Civilian Agency Records

Records of the High Commissioner for Germany (HICOG) (RG 466)

The U.S. High Commissioner for Germany (USHCG) represented the U.S. Government in Germany, including on the Allied High Commission for Germany, and with respect to economic matters of concern to the Economic Cooperation Administration and the Mutual Security Agency. The Position of USHCG, commonly referred to as "HICOG," was established in the Department of State by an Executive order of June 6, 1949. The Office of USHCG was established in the State Department on September 21, 1949. It assumed many of the functions and activities of the U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC, August 1944-October 1945) and the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) [OMGUS] (October 1945-1949). It was abolished on May 5, 1955, by proclamation of the Allied High Commission for Germany. Its remaining functions were transferred to the Department of State (U.S. Embassy, Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany).

John J. McCloy served as the U.S. High Commissioner during the 1949-1952 period.

Records of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, John J. McCloy

Classified General Records 1949-1952

Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by document number. Boxes 1-43 Top Secret General Records 1949-1952

Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by document number. Boxes 1-6

Historical Analysis of the McCloy Administration, 1949-1952. (Entry 8)

Arranged chronologically. A register (journal) of daily activities conducted by McCloy, with references to documents in the two proceeding series of records. Boxes 1-4 Records of the Office of the Executive Director

General Records 1949-1955

Arranged chronologically by date segments: 1949-1952 and 1953-1955, and thereunder by the Department of State foreign service post decimal filing scheme. Boxes 1-114 1949-1952

1949-1952

1953-1955

Security-Segregated General Records 1949-1955

Arranged chronologically by date segments: 1949-1952 and 1953-1955, and thereunder by the Department of State foreign service post decimal filing scheme.
Boxes 1-234

1949-1952

1953-1955

Top Secret General Records 1953-1955
Boxes 1-3

General Hay's Files 1949-1951
Boxes 1-6

Records of the Office of the Executive Secretary General Records 1947-1952

Arranged numerically by an agency-assigned file number.  This series consists of records that were transferred to, created, maintained, or used by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), a high level office that reported directly to the High Commissioner. Many of these records consist of correspondence of Alexander R. Forest (Chief of the Policy Report Branch of the OES) and document his contacts with various military officials, foreign representatives, and others involved in the occupation and administration of Germany after World War II. Many of the documents were originally created by the Office of Military Government, US (OMGUS) and were later used and filed in various offices of the U.S. High Commission for Germany (HICOG) after the dissolution of OMGUS. A large segment of this series includes agendas and minutes of the Allied High Commission (HICOM) meetings (1949-1952). Boxes 1-98

Miscellaneous Files Relating Primarily to Berlin

Arranged in two segments: alphabetically by subject, and numerically by agency-assigned Roman numeral.  A box list describing the folder titles is enclosed in Box 1 of this series. Boxes 1-14

Records of the Historical Division Publications Relating to the United States Occupation of Germany 1945-1953

Arranged according to an agency prepared title list.  This list of titles appears in the first folder of Box 1 of the series. Boxes 1-5

Miscellaneous Publications
Box 1

Miscellaneous Microfilm Prepared by the Historical Division Pertaining to HICOG, OMGUS, and POLAD 1945-1952
Boxes 1-23

Records of the Office of the General Counsel

Records Relating to Agreements Between the Allied High Commission and the Federal Republic of Germany 1949-1955

Arranged by a numerical filing system or by type of agreement.
Boxes 1-17

Records of the Decartelization and Deconcentration Division General Subject Files 1948-1955

Arranged alphabetically by subject. A list of files is contained in the RG 466 finding aid in the consultation area in Room 2600.
Boxes 1-6

Cartel Subject Files 1947-1955

Arranged alphabetically by name of cartel or business. A list of files is contained in the RG 466 finding aid in the consultation area in Room 2600.
Boxes 1-72

Records of the U.S. Element, Tripartite I.G. Farben Control Group (TRIFCOG)

Security-Classified Records Relating to I.G. Farben 1949-1954

Arranged by a 3 volume agency-created numeric file plan entitled Inventory of Files and Records of the Tripartite I.G. Farben Control Group (TRIFCOG), U.S. Element. (Note 33)  Records consist of translations of German documents in the Nuremberg trial of I.G. Farben and include interrogations of high ranking I.G. Farben employees.  Boxes 1-14

There are numerous series of records created by this entity in our custody. Researchers should consult the RG 466 finding aids in the consultation area in Room 2600 for specific series descriptions, boxes, and locations.

Records of the Law Committee Records of the U.S. Representative to the HICOM Law Committee 1949-1955

Arranged alphabetically by subject of record. This series contains the records of the U.S. representative on the Law Committee of the tripartite Allied High Commission for Germany (HICOM).  Boxes 1-21 Records Pertaining to HICOM Laws and Regulations 1949-1955

Arranged by law or regulation number.
Boxes 1-25

Records of the U.S. Secretariat, Allied High Commission General Records 1949-1952

Arranged chronologically.
Boxes 1-27

Allied High Commission Document File 1949-1955
Boxes 1-63

Records of the Property Office

Records Relating to Restitution of Property under U.S. Military Government Laws and Compensation to Persecutees under the General Claims Laws

Arranged in two segments: by agency-assigned decimal number, and alphabetically by name of claimant. This series consists primarily of records created by the Office of Military Government US (OMGUS) that were loaned to the U.S. High Commission for Germany (HICOG) by the Department of the Army after the dissolution of OMGUS. In addition, there are many HICOG records in this series that were created while HICOG assumed the duties of providing restitution of property by implementing Military Government No. 59 and the Unified General Claims Laws. Many of the files contain correspondence of Werner Lowenthal who served in restitution-related positions under OMGUS and HICOG and ultimately served as Property Officer in the Office of the General Counsel under HICOG. This series includes a copy of Military Government Law No. 59; amendments to the laws; instructions for implementing the law; correspondence between Lowenthal and various restitution agencies; and correspondence with the Jewish Restitution Successor Organization (JRSO). Boxes 1-10

Records of the Regional Land Commissioners

Records of the Office of the Land Commissioner for Wuerttemberg-Baden

Records of the Intelligence Division

Records of the Denazification

Section Denazification Files on Dr. Hjalmar Schacht and Franz Konrad 1947-1950

Arranged by type of record and thereunder by volume number (Schacht trial transcripts, protocols) or chronologically (Schacht press releases, Konrad case files).
Boxes 1-4

There is a possibility that other pertinent records may be found within the various land commissioners offices records.  Researchers should consult the RG 466 finding aids in the consultation area of Room 2600.