Chapter LXI: Book 11: , Reichsfuehrer SS HEINRICH HIMMLER (3)

The cell evenings of the Party will be conducted by the cell director of the NSDAP. If no suitable cell director is on hand--either because of his short time in office or insufficient indoctrination--the meeting will be in the hands of the local Chapter Director of the NSDAP.

3. Participants:

(_a_) Participation at a cell evening is compulsory for:

All political directors of the cell:

Block leaders and block helpers, cell foremen and block foremen
living within the cell zone.

Factory cell and factory block foremen of the German Labor Front
[DAF] and their co-workers.

NSV cell and block managers:

Cell and block leaders of the Women’s League and the co-workers
of the NSV and NSF whose domicile is within the Cell Zone.

All Party members within the cell;

All members of organizations of the NSDAP. * * *

5. Program of the Cell Evenings. (During War Time):

Following are the rules for the program of a cell evening:

* * * * * * *

(_b_) Lecture (not over 30 minutes) based on the directives issued by the Reich Directorate for Propaganda of the NSDAP.

[Page 50A-51]

_LEADER CONFERENCES--TIME OF MEETINGS_

1. Leader conferences in the local chapter zone.

(_a_) Local chapter directors and office chiefs, cell directors and block directors possibly in the presence of cell and block foremen, as well as cell and block managers and cell and block directors of the Women’s League, as well as the local leaders of the organizations and possibly the deputies of the Kreis offices (health, education, civil servants, county policy, etc.).

Once a month.

(_b_) Cell directors with block directors and cell foremen, cell managers and cell directors of the Women’s League.

Once a month.

(_c_) Block directors with block foremen, block managers, block leaders of the Women’s League and block helpers.

Once a month.

(_d_) All officers of the local chapter are also to participate in:

1. The official formation within the region of the local chapter (may
be combined with leader conference (_a_)).

2. Official formations of the county.

Every three months.

3. The District Day. [Gautag].

One every three years.

4. The County Day. [Kreistag].

If coinciding with District Day, County Day will be cancelled.

Once a year.

(_e_) Participation in schooling:

1. Participants: The political directors, foremen, managers,
advisers, directors of the Women’s League, etc.

* * * * * * *

Once a month.

(_f_) Participation in education.

The political directors of the local chapter; in the evenings or
Sunday mornings, sport to be conducted concurrently. (For further
details see AVM).

Twice a month.

* * * * * * *

2. Leader conferences in the county [Kreis]:

(_a_) County director and his staff every 8 to 14 days.

(_b_) If possible the county director is to arrange for a week end course of 1½ to 2 days duration. (Possibly at a county school [Kreisschule], with the participation of the directors of the county offices and local chapter directors.)

One every 3 months.

Purpose: To hear fundamental lectures, to gather socially in the presence of the bearer of sovereignty, to get to know each other, to overcome difficulties of personal and professional nature by a mutual exchange of thought.

In counties having a large number of local chapters, these courses can be divided. Participation in these conventions is compulsory and official duties are not constituted an excuse under any circumstances.

* * * * * * *

(_d_) The bearers of sovereignty will meet at least once a month with the leaders of the SA, SS, NSKK, HJ, as well as the RAD, and NSFK, in so far as they are located within their sector for mutual orientation.

3. Leader conferences in the District:

(_a_) District leaders [Gauleiter] with his staff every 8 to 14 days.

(_b_) It is further absolutely necessary that the directors of the GAU offices will meet with the county directors of their district once every three months for a three day convention (possibly at a district schooling castle) where they will have an opportunity to overcome difficulties of personal and professional nature, apart from hearing fundamental lectures, by social gatherings in the presence of the bearer of the sovereignty, by getting to know each other and by a mutual exchange of ideas. Participation in these conferences is compulsory and duty would not constitute an excuse under any circumstances.

(_c_) The arrangement of social meeting in the presence of leaders of the organizations of RAD and NSFK of the respective zone of sovereignty. In the course of these meetings differences of opinions may be straightened out in discussions.

(_d_) The bearer of sovereignty will meet at least once a month with the leaders of the SA, SS, NSKK, HJ, as well as the RAD and the NSFK who are within the zone for the purpose of mutual orientation.

[Page 98]

Bearers of Sovereignty--[Hoheitstraeger].

Sectors of Sovereignty--[Hoheitsgebiete].

Among the Political Directors [Politische Leiter] the Bearers of Sovereignty assume a special position. Contrary to the other Political Directors who have departmental missions and serve as advisers to the Bearers of Sovereignty, the Bearers of Sovereignty themselves are in charge of a geographical sector known as the Sector of Sovereignty [Hoheitsgebiete].

Bearers of Sovereignty are:

The Fuehrer.
The District Directors [Gauleiter].
The County Directors [Kreisleiter].
The Local Chapter Directors [Ortsgruppenleiter].
The Cell Directors [Zellenleiter].
The Block Directors [Blockleiter].
The Sectors of Sovereignty are:
The Reich.
The District.
The County.
The Local Chapter.
The Cell.
The Block.

Within their Sector of Sovereignty the Bearers of Sovereignty have sovereign political rights. They represent the Party within their Sector, internally and externally, and they are responsible for the entire political situation within their Sector. The Bearers of Sovereignty supervise all Party officers within their jurisdiction and they are responsible for the maintenance of discipline within their sector. On the other hand, the Directors of the Offices, etc., and of the affiliated organizations are responsible to their respective Bearers of Sovereignty as regards their specific missions apart from their responsibility towards their departmental superiors. The Bearers of Sovereignty are superior to all Political Directors, Managers, etc., within their sector. As regards personal considerations Bearers of Sovereignty, from a Local Chapter Director on up are endowed with special rights. They may, within the provisions of their general directives regarding personnel authorizations, appointments, leaves and dismissal of Political Directors, execute the judgments of the Party law courts which have jurisdiction within their Sector of Sovereignty.

The Bearers of Sovereignty of the Party are not to be administrative officials for a certain sector but are to move in a continuous vital contact with the Political Directors and the population within their sector. The Bearers of Sovereignty are responsible for the proper and good supervision of all members of the nation within their sector. The supervision within a Local Chapter of the NSDAP should, if possible, not be conducted through its business office but through the Blocks and Cells and by the Directors of those units. Through the arrangement of regular interview hours everyone should be given the opportunity to contact his Bearer of Sovereignty.

* * * The Party intends to achieve a state of affairs in which the individual German will find his way to the Party not only in cases of emergency but where the Party, upon its own initiative, as desired by the Fuehrer, will currently supervise and care for all members of the nation.

[Page 70]

_POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE SA_

The political leaders conduct the practical political work and care for the German nation.

The SA is the instrument of training and education through the Party. The parallel organizations, SS and NSKK, are charged with maintaining physical fitness and soldierly spirit within their organizations and with the possibility of commitment as an inner political troop.

* * * * * * *

Smooth cooperation in the service of the Movement and the avoidance of all petty jealousies is the absolute duty of both parties.

* * * * * * *

Mutual Leader Conferences.

To emphasize unity and to promote it, the following principles will apply:

Hoheitstrager [bearers of sovereignty], gauleiters, kreisleiters, etc., will meet at least once a month with the leaders of the SA, SS, NSKK, and HJ, as well as RAD and NSFK, as found within their zone for the purpose of mutual orientation.

More than that, it is desirable to invite the SA leader to other political Fuehrer talks and the political leader to the SA Fuehrer talks.

* * * * * * *

[Page 71]

The Hoheitstrager is responsible for the entire political appearance of the Movement within his zone. The SA leader of that zone is tied to the directives of the Hoheitstrager in that respect.

Requisitioning the SA.

The Hoheitstrager is the ranking representative of the Party to include all organizations within his zone. He may requisition the SA located within his zone from the respective SA leader if they are needed for the execution of a political mission. The Hoheitstrager will then assign the mission to the SA.

* * * * * * *

Should the Hoheitstrager need more SA for the execution of a political mission than is locally available, he then applies to the next higher office of sovereignty which, in turn, requests the SA from the SA office in his sector.

* * * * * * *

[Page 75]

_POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE SS_

The directives laid down with regard to the relationship to the SA are similarly applicable to the SS.

* * * * * * *

_POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE NSKK_

The directives laid down with regard to the relationship to the SA are similarly applicable to the NSKK.

[Page 76]

_POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE HJ_

The directives laid down with regard to the relationship to the SA are similarly applicable to the HJ.

In appointing leaders of the HJ and the DJ, the office of the HJ must procure the approval of the Hoheitstrager of his zone. This means that the Hoheitstrager can prevent the appointment of leaders unsuited for the leadership of youth. If his approval has not been procured, an appointment may be cancelled if he so requests.

* * * * * * *

The political leader has the right to requisition the HJ, in the same manner as the SA, for the execution of a political action.

* * * * * * *

[Page 76a]

_THE POLITICAL LEADERS AND THE NS AVIATION CORPS (NSFK)_

General Collaboration.

The ranking unit leader of the NSFK within the zone will be consulted during the general leader conferences by the Hoheitstrager of the NSDAP. Similarly, the Hoheitstrager or his deputy will be invited to general leader conferences and other meetings of the NSFK.

* * * * * * *

[Page 76b]

_THE POLITICAL LEADER AND THE REICH LABOR SERVICE_

General Collaboration.

Although the Reich Labor Service is no longer an organization within the NSDAP--on the basis of the Labor Duty Law of 26 June 1935--the connection of this service with the Party is demonstrated by the appointment of the Reich Labor Leader to be Reichsleiter of the NSDAP.

To emphasize this union, the leaders of the Reich Labor Service within the zone will participate in the monthly leader conferences of the Hoheitstrager. More than that, it is desirable that the Reich Labor Leader will be invited to other political Fuehrer talks and, vice versa, the political leader to meetings of the Reich Labor Service.

[Page 77]

_THE POLITICAL LEADER AND THE STATE_

To achieve unity of Party and State, the Chief of the Party Chancellery has been given the powers of a Reich Minister. In fundamental questions, the official channels of all Party offices and organizations of the NSDAP with the ministries and other State authorities and, in the opposite direction, of all State offices with organizations of the Party go through the Party Chancellery. This method will assure unified procedure of the Party towards the State.

The Chief of the Party Chancellery must be heard prior to the appointment of any higher civil servant; he will indicate the judgment of the Party towards the person of the proposed civil servant. To make sure of agreement between the municipal administration and the Party, the deputy of the NSDAP will have a decisive voice in the appointment and dismissal of the mayor, the alderman, and the municipal councillors, and furthermore, in the following decisions of the mayor:

1. The decree of principal directives.

2. The bestowal of honorary citizen rights and honorary titles.

The Chief of the Party Chancellery appoints the deputy of the NSDAP. On the basis of his directives, the gauleiter appoints the deputies as follows: for town and country districts, the kreisleiter. If this official happens to be an employee of a municipality or of an inspectorate, a gau inspector will be appointed. In special cases, the gauleiter may appoint himself as deputy.

[Page 92]

Membership in Affiliated Organizations.

The tasks of the affiliated organizations are laid down by the chief offices of the Party which have jurisdiction in the zone of those organizations.

* * * * * * *

Only those organizations may claim to uphold the Fuehrer principle and the form of National Socialist organization and thus be recognized as promoting the continuation of State and people in the National Socialist sense who have found, and will find in the future, structure, supervision, and general character through the Party.

All others, living an existence of their own, are to be turned away as outsiders and must either change or disappear from public life.

[Page 99]

_BLOCK OF THE NSDAP_

A. BLOCKLEITER

1. Regional Sector.

The household: The household is the basic community upon which the block and cell system is built. The household is the organizational focal point of all the Germans united in an apartment and including roomers, domestic help, etc.

* * * * * * *

The block of the NSDAP consists of 40 to 60 households (if possible no more than 50).

* * * * * * *

2. Personnel Questions.

_a._ The blockleiter is Hoheitstrager of the NSDAP.

* * * * * * *

_c._ Subordination: Within the local chapter the blockleiter is subordinate to the cell leader in disciplinary matters.

_d._ Appointment: The blockleiter will be appointed by the Ortsgruppenleiter (local chapter director).

* * * * * * *

3. Tasks and Jurisdiction.

The blockleiter has jurisdiction over all matters within his zone relating to the Movement, and he is fully responsible to the cell leader.

* * * * * * *

[Page 101]

It is his duty to find people disseminating damaging rumors and to report them to the Ortsgruppe so that they may be reported to the respective State authorities.

The blockleiter must not only be preacher and defender of the National Socialist ideology towards the members of nation and Party entrusted to his political care, but he must also strive to achieve practical collaboration of the Party members within his block zone and he must make those of special talents and ability known to the Hoheitstrager.

[Page 102]

The blockleiter shall continuously remind the Party members of their particular duties towards the people and the State.

* * * * * * *

Furthermore, the blockleiter completes a list (card file) about the households.

* * * * * * *

[Page 103]

It is the blockleiter’s aim to achieve to the greatest extent possible that the sons and daughters of families within his zone become members of the various formations of the HJ, SA, SS, NSKK, as well as the corresponding affiliated organizations of the Party, and the German Labor Front, that they visit the National Socialist meetings, rallies, celebrations, etc. In short, the blockleiter must be an untiring activist and propagandist of the Movement.

* * * * * * *

In principle, the blockleiter will settle his official business verbally, and he will receive messages verbally and pass them on in the same way. Correspondence will only be used in cases of absolute necessity and practicability.

[Page 104]

5. Attitude Towards Members of the Nation.

* * * * * * *

_a._ The blockleiter conducts National Socialist propaganda from mouth to mouth. He will eventually awaken the understanding of the eternally dissatisfied as regards the frequently misunderstood or wrongly interpreted measures and laws of the National Socialist government. He is to encourage the members of the nation to ask questions and he is to point out that they may go ahead and talk to him without having to expect difficulties. He will admonish them, however, to exercise discretion towards other members of the nation as regards loose talk. It is not necessary for him to fall in with complaints and gripes about possibly obvious shortcomings of any kind in order to demonstrate this solidarity, but he must always be eager to think in a positive manner and to influence those under his care by his attitude of confidence. * * *

_b._ A condition to gain the confidence of all people is to maintain absolute secrecy in all matters. * * *

[Page 110]

_THE CELL OF THE NSDAP_

A. CELL LEADER

1. Regional Sector.

The cell consists of four to eight blocks.

* * * * * * *

2. Personnel Questions.

_a._ The cell leader is the Hoheitstrager of the NSDAP immediately superior to the block leader.

* * * * * * *

[Page 112]

3. Mission and Jurisdiction.

The missions of the cell leader correspond to the missions of the block leader.

* * * * * * *

[Page 116]

_THE LOCAL CHAPTER [ORTSGRUPPE] OF THE NSDAP_

1. Regional Sector.

The zone of sovereignty includes one or more communities; if necessary, towns may be subdivided into several zones of sovereignty.

* * * * * * *

[Page 119]

3. The Local Chapter Director.

I. Personnel Questions.

_a._ The Ortsgruppenleiter of the NSDAP in his capacity as Hoheitstrager is endowed with special rights.

* * * * * * *

[Page 119a]

_c._ Place of Rank: The Ortsgruppenleiter is directly subordinate to the respective (County Director) [Kreisleiter].

_d._ Appointment: The Ortsgruppenleiter is appointed by the Kreisleiter.

* * * * * * *

[Page 120]

II. Mission and Jurisdiction.

(1) General Responsibility.

Contrary to the time before the assumption of power, the actions of the NSDAP are not limited to the care of its members but now include the care of the entire German nation. This results in the following basic conditions for the Ortsgruppenleiter and his office chiefs:

The Ortsgruppenleiter and his office chiefs must manage their Party duties in addition to the fulfillment of their professional and family duties.

Therefore, the proper conduct of Party tasks is only possible if the tasks of the individual and, in particular, the honorary co-workers of the Party are as limited as possible.

As Hoheitstrager, all expressions of the Party will emanate from him; he is responsible for the political and ideological leadership and organization within his zone of sovereignty.

The Ortsgruppenleiter carries the over-all responsibility for the political results of all measures initiated by the offices, organizations and affiliated associations of the Party. The Party office directors (office chiefs, etc.) within the staff of the Ortsgruppenleiter are the deputies of the Hoheitstrager in their respective offices.

The Ortsgruppenleiter has the right to protest to the Kreisleiter against any measures contrary to the interests of the Party with regards to a unified political appearance in public.

* * * * * * *

[Page 121]

(2) Special Tasks and Duties.

* * * * * * *

_c._ Leader Conferences: The Ortsgruppenleiter has the duty to issue directives in regular conferences.

* * * * * * *

[Page 130]

_THE KREISLEITUNG OF THE NSDAP_

[Page 131]

4. The County Director [Kreisleiter]

I. Personnel Questions.

_a._ Place of Rank: The Kreisleiter is directly subordinate to the Gauleiter.

* * * * * * *

_c._ Appointment: The Kreisleiter is appointed by the Fuehrer upon suggestion of the Gauleiter.

[Pages 132-133-134]

II. Mission and Jurisdiction of the Kreisleiter.

The Kreisleiter carries the over-all responsibility towards the Gauleiter within his zone of sovereignty for the political and ideological training and organization of the political leaders, the Party members, as well as the population.

* * * * * * *

[Page 136]

_GAULEITUNG OF THE NSDAP_

The Gauleitung--Gauleiter and Gau staff--have the political leadership of a designated sector of the Reich and there they perform creative work.

1. Regional Sector.

The Gau represents the concentration of a number of Party counties [Parteikreis].

* * * * * * *

4. The Gauleiter.

The Gauleiter is directly subordinate to the Fuehrer. He is appointed by the Fuehrer.

The Gauleiter bears the over-all responsibility to the Fuehrer for the sector of sovereignty entrusted to him. The rights, duties, and jurisdiction of the Gauleiter result primarily from the mission assigned by the Fuehrer and, apart from that, from detailed directives.

* * * * * * *

[Page 140b]

7 B. Functions.

(1) The edition of the official gazette of the Gauleitung.

* * * * * * *

(3) The central coordination office of the Gau directorate with the State authorities (Reich deputies, police, Gestapo, etc.). The arrangement of conferences between the Gauleiter and offices outside the Party (State, economy, and others) inasmuch as several Gau main offices or Gau offices are interested, in the presence of the respective professional Gau office directors.

(4) The installation of the M Section into the Gau staff office and, thus, the connection to the Armed Forces.

* * * * * * *

(7) Preparation of matters of pardon and commutation of sentence.

* * * * * * *

[Page 141a]

C. Structure.

To be able to handle all these tasks the staff office director of the Gau is assigned the necessary number of co-workers. The above-mentioned tasks of the staff office director of the Gau are combined in the following main offices.

(1) Referee for questions of the Armed Forces (mobilization matters).

(2) Information and report matters.

(3) Pardon matters.

(4) Matters of interior conduct of business in as far as these are not a concern of the Gau treasurer.

(5) Chancellery for personal-official concerns of the Gauleiter and the Deputy Gauleiter.

(6) Law consultant of the Gau.

(7) Complaints and reception of visitors.

[Page 146]

_THE FUEHRER_

The recognition of the sociological mismanagement in pre-war Germany which prevented the growth of a genuine people’s community, the front line experiences of the World War filled with the spirit of comradeship, and the disgust with the traitorous pacifist postwar Germany, matured the Fuehrer’s decision to become a politician and to give the German people a state form which would assume its justified life interests for centuries.

To achieve this aim the Fuehrer created the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. He filled it with his spirit and his will, and with it he conquered the power of the State on 30 January 1933. The Fuehrer’s will is supreme in the Party. As supreme bearer of sovereignty in the Movement, he possesses the right of pardon in Party court matters.

By authority of the law about the Chief of State of the German Reich, dated 1 August 1934, the office of the Reich President has been combined with that of the Reich Chancellery. Consequently, the powers heretofore possessed by the Reich President were transferred to the Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler. Through this law, the conduct of Party and State has been combined in one hand. By desire of the Fuehrer, a plebiscite was conducted on this law on 19 August 1934. On this day, the German people chose Adolf Hitler to be their sole leader. He is responsible only to his own conscience and to the German nation.

To assist him, particularly in party-political questions, the Fuehrer uses the _Party Chancellery_.

The Chief of the Party Chancellery, to guarantee closest collaboration between the offices of the Party and the State authorities, has the powers of a Reich Minister and is a member of the Reich Cabinet.

With the execution of tasks particular to the Party, the Fuehrer has entrusted the _Reichsleiter_ within the Reich Directorate of the NSDAP.

[Pages 148-149]

_THE REICH DIRECTORATE OF THE NSDAP_

The NSDAP represents the political conception, the political conscience, and the political will of the German nation. Political conception, political conscience, and political will are embodied in the person of the Fuehrer. Based on his directives and in accordance with the program of the NSDAP, the organs of the Reich Directorate directionally determine the political aims of the German people. It is in the Reich Directorate where the strings of the organization of the German people and the State meet. By endowment of the Chief of the Party Chancellery with the powers of a Reich Minister, and by special administrative directives, the penetration of the State apparatus with the political will of the Party is guaranteed. It is the task of the separate organs of the Reich Directorate to maintain as close a contact as possible with the life of the nation through their sub-offices in the Gaus. Observations at the front are to be collected and exploited by the offices of the Reich Directorate.

The structure of the Reich Directorate is thus that the channel from the lowest Party office upwards shows the most minute weaknesses and changes in the mood of the people, and that the directives thereby produced in the Reich Directorate will reach the outer command posts of the Party quickly and clearly.

The Reich Directorate, then, sees to it that the reports of the mood of the people will move from the lower to the higher echelons uninterruptedly and quickly, and that the will of the Fuehrer will reach the most distant branches quickly and accurately, even as in the healthy organism of a tree, where the roots receive the food from the soil and lead it into the leaves while the juices formed in the leaves are being sent to the most distant roots. This coordination guarantees an ever-renewed reception of power and an ever-strengthening anchorage of the roots, and it permits the crown to spread further and further, to reach higher and higher, and yet to withstand wind and weather.

Since the National Socialist Movement has originated from the people, it is the most noble task of the Reich Directorate to watch that the strong roots of the Party--namely its ties within the nation--will not die off.

Another essential task of the Reich Directorate is to assure a good selection of leaders. It is the duty of the Reich Directorate to see that there is leadership in all phases of life, a leadership which is firmly tied to National Socialist ideology and which promotes its dissemination with all its energy.

Apart from the general great political tasks which are the responsibility of the Reich Directorate, it will also see that the Party is well organized in all its offices. For that purpose, the Reich Organization Leader exercises a continuous supervision of the organizations of the entire Party apparatus, and he prevents the birth of a bureaucracy which would paralyze the striking power of the Party. It is the supreme task of the Reich Organization Leader to preserve the Party as a well-sharpened sword for the Fuehrer.

The inner organization of the Reich Directorate serves for the execution of the above-named tasks. The number of its offices is so arranged that there will be a representation of all phases of national life within the Reich Directorate. The offices will have subordinate organizations in the other zones of sovereignty as may become necessary. The tasks, jurisdiction, etc., of the offices are further defined in detail in the following chapters.

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1903-PS

Decrees, Regulations, Announcements [Verfuegungen, Anordnungen,
Bekanntgaben], Vol. II. Edited by the Party-Chancellery. Published by:
Zentralverlag der NSDAP, Frz. Eher Nachf. GmbH., Muenchen. Page 510.

Decree of the Fuehrer on the execution of the decree concerning the
Deputy General for the mobilization of labor [Arbeitseinsatz].

In the following the Fuehrer’s decree on the extension of the authority of the Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz is made public:

“Decree of the Fuehrer on the execution of the decree concerning the Deputy General for the Arbeitsdienst of 30 September 1942.

I herewith authorize the Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz, Reich-governor and district-leader [Gauleiter] Fritz Sauckel to take all necessary measures for the enforcement of my decree referring to a Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz of 21 March 1942 (Reichsgesetzblatt I, Page 179) according to his own judgment in the Greater German Reich, in the Protectorate, and in the Government General [Generalgouvernement] as well as in the occupied territories, measures which will safeguard under all circumstances the regulated deployment of labor [geordneter Arbeitseinsatz] for the German war-economy. For this purpose he may appoint commissioners [Beauftragte] to the bureaus of the military and civilian administration. These are subordinated directly to Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz, in order to carry out their tasks. They are entitled to issue directives to the competent military and civilian authorities in charge of the Arbeitseinsatz and of wage-policy.

More detailed directives will be issued by the Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz.

Fuehrer-Headquarters 30 Sept 1942

The Fuehrer
Sign. Adolf Hitler

The Reichminister and Chief of the Reich-Chancery
Sign. Dr. Lammers

The chief of the German High Command
Sign. Keitel.”

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1913-PS

1943 REICHSARBEITSBLATT, PART I, PAGE 588

Agreement between the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz
and the German Labor Front concerning the care of non-German workers

The Commissioner for the Four Year Plan

The Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz VIc 5783/291

Berlin, 20 Sept. 1943

To the presidents of the Gau employment offices and
to the Reich Trustees of Labor
as well as to the directors of the employment offices.

AGREEMENT

The following agreement has been concluded between the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz, Gauleiter and Reich Governor [Reichstatthalter] Sauckel and the Reichsleiter of the German Labor Front, Reichsorganisation leader Dr. Ley.

1. The German Labor Front, on the basis of decree Nr 4 of the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz of 7 May 1942--GBA 405/42 (Nr 2b) has the sole and exclusive mission of caring for all foreign workers employed within the Reich. Excluded are the farm workers employed in the Reich food administration.

2. The Reichsleiter of the German Labor Front, Reichsorganisationleiter Dr. Ley, in collaboration with the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz, Gauleiter Sauckel, will establish a “central inspection” for the continuous supervision of all measures concerning the care of the foreign workers mentioned under 1. This will have the designation:

“Central inspection for the care of foreign workers.”

The central inspection for the care of foreign workers exercises its functions upon directives and in the name of the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz and of the Reichsleiter of the German Labor Front. In order to avoid all duplication of work, it will be its sole responsibility, to scrutinize all measures taken for the care of foreign workers employed in the factories and camps, also to remove immediately all defects discovered--as far as possible--on the spot and to issue the necessary instructions for this.

The authority of the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz to empower the members of his staff and the presidents of the state employment offices to get direct information on the conditions regarding the employment of foreigners in the factories and camps, will remain untouched.

3. The central inspection for the care of foreign workers will be continuously in touch with the main office VI of the Plenipotentiary General for the Arbeitseinsatz. It will instruct the office on the general observations made and will make suggestions for changes, if that should become necessary.

4. The offices of the administration of the Arbeitseinsatz will be constantly informed by the “central inspection for the care of foreign workers” of its observations, in particular immediately in each case in which action of State organizations seems to be necessary.

This agreement becomes effective on the day of its signing.

Berlin, 2 June 1943

Dr. Robert LEY Fritz SAUCKEL

# # # # #

For the carrying out of this agreement I order the following:

1. The supervision of all welfare measures in the realm of the employment of foreign workers is the sole responsibility of the central inspection for the care of foreign workers. Complaints about bad quarters, food, deficient provision of free time activities and cultural and propagandistic care will in the future be directed by me to the central inspection for investigation and elimination of possible deficiencies. The labor offices and Gau labor offices must direct complaints and protests coming to them to the locally competent office of the German Labor Front.

The central inspection will inform the Plenipotentiary General for Arbeitseinsatz regarding its decisions and the measures instituted by it and their completion.

2. The employment of foreign workers, their identification, equalization between the plants, transfers, supervision of practical and vocationally correct employment in the plant, the promotion of instructional measures to increase production, as well as drafting of the labor-contract regulations, the carrying out of pay regulation measures, and the supervision of the orderly paying of foreign workers, remain as formerly the task of the competent offices of the administration of the Arbeitseinsatz and Reich trusteeship.

3. The directives for the employment of eastern and western laborers given in Va 5780.28/90 of 9 January and Va 5780/196 of 4 February 1943 remain in force with the provision that the labor offices and Gau labor offices and the specialists employed with them for the inspection of camps for eastern laborers need only undertake the tasks mentioned under No. 2.

4. The close interrelationship of the tasks of the Arbeitseinsatz and the care of foreign labor demands, independently of the measures to be effected, for the execution of the above agreement, a constant and close cooperation between the offices of the administration of the Arbeitseinsatz and the offices of the German labor front. If, for example, it is determined in the execution of Arbeitseinsatz measures, that an insufficient labor performance on the part of foreign labor results from absence of welfare work, then the competent agencies of the German Labor Front are to be informed of this without delay so that the latter may effect the correction of existing deficiencies. On the other hand the offices of the German Labor Front will bring to the attention of the competent agencies of the Arbeitseinsatz administrative findings made in the course of their welfare work which require an evaluation from the point of view of the Arbeitseinsatz.

For the adjustment of individual questions of cooperation between the offices concerned and the erection of a permanent exchange of findings the Gau labor offices will enter into negotiations with the appropriate administration [Gauwaltungen] of the German Labor Front and will inform the labor offices on the rulings effected for the districts.

By order

Dr BEISIEGEL

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1914-PS

Decrees, Regulations, Announcements [Verfuegungen, Anordnungen, Bekanntgaben], 1st part, 1943 Edition--Editor: The Party Chancellery. Published by the Central Publishing House of the NSDAP, Franz Eher, successor, Muenchen. Pages 318-320.

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AGREEMENT

The following agreement between the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories, Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg and the director of the German Labor Front, Reichsorganisationsleiter Dr. R. Ley, was reached today:

I. On the basis of the agreement reached on June 2, 1943, between the Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz, Gauleiter Fritz Sauckel and the leader of the German Arbeitsfront, Reich Organisationsleiter Dr. R. Ley, concerning a “Central inspection for the care of foreign laborers”, in order to avoid in the future duplication of work and overlapping in plants and camps in which foreign workers are employed or housed, special inspections of the plants and community camps will be effected only by the central inspection. In order to secure cooperation between the Reich Ministry for the occupied Eastern territories and the Central Inspection, a liaison agency will be created in the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories.

II. The Central Inspection for the care of foreign laborers is directed to give upon request the liaison office of the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories, all information in questions related to the care of foreigners.

III. If, in special cases, the Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories considers that a committee should be dispatched in order to inspect camps and plants, this will be done with the consent and cooperation of a representative of the central inspection for the care of foreign workers.

IV. However, the leader of the liaison agency will have at any time access to the community camps and plants in which workers from the Occupied Eastern Territories are housed or employed. Nevertheless, in these cases too the central inspection will have to be given advance notice of the intended inspections.

V. This agreement comes into force on the day of signing.

AGREEMENT

1. A liaison office of the Propaganda Ministry to the German Labor Front is established in the office of the Arbeitseinsatz between the Reichminister for Enlightenment and Propaganda, Dr. Goebbels and the Director of the German Labor Front, Reichsorganisationsleiter Dr. Ley as the result of the agreement reached on 2 June 1943, between the Deputy General for the Arbeitseinsatz, Gauleiter Fritz Sauckel and the Director of the German Labor Front, Dr. Ley about the establishment of a “Central inspection for the care of foreign laborers”.

2. A similar agency will be created in the Gau administrations between the Reich Propaganda Office and/or the Gau Propaganda Office and the main section of the Arbeitseinsatz of the German Arbeitsfront.

3. The liaison agencies have to see that all the measures for caretaking should be carried out in closest cooperation.

4. In order to secure this cooperation, it will be ascertained that all reports, especially those of the central inspection, should be currently maintained to liaison agents.

5. The liaison agents will be currently notified of the visits to camps and plants effected by the German Arbeitsfront and by the delegates of the Central Inspection; it will be at their discretion to take part in these visits in person or by a representative. In special cases the liaison agent or his representative can also visit camps and plants after notifying the DAF.

6. This agreement comes into force on the day of signing.

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Chief of Security Police and SD.

IV D--626/43 (ausl Arb.)

Berlin
June 21, 1943
Night Letter!

To the inspectors of the Security Police and of the SD.

Subject: Central inspection for the care of foreign laborers.

For the permanent control of all measures for the care of foreign workers employed in the Reich--except in agriculture--the leader of the DAF has created:

“Central Inspection for the care of foreign labor”, in
cooperation with the Deputy General for Arbeitseinsatz.

This Central inspection has the task of supervising all the measures for the care of foreign labor in plants and camps, of correcting the detected flaws right on the spot, as far as possible and to issue the directives which are necessary for this purpose.

The leader of Central Inspection for the care of foreign labor is the Hauptdienstleiter of the NSDAP.

Party member Otto Gohdes.

The erection and tasks of this central inspection will not interfere with the measures for which the Security Police and SD are responsible. The preventive tasks of the police which aims at an orderly treatment and care of foreign laborers to avoid incidents undesirable from the standpoint of the Security Police, will be considerably supported and secured by the central inspection and its delegates. The delegates of the central inspection for the care of foreign laborers are instructed to carry out their activities in close cooperation with the agencies of the Security Police and of the SD, particularly with the State Police (directive) agencies. I request, therefore, that close cooperation be afforded the delegates of the central inspection, that they be strongly assisted and taken everywhere committed, even where the care of foreign laborers does not forward the interests of the Security Police and the SD.

Care of laborers of a German blood.

In order to do justice to the particular position of people of German blood [Volksdeutschen], the DAF--Office of the Arbeitseinsatz--has confidentially instructed its agencies to carry out the care of Volksdeutschen in cooperation with the agencies of the Volksdeutschen information office and to avoid that foreign liaison agencies should take care of the Volksdeutschen workers. In the future, the DAF and the State Labor Office will not submit to the foreign liaison agencies such plants which employ only Volksdeutschen from the country in question.

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1915-PS

1938 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 111

Decree concerning the leadership of the Armed Forces, 4 February 1938

From now on, I take over directly the command of the whole Armed Forces.

The former Armed Forces department in the Reichs War Ministry will come directly under my command with all its tasks which it fulfilled under the jurisdiction of the “supreme command of the Army” and my military staff.

At the head of the staff of the supreme command of the Armed Forces is the former Chief of the Armed Forces department as “Chief of the supreme command of the Armed Forces”. He is equal in rank to a Reichs Minister.

At the same time, the supreme command takes the responsibility for the affairs of the Reichs Ministry of War, and by my order, the chief of the supreme command of the Armed Forces exercises the authority formerly belonging to the Reichs Minister.

It is the supreme command of the Armed Forces’ duty to carry out in peace time in accordance with my instructions, the preparation of the defense system of the Reich.

Berlin 4 February 1938

The Fuehrer and Reichs Chancellor
Adolph Hitler

The Reichs Minister and Chief
of the Reichs Chancellery
Dr. Lammers

The Chief of the Supreme Command
of the Armed Forces
Keitel

PARTIAL TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 1918-PS

HIMMLER’S ADDRESS TO OFFICERS OF THE SS-LEIBSTANDARTE “ADOLF HITLER” ON
THE “DAY OF METZ” (PRESENTATION OF HISTORICAL NAZI FLAG).

Now I would like to bring another matter to your attention. Very frequently the member of the Waffen-SS thinks about the deportation of this people here. These thoughts came to me today when watching the very difficult work out there performed by the Security Police, supported by your men, who help them a great deal. Exactly the same thing happened in Poland in weather 40 degrees below zero, where we had to haul away thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands; where we had to have the toughness--you should hear this but also forget it again immediately--to shoot thousands of leading Poles, where we had to have the toughness, otherwise it would have taken revenge on us later. We also had to bring in, in this winter of 40 degrees below zero, ten thousands of Germans, and had to take care of their needs--that the women were warm; that, when they bore children, these children did not experience want and destitution; where we had to take care of their horses; where we had to take care of the baggage of these poor Germans from Volkynia; all duties where the proud soldier says: “My God, why do I have to do that, this ridiculous job here...!” Gentlemen, it is much easier in many cases--and that I would like to tell you this once, or would like to recall to you, you will gladly admit: in many cases it is much easier to go into combat with a company than to suppress an obstructive population of low cultural level in some area with a company, or to carry out executions, or to haul away people, or to evict crying and hysterical women, or to return our German racial brethren across the border from Russia and to take care of them. I want to tell you: In the entire Waffen-SS we must begin to view the other great activity of the entire SS [Gesamt-SS] and entire police. We must see to it that you consider the activity of the man in green uniform as just as valuable as the activity you yourself are engaged in. You have to consider the work of the SD man or of the man of the Security Police as a vital part of our whole work just like the fact that you can carry arms. You are the ones to be envied, because if you do something, if a unit achieves fame, then one can talk of fame, and it can be decorated. It is much more difficult in many other positions--and with that I do not want to underestimate your achievements; I would be the last one to do that--but, believe me, in many places it is much more difficult, this silent work-compulsion, this silent activity, this standing guard over our ideology, this necessity of remaining steadfast, this necessity of not compromising is very much more difficult in places. Now I want to tell you something else; I mentioned before that we absolutely were in danger of suffocating within ourselves, within the leadership corps [Fuehrerkorps]. There did not seem to be a way out. Either we would have become senile or we had to kick the people out too soon. Today, in the future, in time of peace, the possibility does not exist that a man, or a leader, provided he is worth his salt, does not perform valuable work in some position or that satisfactory work is not assigned to him. Of course we will do it in such a way--let there be no doubt about it--that we put the most capable ones into each position. In other words, if there are four company commanders, the most capable one will be promoted to battalion commander, the one who is best fitted for that activity. The other three, or the other 2, will be utilized in some activity which is just as valuable, but for which he is better adapted. In general, everyone should understand that the course of the past two years, which were pure war years with preparation for war, are of course not completed, education for Political Officers will become much more strongly emphasized. I would like to use this word for once, Political Leader, Political Officer. A period will commence where someone will be platoon leader in the Waffen SS for 3 or 4 years. During that time he will attend this training course or that, and already as a young leader he will come to know the sphere of activity of all other branches in the SS, in courses lasting 6 to 8 weeks. From the beginning it will then happen that mutual understanding sets in, mutual esteem and the absolute conviction that the duties of the other guy are very, very difficult, and are very, very valuable. On the other hand, I will not allow any branch to grow where the leading men, the members of the Fuehrercorps, are not at least reserve leaders of the Armed SS and did not get at least far enough to be able to lead a company as reserve leader. This way coherence will be achieved which is necessary. I believe that you can get an idea from what I said to the men today--and you as leaders can add to it by drawing your own conclusions--what the entire SS will have to do in order to secure our Reich, I mean in the first place with respect to ideology and safeguarding of the race [Blut] by settlements and extending of our Lebensraum, with respect to the work in colonies, and we shall have garrisons far away in South-Africa, and we shall have garrisons in the Arctic winter, as we have not in Kirkenes, that is up there on the North cape we are also going to have a garrison of a few battalions, we shall have garrisons on the Bug, and we shall now have garrisons in the West, where certainly Metz will not be the most distant western frontier. If we think the right way, some things will be of decisive importance. You would be surprised if I wanted to carry out immediately after the war when peace begins with an iron hand what I indicated today in my class with the men, that we must win the peace and be hard against ourselves. The first two years of peace will be decisive for our future. After victory we must nowhere become megalomaniacs, we must not relax in any respect but we must start an unheard-of education of ourselves. It is necessary, that obedience be granite-like, or else it would be impossible to have distant garrisons like Kirkenes which at times cannot be reached even by modern means, or colonial garrisons, if the officers there, the leader there, does not act strictly [eisern] in accordance with his orders and would take any consequences rather than disregard in any way an order, a basic order, given.

We shall have to do one thing: After the war we shall apply an unheard-of discipline against ourselves as far as external values are concerned they also are important. Whether it concerns our clothes or anything else, because you see, it is a great plus and a great danger at the same time, that what we are doing after the war, during Adolf Hitler’s life, will live on for centuries to come, and if we make a mistake, the mistake will live on for centuries, because silly descendants will say: “Yes this is what they did in Adolf Hitler’s time, consequently we must act likewise!” If we strike up a wrong tune, this wrong tune will resound through centuries. And mistakes unfortunately do grow in dimension the longer they are continued. Therefore, it is necessary that we train ourselves in the future in an unheard-of way. I believe it is not the right thing for us to do to discuss these worries which I have with each one of you separately. The one or the other among you who talks here and there like a fool and believes he must talk wildly in the Cassino might say: “For Heaven’s sake, those people up there don’t know, they have not the slightest idea!” Our idea goes very far and I know exactly what is going on within the troop, know exactly what they think and how they feel. You must also consider the following: I cannot concentrate my mind solely on--now, please don’t become conceited--the most splendid part of the SS because it is the most positive part and because the trade you are following is the most positive and most manly, I cannot do that, I must always have the entire SS in my mind.