Letter to the military commander in the Netherlands, on Rosenberg's program to gather material from from state libraries, archives, churches, and lodges in the occupied territories

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Authors

Wilhelm Keitel (Field Marshal, Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces)

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Wilhelm Keitel

German field marshal

el Mariscal Keitel
  • Born: 1882-09-22 (Helmscherode) (country: German Empire; located in the administrative territorial entity: Duchy of Brunswick)
  • Died: 1946-10-16 (Nuremberg) (country: Allied-occupied Germany)
  • Country of citizenship: Germany
  • Occupation: military officer; military personnel; politician
  • Member of political party: Nazi Party
  • Military rank: general field marshal
  • Military branch: artillery
  • VIAF ID: https://viaf.org/viaf/74027425

Date: 05 July 1940

Defendants: Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Rosenberg

Total Pages: 1

Language of Text: English

Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)

Evidence Code: PS-137

Citation: IMT (page 1673)

HLSL Item No.: 451237

Notes:The searches for material were to be conducted by Rosenberg's staff and the Gestapo (under Heydrich), with cooperation from the military.

Trial Issue

Art and cultural treasures, plundering of (Rosenberg; Linz project) (IMT)

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

PS-137: Order Keitel's to Commanding General of the Netherlands re Linsatzstab

Red Series Doc Descriptions

PS-137: Instruction from Keitel, 5 July 1940, to the Commander-in-chief of the army and the Commander-in-chief of the armed forces in the Netherlands repeating Hitler’s decision on Rosenberg’s proposals to confiscate valuable material from state libraries and archives in the occupied Western territories for transfer to Germany

The Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces, No. 2850/40 secret Adj. Chief OKW
(Please indicate above file number, the date and short contents in the answer)
Berlin W 35, Tirpitzufer 72-76 5 July 1940
Telephone: Local 218191 Long distance 218091
To the Supreme Commander of the Army, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces in Holland.
Reichsleiter Rosenberg has requested from the Fuehrer to have :
1. The State libraries and archives searched for documents which are valuable for Germany.
2. The chanceries of the high church authorities and lodges searched for political activities which are directed against us, and to have the material in question confiscated.
The Fuehrer has ordered that this plan should be complied with and that the Secret State police—supported by the keepers of the archives of Reichsleiter Rosenberg—should be entrusted with the search. The Chief of the Security Police, SS Lt. General Heydrich, has been notified; he will get in touch with the responsible military commanders to carry out this order.
This measure should be carried out in all the territories of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France which are occupied by us.
It is requested that the subordinate agencies should be notified. The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces.
(Signed) KEITEL
To Reich leader Rosenberg Copy for information (Signed) [Illegible]
Captain [Rittmeister] and executive officer.
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