Holocaust-Era Assets

Military Agency Records-RG 260

Theaters of Operations

Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II (RG 260)

Records of the Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS) (Note 27)

The Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.)[OMGUS] was established, effective October 1, 1945, and was responsible for administering the U.S. zone of occupation and U.S. sector of Berlin, and for functioning as U.S. element of organizations comprising the Allied Control Authority, the name given to the four-power occupation control system. Many OMGUS functions had previously come under the U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC), which functioned from May 8 to October 1, 1945. (Note 28) OMGUS was formally abolished on December 5, 1949, and its functions transferred to the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany (USHCG) (Note 29) . General Lucius D. Clay commanded OMGUS. (Note 30)

OMGUS was quite active in restitution and reparation matters as the result of various Allied agreements. At the Crimea Conference (February 4-12, 1945), the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union agreed, among other things, to exact reparations from Germany. In the Crimea Conference Communique the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the President of the United States, and the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics stated that they "recognized it as just that Germany be obliged to make compensation for the damage in kind to the greatest extent possible." In the Protocol of Proceedings of the Crimea Conference it was set forth that "Germany must pay in kind for the losses caused by her to the Allied nations in the course of the war. Reparations are to be received in the first instance by those countries which have borne the main burden of the war, have suffered the heaviest losses and have organized victory over the enemy." The Protocol then lays out what will be considered reparations and the procedures for its distribution. (Note 31)

The primary directive for OMGUS with respect to control and restitution of property was the "Directive to Commander-in-Chief of United States Forces of Occupation Regarding the Military Government of Germany (JCS 1067)." This directive, which was sent to General Eisenhower in April 1945, stated that as one of the Allied objectives was "to enforce the program of reparations and restitution." The directive instructed the Commander-in-Chief to impound or block all gold, silver, currencies, securities, accounts in financial institutions, credits, and valuable papers of eight categories of persons and organizations. He was also instructed to take control of "property which has been the subject of transfer under duress or wrongful acts of confiscation, disposition or spoliation, whether pursuant to legislation or by procedure purporting to follow forms of laws or otherwise." Additionally he was instructed to take control of "works of art of cultural materials of value or importance, regardless of the ownership thereof." (Note 32)

A new directive, approved by the Departments of State, War, and Navy, on July 15, 1947, was sent to General Clay, the United States commander in Germany. He was informed that among the economic objectives of the United States Government in Germany was "to exact from Germany reparation for losses suffered by the United nations as a consequence of German aggression." He was informed that "your Government continues to desire the general fulfillment of the principles of the Potsdam Agreement (Note 33) regarding reparation and industrial disarmament." With respect to restitution matters he was instructed to "proceed, consistent with agreements on restitution reached in the Control Council, restore such identifiable property other than gold and transport essential to minimum German economy, to the Government of the country from which it was taken." He was instructed to "turn over monetary gold uncovered in German to the Tripartite Gold Commission in Brussels for distribution in accordance with the terms of the Paris Act on Reparation." Further, he was instructed to "make available for the rehabilitation and resettlement of non-repatriable victims of German action valuable personal property looted from Nazi victims which is not restitutable." Finally, he was informed that "it is the policy of your Government that persons and organizations deprived of their property as a result of National Socialist persecution should either have their property returned or be compensated therefore and that persons who suffered personal damage or injury through National Socialist persecution should receive indemnification in German currency. With respect to heirless and unclaimed property subject to internal restitution you will designate appropriate successor organizations." (Note 34)

Records of the Executive Office

Records of the Chief of Staff

General Records 1947-1948

Boxes 1-3

Records Regarding Investigations, Political, Emergency and other
Activities, and Occupation Policies and Requirements 1947-1949

Boxes 4-9

Correspondence and Other Records of BG Charles K. Gailey 1944-1948

Boxes 10-16

Records Maintained for the Military Governor, LTG Lucius D. Clay 1945-1949 (Note 35)

Boxes 17-24

Box # File Title or Subject
17 Operation "Sparkler" (Note 36)
Reparations from Current Production and Present Economic Policy
U.S. Group C.C.
Fiscal Policy
19 Civil Affairs Division-War Department (2 folders)
21 Levels of Industry-Bipartite
Allied Military Missions to Germany
22 Judgment of the International Military Tribunal
Reparations
23 Statements and Policy
Reports
Council of Foreign Ministers
24 Basic U.S. Policy Directives in Germany
Tripartite Conference of Berlin (Potsdam)
Level of Industry-Quadripartite Byron Price Report to President 9 November 1945
Correspondence with Allied Commission on Reparations (Pauley)

Correspondence and Other Records Maintained by MG Frank Keating,
Assistant Deputy Military Governor 1946-1947

Boxes 25-27

Records of the Office of the Adjutant General

Records Created by the Office of the Adjutant General

General Correspondence and Other Records ("Decimal File") 1945-1949

Boxes 1-115 1945-1946

1945-1946 Boxes

Box # File Series # Fitle Title
2-4 000.5 War Crimes, Criminals, and Trials
8 004.2 Banks and Banking (3 folders) Among them is "Report: SS Loot and the Reichsbank by Col. Bernard Bernstein, Oct. 30, 1945
9 007 Fine Arts, Archives, Museums, Cultural Objects
33 100 Disposition of Foreign Securities (Gold)
100 Currency in Germany
100 Finance and Accounting-Germany (German Financial System, Reform, Liquidation of War Finance, etc.)
34 123 Currency Control Regulations and Books
35 123.7 Exchange of Foreign Currency (Rate of Exchange)
80 334 Investigation of the Reichs-Kredit-Gesellschaft
82 334 German External Assets Property Commission
85 350.09 Intelligence Reports
89 370.2 Operation Paperclip
91-92 383.7 Displaced Persons, Refugees
93-94 386 Property Rights Involved in War
95 386.7 Foreign Assets in Germany
386.7 German External Assets
386.7 German External Assets in Other Countries (2 folders)
386.7 Property Control
110 602.3 Restitution (Policy)
111 602.3 Restitution (Policy)
602.3 Restitution (Policy) (Disposition of Gold, Foreign Exchange, Securities)
602.3 Reparations (Policy)

Boxes 116-323 1947
1947 Boxes

Box # File # File Title
118-119 000.5 War Crimes
129 00.7 Fine Arts (2 folders)
288-289 386.7 Frozen Assets, Including Funds
289 386.7 Documents to Alien Property Custodian Section
315-317 602.3 Restitution
317-318 602.3 Reparations

Boxes 324-515 1948
1948 Boxes

Box # File # File Title
344 00.7 Art, Museums, and Archives (2 folders)
508-510 602.3 Reparations
510-512 602.3 Restitution

Boxes 516-612 1949
1949 Boxes

Box # File # File Title
523 00.7 Art, Museums, and Archives (2 folders)
606-607 602.3 Reparations
607-608 602.3 Restitution

Formerly Security-Classified General Correspondence and Other Records ("Classified
Decimal File") 1945-1949

Boxes 613-632

Box # File # File Title and/or Subject
613 004.2 Banks and Banking. Includes information pertaining to looted Belgian gold sent to the Swiss National Bank.
632 602.3 Restitution

Reference Copies of Records Provided by other Organizations or Individuals Retained in the Office of the Adjutant General

Formerly Security-Classified Intelligence Reports and other Records 1945-1949

Boxes 781-798

Box # File Title or Subject
781-786 Reports from Headquarters, European Command, Intelligence Center
787 Air Force Intelligence Reports (2 folders)
Berlin District Interrogation Center reports
7th Army Interrogation Center Reports
Headquarters, United States Group Control Council Reports (4 folders pertaining primarily to the disposition of German POWs.)
788-791 Miscellaneous intelligence reports relating primarily to the Soviet zone of Germany, the USSR, and the Eastern Bloc countries. Also included are copies of some State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee files and Joint Chiefs of Staff directives. Box 791 contains information on the European Advisory Commission (37) and a copy of an interrogation of Franz Von Pappen.
792 British Intelligence reports (3 folders)
"Ash Can" Reports June 1945 (3 folders)
SHAEF publications
793-798 Miscellaneous Intelligence reports. Box 793 contains Special Detention Center "Ash Can" Interrogation briefs. Included is an interrogation of Franz Von Pappen in which he discusses trading 12,000 Jews to Switzerland in exchange for machine tools.

Combined Chiefs of Staff Study Reports and Related Records 1943-1948

Boxes 800-807

Box# File Series# File Title
804 CCS 659 "Policy with respect to enemy diplomatic and consular property captured within the territories of third powers"
CCS 703 "Proposed agreements with the governments of Northwest Europe as to disposal of war material and other property"
805 CCS 845 "Disposition of bullion and other property discovered by Third Army"



State-War-Navy Department Coordinating Committee Study Reports and Other Records
1945-1947

Boxes 808-809

Box # SWNCC Report # Subject
808 118 U.S. draft directive on control of works of art and monuments
122/4 Treatment of German archives, records, and documents
204/5 Restitution from Germany and Austria to Italy, Hungary, Rumania, and Finland; and from Germany to Austria, Bulgaria, and Albania
251 Restitution to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia of property seized by Germany
253 German property in Japan
322 Return of looted objects of art to countries of origin
328 Unilateral removals from Germany to be accountable for as reparation
342 Disposition of foreign currencies found in Germany

Records of the Control Office

Records Relating to the Establishment of Military Government in Germany

Records Relating to the Activities of the Finance Division 1945-1949

Boxes 451-452
Box 453

Records Relating to the Property Division 1945-1949

Contains Property Division memoranda, studies, reports, correspondence, and
other records relating to restitution and reparations.
Boxes 469-476

Records of Functional Offices and Divisions

Records of the Office of the Director of Intelligence

Records of the Analysis and Research

Excerpts of Miscellaneous Reports and Publications 1947-1948

Box 60 File 44.7 Financial Institutions, Banks, Insurance Companies, Etc. (1946-
1947) Contains a 34-page OMGUS special report, dated June 1947,
entitled "Dresdner and Deutsche Banks"

Miscellaneous Reports and Publications 1941-1950

Box 153 Contains a 1947 164-page translation of "The German Law on Joint
Stock Companies and Joint Stock Companies en Commandite
(Aktiengesetz) of 30 January 1937"

Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes (OCCWC)

General Records of the Office of the Chief Counsel for War Crimes

Records of the Evidence Division

Staff Evidence Analyses and Interrogation Summaries 1946-1948

Box # File Title
5 "Economy Reich General Delegate for "
"Confiscation of Jewish Property"
"Dresdner Bank"
13-15 Political and Racial Persecution

Personal Name File of Defendants and Witnesses in the I.G. Farben Trial 1945-1948

Boxes 17-98

Box # File Title
90 General Aniline and File Corporation
91 Dresdner Bank Francolor Company, France
92 Bayer Degussa
98 Herman Schmitz (7 folders)
American I.G. Chemical Company
I.G. Chemie, Basel, Switzerland (2 folders)

Records of the Economics Division

General Correspondence ("Central Files") 1944-1949

Box # File # File Title and/or Subject
46-47 007 Fine Arts, Museums, Archives, Cultural Objects
81-87 386 Restitution
88-90 386 Reparations
111 0004.1 Historicals, Museums, Antiquities
115-116 007.2 Fine Arts and Cultural Objects
143-155 386 Restitution
156-157 387 Reparations
172 004.2 Banks and Banking
007 Fine Arts and Objects
196-197 386 Restitution
197 387 Reparations
209 004.2 Banks and Banking
007 Fine Arts and Objects
227 386 Restitution
386.7 Reparations

Records Relating to Trade and Trade Agreements 1947-1949

Box # File Subject
243 Switzerland (2 folders)

General Correspondence of the Deputy Director 1947-1949

This series contains the records of Phillips Hawkins who served as the Deputy

Box # File # Subject
248 PH-78 Insurance; includes a study of German Insurance Companies, Combines, and Associations
PH-100 National City Bank [of New York]
PH-118 General Claims Law
PH-131 Securities

Records Created by the Economics Advisor and Retained by the Office of Economic Affairs of HICOG

Records of the External Claims Branch of the Finance Division

Records Relating to Claims for Property Not Returned ("Dead Claims File") 1948-1950

Boxes 317-321

Records Relating to Claims for Personal Property ("Claims File") 1946-1951

Boxes 322-324

Records Relating to Claims for Securities ("Claims File")1948-1950

Boxes 325-362

Records of the Property Division

Records of the Office of the Director, Including the Staff Sections

Records of the Secretariat Section

General Records 1944-50

Boxes 1-18

Box # File Titles
1 Report to U.S. Property Control Office on Property in U.S. Sector of Berlin Formerly Owned by Jewish People

ABC/Special Committee Securities

TransferSlips

Accords-Portuguese/Swiss

Administrative

Administration of Controlled Property by the City of Berlin

AEG-Kleinworth

Allied Military Missions

Alphabetical File
2 Bank Der Deutschen Arbeit A.G. Study

Authorization to Successor Organization

ARNO [Allegemeine Rueckerstattunga-Nachfolgeorganisation]

Askania Werke

Bad Nauheim Office

Bavarian Ordinance on Fees

Bavarian Ordinance on Organization of Matters of Restitution

Bavarian Trade Union Properties

Behind the Curtain File

Berlin Property Control Program
3 Berlin Restitution

Berlin Restitution Reports

Berlin Restitution Magistrate's Draft

Bernhard Berghau-Blocked Property

Board of Review

Board of Review Organization and Rules

C.C. Directive 57 Implementing Law

Censorship Policy

Central Filing Agency

CFA [Central Filing Agency] Reports

Claims Agency

Claims Procedures
4 Closing Out of Civil Censorship

Combined Travel Board

Commerz Bank, Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank

Cost of Tabulations-British and French (Document Center Bills)

Conferences-Meeting-Attend

Cooperatives

Coordination US/UK Policy

Com Products Refining Co.

Correspondence with British

Misc. Correspondence

British Correspondence

Correspondence with other Powers
5 Cost of Tabulation-British

Currency Problems: Law 59, Law 63

DAF

Decontrol

Final Decontrol Program - April-May 1949

Deutsche Bank-British Zone A-H

Deutsche Bank-British Zone I-Z

DEGO [Deutsche Golddiscontbank]

Deutsche Bank-French Zone

For the Director

Disposition of Property of War Criminals

Elwerath Oil Co.

Disposition of Securities and Currencies

Duress Properties

ECA [Economic Cooperation Administration]

Engelhart Properties-Jasper Courts Martial

Engelhart, Jasper
6 Equalization of Burdens

Export of Household Effects

Export of Household and Personal Effects

External Assets

External Assets Reports

Farben

I.G.Farben industrie - Minutes, Reports

Felten and Gilleaume

Fendel Schiffaharts A.G. (Correspondence)

Fordwerke A.G. Cologne

Forenvest
7 Functional Statements

German Assets in Denmark

German Civil Code

General

General Claims

General Claims Law

General File

General License 10 (Old Papers)

Gisela Grobcurth, Wiesbaden Investigation

Gloria- GAS, GMBH
8 Golddiscontbank

Hungarians- Nyaradi

JRSO [Jewish Restitution Successor Organization] Charter

JRSO Authorizations

JRSO 1949 to June

German Legislation

GEPC [German External Property Commission] (38) Proceedings Re BK/O

Henschel

Goering Jewelry

Harmonization

History Report - US Census Section

International Telephone and Telegraph

OSA Industrielle Beteiligonen A.G. Internatl. Gen. Electric

Laenderes Legislation Under the Restitution Law
9 Law 59

Amicable Settlements - Law 59

Law 59: Legal Opinions

Law59: General Claims

Law 59: Trade Union Inquiries

Internal Restitution - Property System

IEG [International General Electric Co., Inc.]

Investment Moratorium

Investigations

ACA/GEPC [Allied Control Authority/German External Property Commission]

Japanese Purchases

Italy

Justice Mission, Berlin Office

Kalil, Michel

Kornel Lazar

Kontnentale OEL A.G.

Land Property Control Chief's Meetings 948

Reich Property Proposal

Reich Property Law: Drafts
10 MG Law 59 - Restitution of Identifiable Property

Law 59-General

Law 59-Regulations

Law 59-Progress Charts

Law 59-Expediting Plan

Law 59-Organization of Restitution Authorities

Law 59-Court Decisions

Law 59-Staff Studies

Law 59-Reporting System

Law 59-Board of Review

Law 59-Progress Report (November 1948)

Law 59-Reports

Law 52 (39)

Laws 52 and 53 (40)

Law 52-Licenses

Laenderrat Draft-Restitution Law February 1947

Personnel
11 Legal Opinions

Law 59-Status of Cases in Restitution Courts

Law 59-Legal Opinions

Law 59-Filing Deadline

Law 75

Occupation Statute

OFA

PC Reports

Property Division

Laws and Legislation, German

Instructions to HVW [Hauptbuero Fuer Vermoegenskontrolle and Wiedergutmachung] (Old Drafts)

Internal Restitution

List of UN Properties in Germany (Master List)

IARA [Inter-Allied Reparations Agency]
12 MGAX Committee of GEPC

Monthly Reports - MG Finance Division

Mueller and Son, Printing Plants, Munich

Mueller Interview, Mrs. Stitzler

Moratorium Investment Policy

Mumm, Gottfied von & Madeleine von, M. Allegretti

F. Miller (Expellees)

Miscellaneous

Montan N.V. Sharer-Sheridan

Dr. Arthur Meyer

Netherlands: Industrial Interest in Germany

Naturim-WerkBecker & Co.

Requests for Legal Opinions-Pending

Requests for Legal Opinions-Answered

OPA [Office of Political Affairs]

Protection of Foreign interest

Patents

Papers, Memos: Reconciliation

Ordinance No. 21 - Bizonal Economic Council 1948

Property Control

Property Disposition Board

Liquidation, PC & EA

PD Organization
13 Paris Intergovernmental Group Recommendations

Public prosecutor: Art 70, Law 59

Public Utilities Law

Personnel

Property Control & External Assets Branch

PC Auditing

PC & EA Branch - Floater File

Property (General)

Property of Lucy Jones

PC-Berlin Sector

Property Group

Property Problems

PC Progress Reports

Property Claimed by Ernest Hess-Fritz Boll Custodian

Property Control: Monthly Statist. Reports
14 PC Monthly Reports

PC Monthly Statistical Report

PD Dissolution

PC: Liquidation

PD: Monthly Report

Policy Directives

Princess Sibylla of Sweden

PC Progress Charts

Pfister & Co.

Pooling Committee on BKAX

Property Owner Visits

Reichsanstalt Fur und Bild

Reports-Target P109

Rudolf Hell [pertains to unblocking property of]

Restitution of Securities
15 Reparation sand Restitution

Restitution Law for Berlin, JRSO [Jewish Restitution Successor Organization]as Successor Org.

Restitution Property Law: Publicity

Restitution Property Law: French

Restitution Property Law

Restitution Property Law: Misc. Papers

Reich and Nazi Funds

Restrictive Clause on Exits to Switzerland (also Sweden)

Restitution Chambers

Rosenthal

Siegfried Arndt, Correspondence and Reports (1)

Restitution

Restitution Agencies

Restitution- Fr./Br/Us
16 Siefried Arndt, Lingner Werke

Siegfried Arndt, Correspondence and Reports (2)

Siegfried Arndt Lingner Werke A.G. & Subsidiaries

Sale of Property in Germany-Madrid, Mrs. Gerda Wolff de Barcelle

Schier, Otten & Co.

Walter Schonenberger Firm

Special Legal Unit

Seminar- OMG for Bavaria, Offi. of the Land Director

Soviet Violation of Quadipartite Agreement

Steinheil

Securities as External Assets

Securities

Six Months Report & Liquidation (PC)

S/S Re. Article 73, Law 59

Socialization- Hesse

Spain

Staff Studies, PD
17 Statistical Reports - Exits US Area of Control STEG [Staatliche Erfassunge-Gesellschaft Fuer Oeffentliches Gut mbH]

Wiesbaden Collecting Point Reports

Spanish Accord

Standstill Creditors

Status Reports - Land Central banks

Suspense

Endres, Sebastian Dr. & Peiser, Werner Dr.

Tabulations-British

Tabulations-French

Tabulations-US

Sub-Committee on Foreign Interests

Semi-Annual Report PC & EA July 1948-December 30, 1948
18 Accumulative Reports

BKAX-(1) Reports Received

Decartelization (Old Progress Reports)

Decontrol Reports (2 folders)

List of Dusseldorf Investigative Reports

External Assets Reports

Finanzstatistik MGAX (1) Arbeitsgang 14 Folgende

Finanzstatistik MGAX (1) Lochung, Prufung U Abstimmung

Records of the Reports Section

Reports Submitted to and by the Reports Officer 1945-49

Boxes 19-21
Box 20 contains file on commercial gold and silver.

Top