The Holocaust Historiography Project

Translation of document 3400-PS

Memorial about the meeting of 28 December 1918
[Found in the personal files of Seyss-Inquart.]

Place:  Vienna I.   Am Hof 5.
Present:  The Organizers.

After thorough discussion of the available draft those
present agree to immediately take in hand the constitution
of the planned Organization.

The name chosen is “Deutsche Gemeinschaft” ("German
Association")

The present are in agreement regarding the following
principles of the organization:

1.   The aim of the organization is to liberate the German
People from Jewish influences [written in:  i.g. to fight
Judaism with all suitable means].

2.   The organization is to be secret.  However, since it
cannot be avoided that the organization comes forward
publicly, this will have to be done under the pretense of
harmless aims without making known its actual institutions.

3.   The Association is split up into several degrees, of
which the lower ones are subordinated to the higher ones.
Their number and their sphere of activities is to be fixed
at a later date.

4.   In the lower degrees the Association is split up into
individual Subassociations which in order to more easily
draw into the Association politically like-minded people and
in order to obtain increased effectiveness, may be colored
but may also be neutral.  The formation of such
Subassociations in one and the same locality is not limited,
but depends only upon the sanction of the leadership of the
Association.

5.   As members can only be accepted such people who are
Germans, not freemasons, and who are of Aryan decent and are
not married to a Jewess…and who make a vow the wording of
which is to be determined.

The decision regarding admission to membership, which is
always to take place in the lowest (1.) degree, rests with
the Association.  In case of compliance with requirements,
which are still to be established promotion into a higher
degree may take place.

6.   All members are bound

     a.   to secrecy regarding all institutions, persons and
     the  aims of the Association not made known to the
     outside, as well as to the happenings inside the same.
     This applies as well to outsiders as towards members of
     the lower degrees;
     b.   to obedience towards the instructions of organs to
     be appointed;
     c.   to further the aims of the Association and to
     mutually support its members.

For further accomplishment the following has been decided
upon:

The further founders of the Association represent the
highest members in the future, and will extend the highest
degree.

Until the fixing of competence for decision concerning
applications for membership, a unanimous vote of the
foundling members is to take place in resolutions regarding
this question. They will also determine future institutions
of the organization, insofar as they have not yet been
stated above.

New Members will be admitted for the time being solely in
the lowest (1st) degree of the Association, without more
specific regulations by a Subassociation.  Only after a
greater number of members have been admitted will a
splitting up into politically colored subassociations and
the constitution of the remaining members oft the 1st degree
into neutral subassociations take place.

The present members are entitled to solicit members.  The
recruits, if suitable, may be informed:

that the Association is an organization for the protection
of Aryan interests against Judaism, and has for its purpose
the mutual advancements of its members,

that all members are bound to secrecy, to obedience and to
furtherance of the aims, particularly to support of the
other members (in the sense of Par. 6),

that the Association is a secret organization, the
institutions of which are always only partially known even
to its members, and that qualified organs are called upon to
issue instructions.

that annual membership dues are to be paid, the amount of
which is to be decided by the leadership,

that only applications can be accepted, but the decision
regarding admission will have to be reserved,

that condition of admission must be non-Jewish descent, the
applicant must not be married to a Jewess, must not be a
Freemason, but a German, and by solemn promise must admit
conformity to these requirements and that he must vow to
fulfill the above mentioned obligations.

It is not permissible to mention the names of members when
applying for membership, nor is the admitted person
authorized to inform third parties of those facts made known
to him.

The person who summoned the meeting is charged with the
drafting of the vow from membership admission into the
lowest and highest degrees.

At the next meeting those present will on their part give
the vow.

Next meeting to take place on Thursday, January 2, 1919