Reichsleader Alfred Rosenberg received the order from the Fuehrer to stage an anti-jewish congress. The date for this congress was fixed for 11.7. after a discussion, and after the corresponding preparations had been made.
The following preparations for the congress have been undertaken:
1. In Germany.1. Preparations in Germany.
a. The financing of the congress has been taken on by the Reich Treasury of Chief, Schwarz. Further, after the Fuehrer had decided on Cracow as the site of the congress, Reich Minister and General Governor Frank has taken over all the costs that arise within his General Government.
b. The site of the meeting.
All negotiations concerning billeting, feeding and welfare of the guests, the lecture rooms etc. have been readily settled with the offices of the General governor. (Instead of Cracow, a place that is safe from air raids, for instance Zakopane, can be selected at any time.)
c. The program of lectures has been discussed with the appropriate offices,
1. Foreign Officeand has met with general approval. The Reich Foreign Minister as well as Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels have given their assent to the program.
d. German speakers and lecturers have been visualized, among others three German Ministers. The promise of these three gentlemen to attend seems certain. Some lectures are already on hand.
The final preparations, those for the cultural extra items on the programme, have been taken in hand. (See the letter from Reichsleader Rosenberg to Reichsleader Bormann concerning the appearance of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, with Furtwaengler as conductor.)
Even the formation of international organisations for investigating and combatting Jewry, which have been provided for in connection with the congress, have been brought about, and scientific presidents of the organisations have been earmarked. Some individual personalities have already been approached. Amongst others we already have the promise of Geheimrat Professor Dr. Eugen Fischer to be president of the European organisation for the "racial-biological questions of Jewry".
e. The following have been entered as honorary members:
Reich Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop2. Preparations abroad
The Foreign Office has accepted the task of contacting the prominent European people, with the exception of a few of the occupied territories in Europe, via its representatives abroad.
The German representatives abroad have received several official instructions, according to which they are
a. to propose delegates to be invited,
b. nominate lecturers,
c. approach the representatives of governments with a view to their participating at the congress.
In the course of these instructions being carried out, the following have promised their participation, or membership of the congress-committee and membership of the honorary committee:
Italy:Minister for National Enlightenment Mezzasoma (honorary committee)
The former Minister of State Preziosi (congress-committee and congress lecturer)
France:Minister for Education Abel Bonnard (Honorary committee)
Secretary of State Paul Marion (congress-committee)
Hungary:Minister for the Interior von Jarossh (honorary committee and congress lecturer)
Holland:The leader of the NSB, Mussert (Personally invited by Reichsleader Rosenberg during the latter's stay in Holland)
Arabia:The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (honorary committee and congress lecturer)
Iraq:Prime Minister Gailani (honorary committee)
Norway:At the present moment a representative of Reichsleader Rosenberg has arrived here, in order personally to convey an invitation to Prime Minister Quisling to attend the congress.
Contracts have also been established with countless other countries. For the time being the promises to attend of the prominent representatives are not yet at hand. On the other hand promises have been received from delegates from Sweden, Roumania, Slovakia and illegal delegates from Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. Further the office of General in the SS Berger has undertaken to invite renowned leaders of the Germanic volunteers in the SS to take part in the congress. Amongst others, Britons and Americans are visualised in this connection, who are also willing to speak.
The occupied eastern territory is included via the Ministry for the East. A number of promises to attend have been received from renowned personalities in this territory. Lectures have already been received from foreign speakers, amongst others from the former Minister of State Preziosi.
3. Reason for the importance of the Congress at the present time. The reports from outside Germany and the anti-German allied propaganda tries to make believe beyond all doubt that the whole war is being kindled by the other side more and more as a crusade, because the German nation plans to destroy the "Jewish People".
The Soviet Union:We refer to the pro-semitic Molotov-congress in Moscow.
U.S.A.:We refer to permanent session of the Jewish Congress.
The last new beginning 6. 5. 1944.
England:We refer to the English failure to pay attention to their own White Paper regarding Palestine problem.
At the same time, we point out the slowly rising anti-Semitic feeling in the countries of our opponents. It seems necessary that the feeling caused by enemy propaganda that National Socialism is retreating on all fronts, be reputed by this great anti-Jewish Congress.
The invasion army is not fighting against the barbarian Germany of annihilation of Jews but it is fighting for world Jewry!
What kind of propaganda is being duly turned out on the German side?
To give up this plan or to postpone this International Congress to an indefinite date, after half of Europe has already been won for this plan would support or strengthen the propaganda conducted against us.
It must be borne in mind that not a German authority but an international assembly is responsible for the Congress and issues invitations to it.
The preparations for the Congress have so far progressed with the greatest possibilities of disguise.
An arrangement, which has been made on general lines, mentions only an International historic and scientific congress taking place in a Town in the East of the Reich.
Berlin, 15th June 1944.
Source: Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression Volume IV Office of the United States Chief Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality Washington, DC : United States Government Printing Office, 1946 |