[in pencil] : Wi Rue Dept 383/40 Most Secret
Berlin 12 February 1940
V.P.2999 Top Secret
20 copies 8th copy
Most Secret
Meeting under the chairmanship of Minister President General Fieldmarsh'al Goering on questions concerning the East.
The following, among others, were present:
Reich Minister Graf Schwerin von Krosigk,
General Governor Reich Minister Frank,
Reichstatthalters Forster and Greiser,
Lord Lieutenants Koch and Wagner,
Reichsfuehrer—SS Himmler,
State Secretaries Koerner, Neumann, Landfried, Backe, Dr. Syrup, Kleinmann, Alpers,
The Head of the Main Trust office East, Dr.h.c. Winkler.
By way of introduction, the General Fieldmarshal explained that the strengthening of the war potential of the Reich must be the chief aim of all measures to be taken in the East. Therefore it is necessary, that the conditions be stabilized as soon as possible, even if this means that the type and methods of administration will be different in the new Eastern Gaus from those in the General Government. From this it is obvious that, with the possible exception of the Beskiden Gau no part will be finally included within the German frontiers.
If all measures must serve the chief purpose of strengthening the economic power, we must refrain, within the area, from the attempt of Germany to bring it up to the standard of the Old Reich (Altreich) immediately. The process assimilation in the new Eastern Gaus will, therefore, be much slower than was possible in Austria and in the Sudeten Gau in times of peace. It will
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be the task of the Reich to earry out the reconstruction of the East with all its power after the end of the war.
With this chief purpose in view, the following principles for individual problems are to be observed:
1. Agriculture:
The task consists of obtaining the greatest possible agricultural production from the new Eastern Gaus disregarding questions of ownership. The Minister of Food and Agriculture has the sole responsibility for this, regardless of when, where and how they will later be settled. Transfer of property can be considered only for the Baltic Germans and for the Wolhynien German. * * *
2. Trade economy:
In the Reich Gaus, all essential industrial concerns of importance to the war, are to be reinstated. The examination of the raw material stovehouses is to continue; no great results will, however, be achieved by this. It is possible that the investigation of r'aw materials will have better success in the General Government. The main thing here is the petroleum which must be exploited and transported into the Reich regardless of how the payment for it is to be arranged. The mining of iron ore also must be pressed forward.
* * * * * * *
4. Special questions concerning the Government General:
* * * The General Government will have to receive the
Jews who are ordered to emigrate from Germany and the new Eastern Gaus. However, it must not occur again that transport trains are sent into the General Government without notification of the General Governor in the regular way and at the right time.
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The following reported on the situation in the Eastern Territories : 1
1. Lord Lieutenant Gauleiter:
* * * There have been no evacuations. The Jews are employed on road construction and are needed for this purpose for a time. The Poles are employed in agriculture and in factories. Should the prisoners of war, employed in agriculture in East
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Prussia, be removed, as intended, into the interior of the Reich, East Prussia will need 115-120,000 Polish farm workers.
2. Reichsstatthalter Gauleiter Forster:
The population of the Danzig/West Prussia Gau (newly acquired territories) is 1,5 million, of whom 240,000 are Germans,
850.000 well-established Poles and 300,000 immigrant Poles,
Jews and asocials (1,800 Jews). 87,000 persons have been evacuated, U0,000 of these from Gotenhafen. From there, also the numerous shirkers, who are now looked after by welfare, will have to be deported to the General Government. Therefore, an evacuation of 20,000 further persons can be counted on for the current year. * * *
3. Reichsstatthalter Gauleiter Greiser:
The Gau has approx, 4)4 million inhabitants, of whom 400,000 are Germans and 400,000 Jews. So far, 87,000 persons have been evacuted. Among these are no workers, except those who were politically tainted; agricultural workers have not been deported.
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-4. Lord Lieutenant Gauleiter Wagner:
Agriculture is in good shape. Industry could increase its output by 30 to 50% if it were possible to eliminate the transportation difficulties. No evacuations have taken place so far. However, for the future the deportation of 100-120,000 Jews and
100.000 unreliable Polish immigrants is being considered.
t}{ iff
The Reich Commissar for the consolidation of the German race, Reichsfuehrer-SS Himmler, reports that 40,000 Reich Germans had to be accommodated in Gotenhafen, and that rooih had to be made for 70,000 Baltic Germans and 130,000 Wolhynien Germans. Probably not more than 300,000 persons have been evacuated so far (the Polish population being 8 Mill.)
On the other hand it will probably be necessary to transfer into the Eastern Gaus 30,000 Germans from the Lublin area East of the Weichsel which is to be reserved for Jews.