Devisenschutzkommando

German Devisenschutzkommando commands were from 1938 worked in the Sudetenland, in Austria and in the Second World War in Poland and the occupied Western countries to seize as reportable stated currencies, stocks, gold and diamonds from a private collection or supply a forced purchase. These commands were manned by officials of the customs investigations of the Reich Finance Administration and guided by the motto Investigation Office, which was affiliated to the Secret State Police Office headed by Reinhard Heydrich. Devisenschutzkommando commands was partially participate in the deportation of Jews.

Activity in the East

Similarly as before with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland, a currency regulation was adopted in the General Government on 15 November 1939 which was soon supplemented by an " arrangement on the fuse Jewish assets and anonymous credit ... ". After that Jews had their assets into a single account focus and were only allowed limited accept cash or withdraw money. From the beginning of 1940, the foreign exchange protection commands continued their activities under a modified name continues as a customs investigation office. They searched for undeclared values ​​searched on schedule lockers, created and initiated criminal charges confiscated articles to the General Trustees for ensuring German cultural goods or the Main Trusteeship Office East ( HTO) on.

Activity in the West

1940 Devisenschutzkommando commands used in the occupied Western countries were assigned to the respective military commanders in Paris and Brussels. This led the factual and disciplinary supervision. The central currency Investigation Office in Berlin was disbanded in early 1941 and the services were placed under the Reich Finance Administration. Head of the " Department of Western countries in forex Investigation Office " was born in 1905 customs staff (initially customs inspector general later Regierungsrat ) SS- Hauptsturmführer Herbert Staffeldt, which remained even after a restructuring in influential positions. Hermann Goering kept at the resolution of the Authority to issue instructions to the foreign exchange protection commands before. The officials of the foreign exchange protection commands had police powers and had statements of the Secret Field Police (GFP ), without being subordinated to this. They had search &, interrogation, and detention powers and carrying firearms. They wore no uniforms GFP, but worked in civilian clothes.

During the German occupation in these countries, ownership of foreign money places, securities and Reichsbanknoten was forbidden. The commands were searching for it and this led indirectly to the German war economy. In addition Searched for the property of Jews who emigrated and opponents of the regime, in order to then seize. In particular, the Devisenschutzkommando let the accounts of Jews to lock and thus deprived them of their livelihood.

In the Netherlands Devisenschutzkommando commands introduced until September 1943 on gold and paper currency to the value of 54.9 million Reichsmarks. The total loot ( gold jewelery, precious metals, diamonds, securities, bank deposits) until the withdrawal of German troops is calculated to 368.4 million Reichsmark. In Belgium amounted to September 1943, the entire confiscated assets in the form of gold and paper currency to a value of 46.7 million Reichsmarks. Moreover, in Belgium, the officials of the foreign exchange protection commands regularly participated in raids to the arrest of submerged Jews.

In France, the Devisenschutzkommando locked the disposal of gold and foreign exchange reserves, but could not obtain general Anbietungs and sales duty in the Vichy regime. Access to the assets of Jews who did not have French citizenship, the German customs officials were officially until the end of 1942; However, there was previously special promotions such as the seizure of the Rothschild fortune. The total amount of values ​​that were partly transferred without formal legal basis and against the opposition of the French government, amounted to 341.3 million Reichsmark.

The Devisenschutzkommando commands, however, were only responsible for the recovery of assets. The distribution of monetary values ​​was for the policy. Hermann Göring retained the right to decide on the use of confiscated art works. This he let it be known in the occupied countries on 5 November in an array to the military commander of Paris and the other authorities.

Control from mid-1941

The foreign exchange Investigation Office was disbanded on 26 May 1941. Although so that the Kingdom of Finance has been responsible over the previous employment law expertise also remained Ralf banks, according to " the business group currency of the Four-Year Plan, the actual control center for the commands. " The "multiple imputation " under currency Investigation Office, business group currency, military and civil administration, Reich Minister of Finance have the activity the commands hardly hindered.