Member of political party: German National People's Party (until: 1932-01-01); Nazi Party
- Member of: Schutzstaffel
- Participant in: Ministries Trial (role: defendant); Nuremberg Medical Trial (role: affiant, witness)
- Significant person: Adolf Hitler (role: superior); Karl Brandt (role: colleague)
Wilhelm Keitel (Field Marshal, Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces)
Wilhelm Keitel
German field marshal
- Born: 1882-09-22 (Helmscherode) (country: German Empire; located in the administrative territorial entity: Duchy of Brunswick)
- Died: 1946-10-16 (Nuremberg) (country: Allied-occupied Germany)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: military officer; military personnel; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Military rank: general field marshal
- Military branch: artillery
- VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/74027425
Date: 20 April 1941
Defendants: Hermann Wilhelm Goering, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Rosenberg
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-865
Citation: IMT (page 1196)
HLSL Item No.: 450913
Notes:Hitler's appointment, 20 April; Lammers to Keitel, 21 April; Keitel to Lammers and Rosenberg, 25 April 1941.
Document Summary
PS-865: Correspondence (Top Secret) between Lammers, Keitel and Rosenberg about the attached copy of the Fuehrer Order appointing Rosenberg to his 'Deputy for centralized treatment of problems concerning the Eastern Terrorists'
PS-865: Hitler’s decree, 20 April 1941, concerning the appointment of Rosenberg as his agent for the central treatment of matters relating to eastern European territory; secret letter from Lammers to Keitel, 21 April 1941, on the subject of this Hitler decree with special reference to Rosenberg’s duty of preparing with great speed for "a possibly arising emergency"; top-secret letter from Keitel to Lammers, 25 April 1941 concerning the nomination of Jodl and Warlimont as representative and deputy representative of the Okw in Rosenberg’s new field of activity; top-secret letter from Keitel to Rosenberg, 25 April 1941, with similar content
PS-865: Fuehrer Order dated 20 April 1941.
LAMMERS letter to Keitel, 21 April 1941: