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by the Creditanstalt Bank. Because of the relentless pressure against
Austria by Germany, relations between these two countries were poor prior to
1938 and neither the Austrian Creditanstalt Bank nor the Austrian State wanted
foreigners to obtain any shares of Berndorfer.
As early as February
1937, more than a year before the seizure of Austria, Gustav Krupp’s
brother-in-law, Mr. von Wilmowsky, wrote a letter to Gustav stating that
Lammers, State Secretary in Hitler’s Reich Chancellery, had been advised
of Gustav’s desire for an interview with Hitler about the possibility of
acquiring Austrian shares. The request was made that the audience take place as
soon as possible as Gustav was anxious to have the matter settled and that the
Fuehrer had promised to see him.
On 12 March 1938 German troops invaded
Austria, and on the 13th a law was passed for the absorption of Austria within
the German Reich. On 19 March 1938 a decree was issued by the Reich Minister of
Economics prohibiting, under threat of fine and imprisonment, any German
business concern from establishing subsidiary companies in Austria or acquiring
by purchase Austrian business concerns except by special exception by the Reich
Ministry of Economics. It may be said that this decree was issued, not in order
to prevent the infiltration of the Austrian economy by Germany but to
channelize that infiltration in a manner commensurate with the wishes of the
Nazi government.
Three other German concerns were endeavoring to obtain
an interest in the Berndorfer plant but their efforts brought no success as
Goering had promised Gustav Krupp that the Krupp concern could have the
exclusive right to purchase the Bank’s controlling interest in Berndorfer.
I quote from another letter addressed to Gustav Krupp by his
brother-in-law, Mr. von Wilmowsky, dated 19 April 1938. Mr. von Wilmowsky was a
member of the Aufsichtsrat of the Krupp firm. His letter is particularly
enlightening as it illustrates, I think, the political manœuverings to
which the Krupp firm resorted in this instance to accomplish its purpose
(NI-770, Pros. Ex. 1278): |
| |
“I arrived in Vienna this
morning and am leaving for Berndorf tonight * * *. I heard the following:
“Mr. Hamburger’s dismissal is definite. At the instigation of
the Creditanstalt, a university lecturer Schmied from Danzig, an Austrian, has
been appointed provisional supervisor in addition to the Betriebsfuehrer (plant
manager) Kern. Mr. Kern had, hitherto, been in charge of commercial problems,
however, he lacks insight where the management of the entire plant is concerned
and does not possess the necessary authority. |
1456 |
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