[Letter from Seyss-Inquart to Hitler]
Vienna, 30 September, 1938
My Fuehrer
We all are inspired by your solution of the Sudeten Germans question. A year ago, even a few weeks ago, I thought it was impossible that this question could be solved except by using full military force. Not until the last weeks did the directions of your leadership, which for the others is so inexorable and inevi-táble become apparent. I don't believe that one sane German exists today who does not consider himself more than fortunate if he can help you, my Fuehrer, to finish the job, even though his share in the work, objectively viewed, be very small. We from the Ostmark can hardly contain ourselves because of our twofold happiness and our pride.
The solution of this question and above all the nature of this solution could have been the strongest endurance test and could have made room for further planned action in the direction of the East and the Southeast. My Fuehrer, this letter of mine has actually a different purpose, but first of all I had to give my feelings free play.
I now believe, that after days of greatest strain the time has come again for the consideration of the more beautiful things in life and I beg you now to bring about a decision in regard to the question of the tapestries. I am already annoyed at the fact that men from foreign states were at the Fuehrerbau (Leader's building), at a time when the tapestries were not yet hanging on the walls.
We have in Vienna approximately 700-900 first-class tapestries which are for the most part in depots. We from the Ostmark will be happy and proud, if you, my Fuehrer, decorate your buildings with these tapestries; and it is hard for me, to make even a suggestion concerning the kind and the number. The best thing would be, that we hang up the most beautiful pieces and that you, my Fuehrer, make the selection on the occasion of your next visit to Vienna, which I hope will be soon.
I tried to select a few pieces and I have found two sets. I had pictures made of both. One set treats the history of Decius Mus.; the subject and the size of the tapestries is marked on the back of the pictures. This set is blue-green in tone and subdued in color. It was manufactured according to P. P. Rubens' designs, which can be found even today in the Vienna depots. These tapestries were made in Bruessels in the 17th century. Cross lines can be seen in the pictures. The tapestries were folded up in the
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depots. If they are put up, these cross lines will disappear in a few days. The set is composed of 5 pictures and to complete it a sixth picture is added, representing a scene from Emperor Augustus' life, the fight of the Romans against the Germans, in approximately the same style as the Decius Mus. pieces.
The second set shows pictures of the history of Alexander the Great. There are eight tapestries. They are rich in contrast, marvelous in color, mostly red-green. Both sets are intended merely as samples and we don't want in any. way to anticipate your decisions, my Fuehrer.
I have given instructions that rooms at the Hofburg, which are vacant because of the overthrow [Umbruch], be rearranged for the display of the collections. The rooms in the new wing of the Hofburg, from the balcony of which you, my Fuehrer, made the announcement about the accomplished return of the Ostmark to the German people, shall serve as display room for the most important parts of the tapestry collection together with a weapons collection which I believe to be equally unique.
I am sure that the harmony of the rooms, tapestries and most carefully selected weapons will form a museumlike exposition, the only one of its kind in the world, and that even Italy has nothing of the kind to compare with it. Excellent cellars, which I fixed up as rooms for protection against air raids for those and similar valuables are available in this building.
With this letter, I ask you, my Fuehrer, to consider the question of the furnishing of your Fuehrer-buildings with the Viennese tapestry collection as ready for a speedy solution and execution.
Heil, my Fuehrer
Letter to Hitler, congratulating him on the resolution of the Sudeten issue, and suggesting that he view sets of tapestries collected in Austria and choose those he wishes to use in his buildings
Authors
Arthur Seyss-Inquart (Nazi official, Austria, Poland, Netherlands)
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Austrian Nazi politician, and Nazi ruler of occupied Netherlands, convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death (1892-1946)
- Born: 1892-07-22 (Stonařov)
- Died: 1946-10-16 (Nuremberg)
- Country of citizenship: Austria; Austria-Hungary; Nazi Germany
- Occupation: jurist; lawyer; politician
- Member of political party: Fatherland Front; Nazi Party
- Member of: Schutzstaffel
- Position held: Federal Chancellor of Austria (period: 1938-03-11 through 1938-03-13; replaced by: Anschluss; replaces: Kurt Schuschnigg); Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs (period: 1945-04-30 through 1945-05-02; replaced by: Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk; replaces: Joachim von Ribbentrop); Reichskommissar; member of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany
- Employer: Austrian Federal Government; Reichskommissariat Niederlande
Date: 30 September 1938
Defendant: Arthur Seyss-Inquart
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-3391
HLSL Item No.: 453266
Notes:The document is incomplete; only one page is present here. This document was apparently not entered as evidence. Seyss-Inquart describes two sets of tapestries, one made in Brussels in the 17th century on a Roman theme, the second on the life of Alexander the Great.
Document Summary
PS-3391: Letter - Seyss-Inquart to Hitler