Synopsis of letter written 29 November 1942 by Dr. Casdorf to various Reich officials: Leader of the SS; Chief of the German police; Main Government Office of Economics of the SS.

Invitation extended to various responsible officials for a meeting to be held on 17 December 1942 at 10 o'clock, for the purpose of discussing the legal aspects of the confiscation of property by the SS for enlarging the concentration camp at Auschwitz as suggested in the attached letter.

Synopsis of letter written 7 November 1942 by SS General Pohl to the Reich Minister of Finance for the enlargement of the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

The Reichsfuehrer of the SS expressed the wish that the territory of Auschwitz concentration camp should be increased to about 4640 acres and become a private estate owned by the Reich. The area in question (to be confiscated as soon as possible) belonged to various owners such as (1) Jewish and Polish private land owners, (2) towns in which most of the industrial property belonged to the Poles and the Jews, (3) the Polish State, (4) the community, (5) the church, (6) racial Germans.

Different authorities were in charge and different rules had to be applied which made the transfer of property an impractical legal procedure. For this reason, the Minister of Justice introduced a new regulation on 23 May 1942 which made a new system of property registration possible.

The SS suggests that the Reichskommissar, for the securing of the German element, should be authorized to transfer estates under categories 2-6. Racial Germans should be compensated for their estates in money or in alloting other ground properties to them.

It is desired that all authorities concerned should be notified and invited for a discussion on this subject. In this meeting, Dr. Fiedler (Office of the Reichskommissar for the strengthening of the German element) and Mr. Korch [Zentralbodenamt] should participate.

Synopsis of teletype letter from the Chief of the ORPO to the Regierungspraesident in Kattowitz, 8 December 1942, forwarded to the Reich Minister on 9 December 1942.

The chief of police orders:

The creation of an independent police district for the concentration camp and quarters [Lager und Wehnsiedlung] for inmates in Auschwitz, headed by the camp commandant. This new regulation will not affect the police functions of the Landsrat in Bielitz or of the Regierungspraesident in Kattowitz. The commander of the camp will be the police chief of the town of Auschwitz. The disciplinary measures ordered by the camp commander against the camp inmates should not have the character of police measures, and his functions as camp commander and police chief should be kept distinct. The field police can be ordered by the camp commandant for special duty within the camp itself; but such an order can be given only by the camp commander.

Synopsis of a copy of minutes of meeting held on 17 and 18 December 1942 about the confiscation of territory for the enlargement of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

In order to be able to enlarge the territory of the Auschwitz concentration camp, it would be expedient to transfer all the estates to be confiscated to the "Zentralbodenamt" with is an agency of the Reichsfuehrer SS. However, in order to carry out this transaction, all those agencies which are at present responsible for the various types of real estate in question, have to give their approval.

The officials in charge of the church property and of the former Polish State property gave their consent to release the estates under their jurisdiction to the Zentralbodenamt. However, the representative of the Reich Minister of the Interior claimed that he had no authority to dispose of the property.

Of the community, in spite of arguments to the contrary from other officials, a further discussion on 21 December 1942 was to be held between the representatives of the Reich Ministry of the Interior and the Reichsfuehrer SS.

On 18 December 1942 the representative of the Haupttreuhandstelle Ost agreed to release the estates under their jurisdiction and empower the officials in charge to initiate the transactions. The still remaining legal requirements for the release of properties belonging to industrial enterprises, racial Germans, and the town of Auschwitz were finally discussed. The list of participants appears on page 4. Attached, an authorization from the Reich Minister of Finance (Haupttreuhandstelle Ost) issued 12 January 1943, giving full power of attorney to the Bodenamt of the Reichsfuehrer SS to make out the necessary declarations in regard to the real estates.

Synopsis of teletype letter from Dr. Hoffman, representing the Reich Ministry of the Interior, to the Regierungspraesident in Kattowitz, dated 22 January 1943.

The territory of the Auschwitz concentration camp will be changed into an independent estate. For this purpose it must become the property of the Reich, represented by the Reichsfuehrer SS. This transaction must be carried out quickly. Land belonging to the Auschwitz district or to former Reich communities will be transferred after individual agreements have been made between the owners and the Reichsfuehrer SS or his agencies. The other community property will be transferred to the Bodenamt from the respective communities through the mediation of the Regierungspraesident. Regardless of how much of a property will become part of the new concentration camp estate, it will have to be purchased in its entirety. After the measurements have been completed, the part not needed for the camp estate will be returned to the original owner. In the Interior the Reichsfuehrer will administer the property.

Finally the legal aspects of the compensation are discussed.

Synopsis of letter from Dr Hoffman, representative of the Reich Ministry of the Interior, to the Oberpraesident of Kattowitz, dated 9 June 1943.

Inquiry as to whether the new Auschwitz estate has already been formed.

Synopsis of letter from the Chief President of Upper Silesia to the Reich Minister of the Interior, dated 16 August 1943.

Since the new estate of the concentration camp Auschwitz could not be created fast enough because two private properties could not be purchased, the President of Upper Silesia issued a decree creating a new district for Auschwitz. This decree, issued 31 May 1943, is attached in two copies. It gives a detailed description of the border line of the newly created Auschwitz district. Relevant maps are enclosed in folder.