Decrees on the racial selection of "German blood" in the eastern territories, and the transfer of ethnic Poles, Jews, and Gypsies to Poland

Restricted
for departmental use only
The Reichsfuehrer SS
Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of the National Character of the German People COMMITMENT OF MANPOWER DOCTRINES-ORDERS-DIRECTIVES Edited by the Department I Office of the Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of the National Character of the German People. December 1940; Printed in the "Reich" printing office.
D. Re-Germanization of lost German Blood [Pages 51-52]
Commitment of Poles qualified for Re-Germanization.
The removal of foreign races from the incorporated Eastern Territories is one of the most essential goals to be accomplished in the German East. This is the chief national political task, which has to be executed in the incorporated eastern territories by the "Reichsfuehrer SS", Reich Commissioner for the strengthening of the national character of the German people. In solving this question, which is most closely connected with the ethno-indigenous problem in the eastern territories the racial selection is of the utmost and actually decisive importance, next to the aspects of language, education and confession. As necessary as it is, in the interest' of a permanent solution for the German eastern territories, that the elements there of foreign descent should not be allowed to have or to take up their permanent residence there, so it is indispensable too, that persons of German blood in these territories must be regained for the German nation, even if those of German blood are Polonized as far as their confession and language is concerned. Just from these people of German blood, the former Polish State obtained those leaders, who eventually showed a violent hostile attitude against their own German People, be it through delusion, be it through a desired or unconscious misconception of their ties of blood.
Therefore, it is an absolute national political necessity to comb out those of German blood in the incorporated eastern territories
581
2916—PS
and later also in the general government and to return the lost German blood to its own German people. It is, perhaps of secondary importance, what kind of measures are to be taken against renegades. It is critical that at least their children do not devolve anymore to the Poles, but are brought up in a German environment. The re-Germanization however can under no circumstance be carried out in former Polish environments and can only be effected in the old German Reich or in the Ostmark.
Thus, there are the following two primary reasons, which makes the regaining of lost German blood an urgent necessity.
1. Prevention of a further increase of the Polish intelligentsia, through families of German descent even if they are Polonized.
2. Increase of the population by racial elements desirable for the German nation, and the acquisition of ethno-biologically unobjectionable forces for the German reconstruction of agriculture and industry. The task of the re-Germanization of the lost German blood has been embarked upon next within the framework of the evacuation of those Poles in the "Warthegau" who had to make room for the resettlement of Baltic and WolhynienGermans.
*******
Berlin, 12 September 1940
Decree relating to the screening and segregation of the population in the incorporated Eastern territories [pages 91-93]
A. Prerequisites (Volkssturmerlass) [Decree concerning national character]
Before the start of the basic reorganization of the population in the incorporated Eastern territories, full knowledge of the following points is necessary:
I. Present population statistics:
In the four East "gauen" according to the latest statistics there were at hand (including former Reich areas):
8.100.000 Germans
610.000 Jews
8.530.000 Poles
180.000 others (Slovaks, Ukrainians, Russians, Czechs)
In evaluating these numbers it is necessary to note, that with the exception of the "Warthegau", there are large groups of persons, whose racial classification cannot be clearly established. In the "Gau" Danzig-West Prussia there are thus involved about:
582
29I&-PS
29I&-PS
1. 120,000 Kaachuben
2. about 100,000 Former Poles, who have a predilection for
Germanizing, on account of mixed marriages and cultural influence. '
In the administrative district of Kattowitz:
1. 120,000 Slovaks
2. 400,000 to 500,000 Upper Silesians ("Water Poles")
In the administrative district of Zichenau and Suwalki: about 5000 Masurs [Masuren]
II. Future composition of the population. The planned screening and segregation will result in the following groups of the former population:
Group A. Ethnic Germans, who are German citizens and have the Reich citizenship.
Group B. Persons of German descent, who have to be made real Germans again, are only German citizens but not yet citizens of the Reich. The re-Germanization has to be achieved generally in the old Reich. .
Group C. Important foreign nationals and German renegades who have the German citizenship until further notice. They have to be re-Germanized in the old Reich.
Group D. Foreign nationals, who are not German citizens.
Among the group of foreign nationals there are at most, 1 million persons who may be considered as suitable for re-Germaniza-tion, who are related through blood and constitute a desirable increase in population for the German people on a racial basis. The ascertainment of these persons can be arranged by racial separation only on the basis of our National-Socialist conception. These selected, are in reality persons destined for re-Germanization, that means, to recover lost German blood.
The history of the East proves that the attempt of a general Germanization of the Eastern provinces, not based on* racial aspects, eventually led to failure and to the loss of the German Eastern provinces.
B. Accomplishment.
For the accomplishment of the screening and segregation of the population in the incorporated Eastern territories the following instructions are hereby decreed, which are binding for all departments concerned:
7. Establishment of the nationality
The Reich governors or "Oberpraesidenten" will establish the "list of German nationals". For Silesia the present deputy Gau-
583
2916-PS
leiter as delegate of the Reich commissioner for the strengthening of the national character of the German people, is the competent authority.
Conditions for admittance into the "list of Ethnic Germans."
Acceptable will be:
a. He who has proved himself to be an ethnic German up to September 1, 1939.
b. He who did not avow himself to be an ethnic German up to September 1, 1939 but submitted suitable avowal later on provided this avowal is confirmed by facts like descent, race, education and culture. In the case of doubt, it is decisive, whether the person in question is considered a desirable population increase on the basis of race.
As a German in the sense of sub-section "a," a person will also be recognized, whose mother tongue is not German (Masur-ians, Kashubs, Slonzaks, upper Silesians) in as far as the person avowed to be an ethnic German up to September 1, 1939.
The "list of ethnic Germans" will be divided into four parts, (limited) to inter-office use:
1. Ethnic Germans who fought actively in the Ethnic struggle. Besides the membership of a German organization, every other activity in favor of the German against a foreign nationality will be considered an active manifestation.
2. Ethnic Germans, who did not actively intervene in favor of the German nationality but who preserved their traceable German nationality.
3. Persons of German descent, who became connected with the Polish nation in the course of the years, but have on account of their attitude, the prerequisites to become full fledged members of the German national community. To this group belong also persons of non-German descent who live in a people's mixed marriage with an ethnic German in which the influence of the German spouse has prevailed. Persons of Masurian, Slonzak, or upper Silesian descent who are to be recognized as ethnic Germans, usually belong to this group 3.
4. Persons of German descent, politically absorbed by the Polish nation (Renegades).
Persons not included on the list of ethnic Germans (Deutsche Volksliste) are Poles or foreign nationals. Their treatment is regulated in B II.
Members of group 1 and 2 are ethnic Germans who will be used for the reconstruction in the East. The differentiation between group 1 and 2 is important for the NSDAP, primarily only
584
members of group 1 should be accepted in the party according to the instruction of the deputy of the Fuehrer.
Members of group 3 and 4 have to be educated as full Germans, that is, have to be regermanized in the course of time through an intensive educational training in old Germany. ...............
The establishment of members of group 4 has to be based on the doctrine, that German blood must not be utilized in the interest of a foreign nation. Against those who refuse re-German-ization security police measures are to be taken. Children, who cannot be made responsible for the attitude of their parents, should not have to suffer because of the guilt of their parents. The German-Reich will take care of their education. Concerning that and the further treatment of renegades not included in the list of ethnic Germans the Chief of the Security Police and the SD will decree detailed regulations on the basis of instructions from the Reichsfuehrer SS and Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of the National Character of the German People.
II Régulation concerning citizenships
a. Members of group 1 and 2 of the list of ethnic Germans will become German citizens and Reich citizens.
b. Members of group 3 of the list of ethnic Germans will become German citizens.
c. Members of group 4 of the list of ethnic Germans will become German citizens until recalled and also those foreign nationals recognized as suitable for Germanization. (Individual Ukrainians, great Russians, White Russians, Czechs, Lithuanians).
d. All other foreign nationals are wards of the German Reich with restricted civil rights.
III Screening of theJPolish Population
The screening of the Polish population and the selection of those wards eligible for Germanization will be handled by the central resettlement office (Umwanderungszentralstellen). The examination will be carried out on the basis of race, health, and political attitude. The Reichsfuehrer SS and Reichs-Commis-siôner for the Strengthening of the National Character of the German People will issue detailed directives for the execution of this order.
Signed: H. Himmler
2916-PS
Figures concerning Individual Groups of Resettlers as of 15 Oct. 1940 [Page 103].
- People in the process of resettlement Total Male Female
Esthonia and Latvia 61,934 27,433 34,501
Thereof:
Esthonia 12,868 5,892 6,976
Latvia 49,066 21,541 27,525
"Wilna" Germans 342 138 204
Wolhynia-Galicia-and Narew Germans 128,047 65,457 64,590
Thereof:
Wolhynia Germans 64,554 31,801 32,753
Galicia Germans 55,440 27,831 27,609
Narew Germans 8,053 3,825 4,228
Germans from the General-Government 62,201
Thereof :
from Cholm and Lublin 31,102 14,852 16,250
Germans from Bessarabia 65,084 24,069 41,015
Germans from the Buchenland 21,875 10,447 11,428
Resettled
From Bessarabia, up to November 5 From the Buchenland 90,050 32,995 123,045
Figures worked out by the Department of Statistics of the Reichsfuehrer SS, Reich Commissioner for the Strengthening of the National Character of the German People.
Survey of the accomplished evacuations. (Compiled by the Chief of the Security Police and the SD). [Page 117].
Up to 15 November, 1940, the following were evacuated to the Government General:
From the "Reichsgau" Wartheland From East Prussia From East Upper Silesia From Danzig-West-Prussia
234,620 Poles 14,636 Poles 14,322 Poles 30,758 Poles
294,336 Poles
The evacuations were carried out in 303 special trains.
From May 14, 1940 onwards the Poles were given on their journey 1,401,774 kg food as maintenance for 14 days by order of the General Governor. Besides that, each Pole received 20 Zloty (a total of 5,947,780 Zloty=2,973,890 RM).
2916-PS
Up to the 15 November, 1940, the following were evacuated to the General Government:
In the West 6,504 Jews from Baden and the Pfalz were deported into the unoccupied part of France up to 15 November, 1940; from Lorraine 47,187 who spoke French (Destination Lyon). .
Total Number of Evacuees up to 15 November, 1940
To the Government General 303,171
To Unoccupied France 53,691