Military Agency Records-RG 260

Theaters of Operations

Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II (RG 260)

Records of the Office of the Military Governor, United States (OMGUS) (Note 27)

The Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.)[OMGUS] was established, effective October 1, 1945, and was responsible for administering the U.S. zone of occupation and U.S. sector of Berlin, and for functioning as U.S. element of organizations comprising the Allied Control Authority, the name given to the four-power occupation control system. Many OMGUS functions had previously come under the U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC), which functioned from May 8 to October 1, 1945. (Note 28) OMGUS was formally abolished on December 5, 1949, and its functions transferred to the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany (USHCG) (Note 29) . General Lucius D. Clay commanded OMGUS. (Note 30)

OMGUS was quite active in restitution and reparation matters as the result of various Allied agreements. At the Crimea Conference (February 4-12, 1945), the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union agreed, among other things, to exact reparations from Germany. In the Crimea Conference Communique the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the President of the United States, and the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics stated that they "recognized it as just that Germany be obliged to make compensation for the damage in kind to the greatest extent possible." In the Protocol of Proceedings of the Crimea Conference it was set forth that "Germany must pay in kind for the losses caused by her to the Allied nations in the course of the war. Reparations are to be received in the first instance by those countries which have borne the main burden of the war, have suffered the heaviest losses and have organized victory over the enemy." The Protocol then lays out what will be considered reparations and the procedures for its distribution. (Note 31)

The primary directive for OMGUS with respect to control and restitution of property was the "Directive to Commander-in-Chief of United States Forces of Occupation Regarding the Military Government of Germany (JCS 1067)." This directive, which was sent to General Eisenhower in April 1945, stated that as one of the Allied objectives was "to enforce the program of reparations and restitution." The directive instructed the Commander-in-Chief to impound or block all gold, silver, currencies, securities, accounts in financial institutions, credits, and valuable papers of eight categories of persons and organizations. He was also instructed to take control of "property which has been the subject of transfer under duress or wrongful acts of confiscation, disposition or spoliation, whether pursuant to legislation or by procedure purporting to follow forms of laws or otherwise." Additionally he was instructed to take control of "works of art of cultural materials of value or importance, regardless of the ownership thereof." (Note 32)

A new directive, approved by the Departments of State, War, and Navy, on July 15, 1947, was sent to General Clay, the United States commander in Germany. He was informed that among the economic objectives of the United States Government in Germany was "to exact from Germany reparation for losses suffered by the United nations as a consequence of German aggression." He was informed that "your Government continues to desire the general fulfillment of the principles of the Potsdam Agreement (Note 33) regarding reparation and industrial disarmament." With respect to restitution matters he was instructed to "proceed, consistent with agreements on restitution reached in the Control Council, restore such identifiable property other than gold and transport essential to minimum German economy, to the Government of the country from which it was taken." He was instructed to "turn over monetary gold uncovered in German to the Tripartite Gold Commission in Brussels for distribution in accordance with the terms of the Paris Act on Reparation." Further, he was instructed to "make available for the rehabilitation and resettlement of non-repatriable victims of German action valuable personal property looted from Nazi victims which is not restitutable." Finally, he was informed that "it is the policy of your Government that persons and organizations deprived of their property as a result of National Socialist persecution should either have their property returned or be compensated therefore and that persons who suffered personal damage or injury through National Socialist persecution should receive indemnification in German currency. With respect to heirless and unclaimed property subject to internal restitution you will designate appropriate successor organizations." (Note 34)

Records of the Executive Office

Records of the Chief of Staff

General Records 1947-1948

Boxes 1-3

Records Regarding Investigations, Political, Emergency and other
Activities, and Occupation Policies and Requirements 1947-1949

Boxes 4-9

Correspondence and Other Records of BG Charles K. Gailey 1944-1948

Boxes 10-16

Records Maintained for the Military Governor, LTG Lucius D. Clay 1945-1949 (Note 35)

Boxes 17-24

Correspondence and Other Records Maintained by MG Frank Keating,
Assistant Deputy Military Governor 1946-1947

Boxes 25-27

Records of the Office of the Adjutant General

Records Created by the Office of the Adjutant General

General Correspondence and Other Records ("Decimal File") 1945-1949

Boxes 1-115 1945-1946

1945-1946 Boxes

Boxes 116-323 1947
1947 Boxes

Boxes 324-515 1948
1948 Boxes

Boxes 516-612 1949
1949 Boxes

Formerly Security-Classified General Correspondence and Other Records ("Classified
Decimal File") 1945-1949

Boxes 613-632

Reference Copies of Records Provided by other Organizations or Individuals Retained in the Office of the Adjutant General

Formerly Security-Classified Intelligence Reports and other Records 1945-1949

Boxes 781-798

Combined Chiefs of Staff Study Reports and Related Records 1943-1948

Boxes 800-807

State-War-Navy Department Coordinating Committee Study Reports and Other Records
1945-1947

Boxes 808-809

Records of the Control Office

Records Relating to the Establishment of Military Government in Germany

Records Relating to the Activities of the Finance Division 1945-1949

Boxes 451-452
Box 453

Records Relating to the Property Division 1945-1949

Contains Property Division memoranda, studies, reports, correspondence, and
other records relating to restitution and reparations.
Boxes 469-476

Records of the Office of the Director of Intelligence

Records of the Analysis and Research

Excerpts of Miscellaneous Reports and Publications 1947-1948

Box 60 File 44.7 Financial Institutions, Banks, Insurance Companies, Etc. (1946-
1947) Contains a 34-page OMGUS special report, dated June 1947,
entitled "Dresdner and Deutsche Banks"

Miscellaneous Reports and Publications 1941-1950

Box 153 Contains a 1947 164-page translation of "The German Law on Joint
Stock Companies and Joint Stock Companies en Commandite
(Aktiengesetz) of 30 January 1937"

Records of the Office of the Chief of Counsel for War Crimes (OCCWC)

General Records of the Office of the Chief Counsel for War Crimes

Records of the Evidence Division

Staff Evidence Analyses and Interrogation Summaries 1946-1948

Personal Name File of Defendants and Witnesses in the I.G. Farben Trial 1945-1948

Boxes 17-98

Records of the Economics Division

General Correspondence ("Central Files") 1944-1949

Records Relating to Trade and Trade Agreements 1947-1949

General Correspondence of the Deputy Director 1947-1949

This series contains the records of Phillips Hawkins who served as the Deputy

Records Created by the Economics Advisor and Retained by the Office of Economic Affairs of HICOG

Records of the External Claims Branch of the Finance Division

Records Relating to Claims for Property Not Returned ("Dead Claims File") 1948-1950

Boxes 317-321

Records Relating to Claims for Personal Property ("Claims File") 1946-1951

Boxes 322-324

Records Relating to Claims for Securities ("Claims File")1948-1950

Boxes 325-362

Records of the Property Division

Records of the Office of the Director, Including the Staff Sections

Records of the Secretariat Section

General Records 1944-50

Boxes 1-18

Records of the Reports Section

Reports Submitted to and by the Reports Officer 1945-49

Boxes 19-21
Box 20 contains file on commercial gold and silver.