Berlin W 8, August 25 39
Unter den Linden 13
Reich Minister Walter Funk
MY FUEHRER!
Let me thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the good wishes you sent me for my birthday in such a friendly and kind manner. How happy and thankful we have to be to you that we are allowed to see these overwhelmingly great and worldshaking times and be able to cooperate in the mighty events of these days.
The information transmitted to me. by Field Marshal Goering that you, my Fuehrer, have in principal approved last night the measures prepared by me for the financing of the war and for the shaping of wage and price conditions, and of the carrying out of an emergency sacrifice has made me extremely happy. Herewith I report most obediently that by the careful forethought of the last few months I succeeded in making the German Reichsbank so strong internally, so unassailable from the outside, that even the heaviest shocks of the international finance and credit system cannot touch us in any way. Meanwhile, I have quite inconspicuously transferred into gold all assets in any way available of the Reich Bank and the whole Germany economy abroad. Through the suggestions I have worked out to keep down ruthlessly any non-vital consumption and any public expenses and tasks of no importance to the war. We will be in a position to satisfy all demands to be made on the finances and economy without any serious shocks.
As the plenipotentiary general for economical affairs, called upon by you, my Fuehrer, I thought it my duty in this hour to submit this report and this vow.
Heil my Fuehrer WALTHER FUNK
693-256—46—33
509
Letter to Hitler, thanking him for his approval of Funk's war-economy plans and stating that the Reichsbank and the financial system are prepared for the war, including the recent conversion of foreign assets into gold
Authors
Walther Funk (Reich Minister of Economics; Reichsbank; Central Planning Board)
Walter Funk
German economist, Nazi politician and convicted war criminal (1890-1960)
- Born: 1890-08-18 (Yasnaya Polyana)
- Died: 1960-05-31 (Düsseldorf)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: banker; economist; journalist; politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Participant in: International Military Tribunal (role: defendant)
- Position held: director (of: Bank for International Settlements, Reichsbank); member of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
- Employer: Bank for International Settlements; Reichsbank
Date: 25 August 1939
Literal Title: My Fuehrer!
Defendants: Walther Funk, Hermann Wilhelm Goering
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-699
Citation: IMT (page 307)
HLSL Item No.: 450561