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Volume V · Page 148
| to strip the Polish Population
of the Eastern territories of all their property and in turn to make the
property available to resettlers. Greifelt made periodic reports to Himmler in which he gave detailed accounts of the stages reached in resettlements and confiscation of property. Some conception of the extent of these confiscations may be gained from a report made by Greifelt to Himmler as early as 3 August 1942. Following page after page of statistics, the report reveals that in four Eastern Gaue [districts] alone the total number of confiscated farms and estates amounted to 626,642, with a total area of 5,849,987 hectars. Roughly, the land confiscated consisted of more than 14,000,000 acres. None of the land confiscated was ever paid for; and although it is claimed in defense to these confiscations that it was intended to pay for these properties after the war, it is quite plain from the evidence that no such intention existed, for in reporting in a memorandum on a conference held with Hitler on 12 May 1943, Greifelt stated: |
"The Reich Leader SS has pointed out that the property in question in the Incorporated Eastern Territories was formerly German property which was robbed in 1918 and for which no one can demand compensation. On the other hand, the situation in the Government General is different since the Poles there are still owners of their property. In so far as this property will be utilized for German resettlement measures, one could, therefore, consider a compensation for the previous owner." |
| With regard to property confiscated from
Jewish owners, no compensation at all was contemplated, as is disclosed by a
memorandum by Greifelt, written in December 1942, which he sent to Himmler's
secretary. This memorandum revealed that "the Reich Leader SS had signed a
general directive whereby the entire Jewish real estate is to be placed at the
disposal of the Office for Strengthening of Germanism." We have previously shown in this judgment that in reporting to Himmler, Greifelt recommended the "immediate requisition of Polish, Russian, and Jewish property." Greifelt, on other occasions, voiced his opinion that requisitions should take place. For instance, on 23 February 1.941, he wrote Himmler: |
"After having issued your carrying-out decree concerning the treatment of the population in the Eastern occupied countries of 12.9.1940, you will find it necessary to issue instructions concerning the treatment of the property belonging to persons included in groups 3 and 4 of the ‘List for the Repatriation of German ethnic groups’ and this for the agricultural as well as for the trade sections. |
