ECR-155-A

ECR-166

ECR-172

ECR-173

ECR-174

ECR-175

VII

716

VII

718

Memorandum from Special Com-
missioner West of Reichskredit-
kassen, 7 December 1943, on
occupation costs....
Memorandum from Special Com-
missioner West of Reichskredit-
kassen, 10 May 1944, concerning
cash situation of Chief Paymaster
at Military Commander in Bel-
gium and Northern France...
Letter from Reichskommissar for
Occupied Territories of Belgium
and Northern France, 21 July
1944, concerning equalization of
monthly balance in giro traffic of
Reichskreditkassen...
Report of Commissar at the Na-
tional Bank of Belgium, 15 August
1944, on total occupation charges
and Belgium clearing balance.....
Report of the Commissar of the
Netherlands Bank for the month
May 1941, dated 12 June 1941..... VII
Letter from RKK Amsterdam to
Central Administration of RKK

VII

720

VII

721

726

*L-221

*R-92

*R-112

Schachen, 14 October 1943, on the
Question of Security. (USA 308)..| VII
Bormann report on conference of
16 July 1941, concerning treatment
of Eastern populations and terri-
tories. (USA 317)...

Instruction for internal use on ap-
plication of law concerning prop-
erty of Poles of 17 September 1940;
copy of monthly report 31 May
1942 with statistics on farms and
estates seized and confiscated in
the Incorporated Eastern Terri-
tories; copy of letter from SS offi-
cer to Himmler, 20 November
1940. (USA 312)...

VII

*R-114

818

1086

VIII

61

Chapter XIV

THE PLUNDER OF ART TREASURES

1. THE EINSATZSTAB ROSENBERG

A. Formation, Purpose, Powers.

On 29 January 1940 Hitler issued a decree in the following terms:

"The 'Hohe Schule' is supposed to become the center for national-socialistic ideological and educational research. It will be established after the conclusion of the war. I order that the already initiated preparations be continued by Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg, especially in the way of research and the setting up of the library.

"All sections of Party and State are requested to cooperate with him in this task." (136-PS)

What began as a project for the establishment of a research library developed into a project for the seizure of cultural treasures. (141-PS)

On 1 March 1942 Hitler issued a decree in which he asserted that Jews, Freemasons, and affiliated opponents of National Socialism are the authors of the War against the Reich, and that a systematic spiritual battle against them is a military necessity. The decree thereupon authorized Rosenberg to search libraries, archives, lodges, and cultural establishments, to seize relevant material from these establishments as well as cultural treasures which were the property or in the possession of Jews, which were ownerless, or the origin of which could not be clearly established. The decree directed the cooperation of the Wehrmacht High Command and indicated that Rosenberg's activities in the West were to be conducted in his capacity as Reichsleiter and in the East in his capacity as Reichsminister. (149-PS)

This decree was implemented by a letter from Dr. Lammers, Reichsminister and Chief of Chancellory, directed to the "Highest Reich Authorities and the Services directly subordinate to the Fuehrer." The letter reiterated the terms of the Hitler decree and requested support of the Reich authorities in Rosenberg's fulfillment of his task. (154-PS)

B. Scope of Activities.

Rosenberg's activities in fulfillment of the above decrees were extended, in the West, to France (138-PS), Belgium (139-PS), the Netherlands (140-PS), Luxembourg (137-PS), and Norway and Denmark. (159-PS)