The Holocaust Historiography Project

Translation of document 3449-PS

     Reich Minister and Chief of the Reich Chancellery,
                           BERLIN.

                                     January 1939.

File No. RK 2222B
[various notations]
To the Reich Fuehrer SS and Chief of the German
police in the Reich Ministry of the Interior,
Berlin, Prinz-Albrecht-Str. 8, SW 11

SUBJECT:  Sequestration and confiscation of
property, of enemies of the people and State in
Austria.

Reference to letters of 10 August 1938 — S. V. 1
No. 2358/38 — 212 — 23 January 1938 — S. V. 1 No.
2358 IX/38/212 — .

Because of the decree which has been issued in the
meantime concerning confiscation of property of
enemies of the people and State in Austria of 18
November 1938 the Fuehrer after my presentation
limited his personal decision of the use of the
property objects confiscated in Austria to the
confiscated objects of Arts, and left the decision
regarding the other confiscated objects to the
offices named in the decree.

On behalf of the Fuehrer I ask to submit the
inventory, after completion of the preliminary
work, which condenses all objects of Art
confiscated so far and of those objects of art
only sequestrated as yet the confiscation of which
is intended and which is not subject to any legal
or other objections.  In your earlier letters the
objects of Art were for the most part described as
only “sequestrated” so that it was not clear if it
would e subject to eventual confiscation.  The
Fuehrer then intends to have the objects of Art
inspected by the expert, whom he will name, and to
have him and the Reich Statthalter in Austria make
proposals on their use in preparation of his
decision.

                   (Signed by the Reich Minister)