M1928 RECORDS OF THE GERMAN EXTERNAL ASSETS BRANCH OF THE U.S. ALLIED COMMISSION FOR AUSTRIA (USACA) SECTION, 1945–1950 Matthew Olsen prepared the Introduction and arranged these records for microfilming. National Archives and Records Administration Washington, DC 2003 INTRODUCTION On the 132 rolls of this microfilm publication, M1928, are reproduced reports on businesses with German affiliations and information on the organization and operations of the German External Assets Branch of the United States Element, Allied Commission for Austria (USACA) Section, 1945–1950. These records are part of the Records of United States Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Record Group (RG) 260. Background The U.S. Allied Commission for Austria (USACA) Section was responsible for civil affairs and military government administration in the American section (U.S. Zone) of occupied Austria, including the U.S. sector of Vienna. USACA Section constituted the U.S. Element of the Allied Commission for Austria. The four-power occupation administration was established by a U.S., British, French, and Soviet agreement signed July 4, 1945. It was organized concurrently with the establishment of Headquarters, United States Forces Austria (HQ USFA) on July 5, 1945, as a component of the U.S. Forces, European Theater (USFET). The single position of USFA Commanding General and U.S. High Commissioner for Austria was held by Gen. Mark Clark from July 5, 1945, to May 16, 1947, and by Lt. Gen. Geoffrey Keyes from May 17, 1947, to September 19, 1950. USACA Section was abolished following transfer of the U.S. occupation government from military to civilian authority. This was marked by President Harry Truman’s appointment of Walter J. Donnelly as Envoy (later Ambassador) to Austria and U.S. High Commissioner for Austria on September 20, 1950. Ambassador Llewelyn E. Thompson, Jr., succeeded Donnelly on July 17, 1952. The U.S. occupation government in Austria officially terminated on July 27, 1955, as a result of the State Treaty for the Re-establishment of an Independent and Democratic Austria, signed May 15, 1955. The Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitutions (RD&R) Division of USACA Section was organized into branches. Initially, the Property Control Branch and the Monuments and Fine Arts Branch shared the division’s work. However, by February 1946, the work of the Monuments and Fine Arts Branch was substantially completed, and it was disbanded. A new branch called the Reparations and Restitutions Branch was activated at that time to handle general restitution matters as well as any subsequent work related to monuments and fine arts. One additional branch called the German External Assets Branch was organized on October 12, 1946. The organizational structure and policies used by the division were based largely on similar work performed by the Office of the Military Government, United States Zone (Germany)(OMGUS). The general posture of USACA policy in Austria, however, was intended to achieve a balance between the complete control exhibited by OMGUS and the cooperative atmosphere in the formerly occupied countries of northwest Europe. 1 The German External Assets Branch investigated and analyzed German business enterprises in the U.S. Zone of Austria in order to determine their appropriateness for reparations, internal restitution, or other disposition. The branch also coordinated efforts with the rest of USACA, making recommendations for the sale or reorganization of German assets. Records Description The records of the German External Assets (GEA) Branch of the Reparations, Restitutions, and Deliveries Division are divided into four series. The first series, Reports on Businesses, 1945–1950, contains records on German-controlled firms and banks located outside of the German state, and are arranged according to their original file number (e.g. #2A or #342D). The second series, General Records, 1945–1950, contains correspondence and reports on the daily functions of the branch and the businesses or individuals being investigated, as well as alphabetical and numerical lists for all GEA Branch cases. The records are arranged numerically by file number. Miscellaneous Records, 1945–1950, is the third series from the GEA Branch, and consists of computer generated printouts containing information on businesses, the value of those businesses, and shareholder information. The printouts are arranged chronologically and thereafter numerically. The fourth and final series, GEA Reports on Austria Firms Wholly Owned by German Companies, n.d., is a small set of files that contain information from the Reports on Businesses series, but only from those firms that were 100-percent owned by Germans. The Appendix contains an alphabetical listing of businesses and sole proprietors investigated by the GEA Branch and the microfilm roll(s) on which information concerning them are located. RELATED RECORDS TEXTUAL RECORDS IN THE RECORDS OF THE UNITED STATES OCCUPATION HEADQUARTERS, WORLD WAR II, RG 260 Records of the Director of the U.S. Allied Commission for Austria (USACA) Records related to the German External Assets Branch are interspersed throughout these files. Files of the Director, 1946–1951 Decimal Files, 1946–1951 2 Records of the Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitutions Division [of USACA] The three branches listed below combined with the German External Assets Branch compose those of the Reparations, Deliveries, and Restitutions Division. Reparations and Restitution Branch, 1937-1950 Monuments and Fine Arts Branch, 1945–1950 Property Control Branch, 1945–1951 Records of the United States Forces Austria (USFA) Historical Division Folders 250–276, USFA “Historical File” Researchers should also consult Holocaust-Era Assets: A Finding Aid to Records at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, compiled by Greg Bradsher (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1999). This finding aid includes information on specific areas within military records, such as War Department and Occupation records, as well as civilian records such as those of the State Department, that contain information on looted assets. Additional information concerning the Holocaust may be located on our web site at www.archives.gov. 3 APPENDIX Alphabetical List of Businesses or Sole Proprietors Investigated by the German External Assets Branch, Accompanied by Microfilm Rolls on Which They Appear AG = Aktiengesellschaft (Corporation) GmbH = Gesellshaft mit beschränkter Haftung (Limited Liability Company) Name of Business or Individual Roll(s) AEG Union Elektrizitats-Gesellschaft 26 AG Fur Grob-Und Feinkeramik Betrieb: Erndt Formerly Tonofen-U. Tonwarenfabrik Bernhard Erndt GmbH 62 A. Mann & Company GmbH 39–40 A.& R. Mayer Vienna VII, Apollogasse 7 41 Accumulatorenwerk Hoppecke Carl Zoellner & Sohn 27 Adler Textilwerke AG (Schuller & Co.) AG 33 Aga Werke AG, Vienna 23 Agriculture Debt Relief Program 53 Aktien-gesellschaft Der Kleinmunchner Baumwoll-Spinnerei Und Mechanische Weberei 35 AG Der Kohlenwertstoffverbande Gruppe Benzin Benzol Verband 56 AG Der Teppich- Und Mobelstoffabriken Vormals Philipp Haas Und Sohne Vienna, Austria 34 “Albeko” K.G. 29–30 Alfred Kunz & Co. (K.G.) Grossraming, Upper Austria 40–41 Alfred Teves Maschinen-U. Armaturenfabrik K.G. (Teves Werke) (Steinverwertung GmbH) 70 Allgemeine Baugesellschaft A. Porr AG 27 Allgemeine Baugesellschaft Lenz & Company Kaprun, Salzburg 31 Allgemeine Gluhlampenfabriks AG (Elin AG Subsidiary) 25 Allgemeine Hock-U. Ingenieurbau AG Branch Vienna 35–36 Almauer, F., K.G. 74 Alpen Electrowerke AG 1 Alpine Montan Complex 1–3 Aluminiumwerk Steeg GmbH 49 Anglo Elementar Versicherungs AG 3 Der Anker, Allgemeine Versicherungs- AG 3 Anstalt der Osterreichischen Bundeslander Versicherungs-AG 4–5 Appartebau Treptow AG Mattighofen, Upper Austria 53 Aral-Vertrieb Nalbach & Co., K.G. 68 Arbeitsgemeinschaft (Arge) Philip Holzmann-Polensky & Zollner 65 Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gebruder Zimmerman (Partnership) 59 Arbeitsgemeinschaft Tauernsperre Working Pool, Called “First Arge” Kaprun, Land Salzburg 32–33 4 Name of Business or Individual Roll(s) Arge Held & Francke AG-Altmann, Stockinger and Reinthaler Salzburg 68 Arge Philip Holzmann AG-Held & Francke Bau AG Grodig-Salzburg 65 Argentor Werke Rust & Hetzel GmbH 42–43 Asphaltrohren U. Dachpappen-Fabrik Hallein Inhaber: Max Wieland Nachf. 51–52 Austria Tabakwerk AG Formerly Osterreichische Tabakregie Wien Gesellschaft Fuer Reichseigene Lagereibetriebe mbH Linz, Upper Austria 53 Austrian Housing Industries 22 Austrian National Bank 3 Austrolux Elektro-Leuchten-Industrie GmbH 27 Autobahnen Folder 77 B. Seibert Stahlbau GmbH Saarbrucken, Germany Linz, Austria 60 BW Werke Salzburg 64–65 Bank Fur Karnten AG 3 Bank Fur Oberosterreich Und Salzberg 3 Bank Fur Tirol Und Vorarlberg AG 4 Batterien & Elementefabrik System Zeiler GmbH 26–27 Bau AG Negrelli Located in U.S. Zone Austria (A Construction Enterprise) 74 Bauhilfe GmbH from GEA Branch Including Branch at Linz Branch at Salzburg and Subsidiaries Linz Kies Mortel GmbH, Linz Bauhof Oberdonau, Linz Betonwerke Donauland GmbH, Linz 59 Bauunternehmung J. Wahler, Munich (Sole Owner) A Construction Enterprise 73–74 Bayerische Granit AG and Schardinger Granit Industrie GmbH Scharding, (U.S. Zone) Upper Austria 75 Bayerische Motorenwerke AG 28 Best, Josef, Sole Owner 40 Beton-Und Monierbau AG Kaprun Ebensee Innsbruck 27 Bochum, Germany Known As Benzin Benzol Verband or B.B.V. Whose Austrian Assets Were Assigned to Martha Erdol GmbH 56 Boehmer & Co. O.H.G. 53