Viewing page 121 of 201

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Oberkommandeo des Heeres
ge St d. H / Gen Qu
Az. Abt. K. Verw. (verw)
No II /11 564 / 42.

Headquarters, Army High Command
30 September 1942

SUBJECT: Employment of Special Commandos of Reichsleiter ROSENBERG's Staff for the Occupied Territories ......

I. Tasks

[[Rosenberg
A
add from page 23]]

By decree of I March 1942, the Führer has put Reichsleiter ROSENBERG, who is "Commissioner for the Total Spiritual and Philosophical Indoctrination and Education of NSDAP", in charge of the spiritual battle against Jews and Free Masons and affiliated opponents of the National Socialism on the basis of their "Weltenschauun", who are the instigators of the present war. The Führer declared the systematic spiritual battle against these forces to be a task dictated by the necessities of war.  For this purpose, the Führer has ordered, among other things, that "Reichsleiter ROSENBERG's Staff for the Occupied Territories" be authorized in occupied territories which are under military government and in occupied territories of the EAST which are under civilian administration - exclusive of the General government to:
a) Search libraries, archives, lodges and other philosophical and cultural institutions of all kinds for appropriate material and to seize such material in fulfillment of his task.
b) Seize cultural goods that are owned or possessed by Jews, goods that are ownerless or ownership of which cannot be clearly determined.

On 12 June 1942, The Reichminister for Occupied Territories in the EAST established in his ministry a "Central Authority for Seizure and Preservation of Cultural Goods in the Occupied Territories of the EAST".  For carrying out these provisions, it will also make use of "Reichsleiter ROSENBERG's Staff for Occupied Territories". With the exception of cases in which the safeguarding of imperilled cultural goods is urgent, they will remain temporarily where they are. According to an agreement between Army High Command/Army General Staff/ Quarter-master General and Reichleiter ROSENBERG's Staff, the following concession was made: 
c) To salvage and/or safeguard in the operation zone of the EAST such cultural goods to which paragraph b) does not apply (especially museum treasures) in order to prevent their damage or destruction

- 14 -