Supervision by Ministry of Eastern Territories over Appropriated Cultural Objects

SECRET

The Leader of Directorate Group, Cultural Missions
P / 55la/ 44s
Expert : Goepel

Berlin, 17 May 1944.

To the Chief of Operational Staff Politic [Fuehrungestabes Politik] Inter-office Memorandum.

Subject: Bringing of Museum Objects and Works of Art from the Occupied Eastern Territories into the Reich.

Information received concerning the bringing back of museum objects and other works of art now public property in the occupied Eastern Territories into the Reich has shown that the interests of the ministry of the East, i. e., of the Reich in this matter are not being presented with sufficient stress. There is no reason for leaving these museum stocks, some of which are extremely valuable, in the hands of various offices and authorities without establishing unmistakably the claim of possession, i. e., the right of disposal of the Reich. The atrocity propaganda of the enemy side has taken up this question at large and has retained with it evident success in the incitement against Germany in this and foreign countries.

Besides the department of archives in. the Reich Ministry, the following have brought back works of art from the occupied Eastern Districts (place of deposit Troppau) :

Reich Commissioner for Ukraine.

(East and West European Museum-place of deposit Kiew in the district Reichau (Wehlau).
(Museum Charkow-place of deposit Wildenhof near Zinten. Various museums of the Ukraine-place of deposit-Troppau)

Reich Commissioner for the East.

(Stock of Museum Minsk-place of deposit Koenigsberg and Castle Hochstedt/ Donau)

Einsatzstab Rosenberg.

(Museum objects from the Ukraine-place of deposit Krakau)

Armed forces from various places.

(places of deposit unknown)

For political reasons I consider it important that the rights of possession of the evacuated museums be kept up fully, respectively in all cases where no owner is known, the right of possession of the Reich is to be clarified. I, therefore, ask for approval of the following measures:

1. A decree is to go to all offices involved according to which all works of art of public property which have been brought back should be put under direct control of the ministry of the East.

2. Action should be taken to inventory all returned objects of art and have their art and material values determined.

3. The places of deposit of these objects of art seized in this way are to be examined by experts and, if necessary the required measures taken to secure these objects from air damage or other destruction. A checking at regular intervals of the conditions and intactness of the stocks should be made as is done at the places of deposit of the German museums.

MS 18/ 5
[v. d. Milwe-Schroeden]