LA E vision, whereas other concerns, such as the Heinkel aircraft works were only looked after by me. Enclosure 1 contained factory reports and output figures. The number of orders was so large that the German Equipment Works (DAW) was fully occupied up to March and the other factories had enough work for 2-3 months. C. Exploitation of Property. The exploitation of property which was carried out by Reinhardt I has been completed as shown in Enclosure 2. D. Seizure of Hidden Goods. The seizure of hidden goods and exploitation of landed property is divided into: 1. Property such as machinery, raw material, etc., handed over by the "Osti" to Aryans. To date the result is 6.3 million Reichsmarks; a further 7-8 million Reichsmarks are yet to be brought in. This seizure had furthermore the advantage that all those were affected who had built up industries for themselves in this manner, with the help of Jews without cost to themselves and had become rich without effort. 2. Seizure of Jewish assets at home and abroad in that the camp inmates were ordered to cede these claims to the "Osti", which then carried out the recovery. The first attempt resulted in a cession of an amount of 11,000,000 Zloty, at least half of which appeared obtainable. However, since it was also possible to discover money that had been smuggled abroad, this action could have brought valuable foreign currency to the Reich. . 3. Real estate was transferred to the Real Estate Administration of the Government General for exploitation. All the above mentioned arrangements were functioning satisfactorily at the time of my departure. As I received an indication from the Reichsfuehrer SS that a potential transfer might be possible some time during the year, I immediately go down to finally settling and consolidating the organization I had created, and for this purpose handed over the entire organization to the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. The measures taken were as follows: (1) On the 13.8.1943 the SS Training Camp of Trawniki was handed over by SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl (see letter of 18.8. 1943-Chief A/Fr./S-Enclosure 3). (2) On the 7.9.1943 in a conference with SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl the taking over of 10 SS Working Camps in the Lublin District as subsidiaries of Lublin Concentration Camp was decided on and in addition the further handing over of further working camps in the Government General. The head of the Lublin Concentration Camp was provided with suitable contracts. This conference was brought about by SS Obergruppenfuehrer Krueger and SS Standartenfuehrer Schell (see file note of the Chief of the SS-WVHA (SS Economic and Administrative Head Office)) of 7.9.43-D II/L (Ref. No. 29 Ma./F.) (Enclosure 4). (3) In pursuance thereof, a letter of the Commandant of the Lublin Concentration Camp, dated 14.9.43 to the SS Working Camps announced that they had become subdiaries of the Lublin Concentration Camp. The mixing of guards of foreign race with the German Concentration Camp guards from the Reich has also been initiated. (4) On the 22.10.43 SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl announced that he had ordered taking over of the following Working Camps by Amtsgruppe D: (1) Old Airport Lublin (2) SS Working Camp Trawniki (3) SS Working Camp Poniatowa (4) Forced Labor Camp and SS Workshops in Radom (7) German Equipment Works, Lublin (8) Armament stores in Lemberg. (5) During the conference on 22.10.43, SS Obergruppenfuehrer Pohl stated that I would be replaced as first manager of the "Osti" by the second manager and a new second manager would be appointed. My relief was also approved. I also explained everything fully to my successor and called his attention to his supervisory duty. I thereby created all the conditions for the continuation. The principles of security existed and were guaranteed by the Leadership by the Concentration Camps. The relief has not yet been effected. On 3.11.1943 the workers were withdrawn from the labor camps and the works shut down. The Camp leaders were not informed of this action although the responsibility rested with them. I was thus impeded in my supervisory duty. I have ordered the Camp Leaders to wind up and continue determining the contracts and/or transferring stocks. On the day before the evacuation of the camps, General Schindler of the Armaments Inspectorate, Cracow, arranged with the Camp Leaders on the basis of a promise from SS Obergruppenfuehrer Krueger, that a. In the future only armament contracts were to be given to the labor camps. b. He had received the assurance on 2.11 that a further 10,000 Jews were to be removed for armament work. It was no longer possible to carry out with this arrangement. [Sgd] Globocnik. SS Gruppenfuehrer and Lt. General of Police. These enclosures are the papers mentioned in SS Gruppenfuehrer Globocnik's letter of the 5.1.43. They have been taken out to facilitate depositing. Top Secret Report On the Administrative Development of the Action Reinhardt I. All the assets acquired as a result of this Action were centrally mustered by an administration set up by me, duly classified and booked. The muster extends to the entire Government-General. The personnel came from the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office (WVHA). The utilization and winding up of the assets was carried out on the basis of directives by the Reichsfuehrer SS. During the course of the Action this was summed up in a directive of 26.9.42 and 9.12.43, and the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office was given the task of winding up with regard to the Reich authorities. The assets I collected were regularly delivered to the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office against receipts, and they in turn passed on the assets to the Reichsbank, the Reich Ministry of Finance, textile concerns, etc. On the orders of the Reichsfuehrer SS, necessary articles could be removed for the maintenance of persons of the German race. The Reichsfuehrer SS forbade any appropriation for the purposes of the SS. What is remarkable about the accounting is that no hard and fast basis for the amount collected existed, as the collection of the assets was carried out under orders and only the decency and honesty, as well as the surveillance, of the SS men used for this purpose could guarantee a complete delivery. Nevertheless what was seized and collected and received by the Department Reinhardt was listed and delivered without error and with the greatest accuracy. A preliminary examination up to 1.4.43 by SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Vogt of the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office has already taken place and has revealed perfect order. For the balance, the preliminary examination has still to be carried out. In accordance with an agreement with the Reich Ministry of Finance, this preliminary examination is final and the vouchers and data will be destroyed in accordance with Security regulations, cutting out the Reich Accounting Office. II. The assets accounted for are divided into: 1. Sums of Reichsmarks and Zloty. The entire expenditure transport costs, dues, etc. incurred as a result of this Action were covered from these receipts. By far the greater portion was placed at the disposal of the SS Economist in the Government General and the amounts were credited to the Action Reinhardt in Reichsmarks by the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office by an accounting transaction and handed over to the Reichsbank. A small portion was used for foreign currency reasons as a credit for various economic enterprises and then also credited by the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office by an accounting transaction. In addition, differences arising from increases in the price of urgently required raw material supplies were covered. All these transactions were carried out with the consent of the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. A further amount was placed at the disposal of the Concentration Camp currently for additional building operations, to develop the economic concern and to obtain the necessary agricultural machinery, etc. Exact accounts were kept of this, the purchases were always confirmed by me, and the documents covering this will also be attached to the final account. The accounts were kept by the Administrative Chief of the Concentration Camp and were actually kept separate from my administration, as the Concentration Camp Administration was independent of the SS Garrison Administration Lublin by order of the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. The authority which finally takes over the concern will have to reimburse Reinhardt for these expenditures. 2. Foreign Currency in bank notes or coined gold was collected, sorted, and also handed over to the Reichsbank via the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. 3. Jewels, jewelry, watches and such like were sorted according to their value and delivered to the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. On orders from this office, watches of nonprecious metals were handed over to the troops, spectacles were repaired and placed at the disposal of wounded persons, and utensils of no value were principally handed over to Wehrmacht authorities to cover urgent needs. The necessary transfer vouchers are available. 4. Textiles, garments, underclothing, bed feathers and rags were collected and sorted according to their quality. The sorted articles had to be searched for hidden valuables and finally disinfected. More than 1,900 wagons were then placed at the disposal of the authorities named by the Reich Ministry of Economy by order of the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office. Out of these stocks not only foreign workers were clothed but a large portion was used for re-manufacture. No case of sickness became known, although these garments frequently came from persons suffering from spotted typhus. The disinfection therefore was adequate. The best garments were separated and by order of the Reichsfuehrer SS were used for supplying persons of the German race. Shoes were also sorted according to how far they could be used and then either given to persons of German race or to concentration camps for supplying inmates, or else taken to pieces and used for wooden shoes for supplying inmates. 5. Individual valuables of a special kind, such as stamps, coins, and such like were sorted and delivered to the SS Economic and Administrative Head Office; worthless articles were destroyed. 6. Other articles received, such as soap, washing materials, crockery and cutlery, and the like, were used in the Jewish camps; glass, old iron articles, etc., were sent to the salvage centers for re-manufacture. 7. The food brought on the transports was used to help provision the Jewish camps. 8. Valuable furniture and household utensils were reconditioned and mainly put at the disposal of settlers of German race. But furniture was also loaned to German and Wehrmacht authorities against an accommodation bill. Inferior goods were either destroyed or given to the population as a reward for good work at the harvest, etc. It was attempted to take from articles which could no longer be used parts such as locks, hinges, and the like, and to use these elsewhere. The vouchers pertaining to the loaned articles were submitted monthly to the Higher SS and Police Chief East. In accordance with the order of the Reichsfuehrer SS of the 22.9, the total takings are now closed, evaluated and passed on, so that there is hardly any mass left now. |