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German People`S List – the Outline of the Issue in Historic and Legal Perspective

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German People`S List – the Outline of the Issue in Historic and Legal Perspective CONFRONTATION AND COOPERATION 1000 YEARS OF POLISH–GERMAN–RUSSIAN RELATIONS V OL . I(V)/2019: 45–67 DOI: 10.2478/conc-2019-0006 Dorota Zając Jagiellonian College in Toruń, Poland German People`s List – the outline of the issue in historic and legal perspective. Part I Key words: World War II, Poland, Germany, Germanization of Poles, Volksliste Introduction tasks in this field were to be realized by party leaders of NSDAP, Gauleiters, appointed by Hitler himself, who The article aims at presenting the issue of German were in charge when it came to the success of his plans. People`s List (Deutsche Volksliste, DVL) as the means of And so: Albert Forster was responsible for West Prussia conditioning the process of Germanization on the ter- (Reichsgau Danzig Westpreussen), Erich Koch-East Prus- ritories incorporated to the Third Reich as well as the sia (Provinz Ostpreußen), Kraj Warty(Reichsgau Warthel- area of General Government (GG) between 1939 and and or Warthegau) was taken by Artur Greiser, whereas 1945. The main objective of the study is to introduce the Province of Upper Silesia (Provinz Schlesien) was the meaning of activities undertaken by the occupant governed by Josef Wagner and later on by Fritz Bracht2. authorities and present the legal grounds consistent The above mentioned General Government (General- with the Nazi national policy. gouvernement) was managed by Hans Frank3. The study has been created basing on the broad ref- After the annexation of Polish lands along with his erences concerning the issue, and even though the topic appointed Statthalters, Hitler`s desire was to Germanize has been analyzed frequently, the study consolidates, completely the population of recently invaded territo- orders and presents the issue in one work in a synthe- ries. In his view, only the Arian race had the right to tic way. live, whereas other nations should cease to exist. Dur- Within the work I am intending to present DVL as a ing the flagitious war actions there appeared the plan to tool serving the realization of Germanization of the Pol- establish an institution which would divide the popula- ish society by the Deutsche Volksliste Bureau. It is worth tion into the Germans and other nations. The only ones paying attention that despite the fact that the rules of to survive were those who would submit to the process German national policy were homogenous, it was real- 2 ized differently depending on region it concerned1. The R. Kaczmarek, The Poles in Wehrmacht, Kraków 2010, p. 33–34. 3 A. Wrzyszcz, The Hierarchy of Legal Acts Introduced by 1 E. Serwański, The Nazi National Policy in Upper Silesia German Occupant in General Government between 1939 and 1939–1945, Warszawa 1963, p. 15. 1945, Studia Iuridica Lublinensia 2014, vol. 22, p. 696. 46 Confrontation and cooperation. 1000 Years of Polish-German-Russian relations of Germanization. Others, were frequently encounter- a separate decree. According to the decree of Führer and ing the worst option, namely death. the Chancellor of the German Reich from 8th October 1939 on the division and administration of eastern ar- eas, the new division of Polish lands was conducted, The division of the Polish areas after German from which the districts of the Reich were established: and Soviet annexation Gdańsk–West Prussia (divided into three administra- tive districts: gdański, kwidzyński and bydgoski) and On 23rd August 1939 German Minister of Foreign Poznań. The Province of East Prussia incorporated Affairs, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and the Chairman counties:augustowski and suwalski, as well as the part of of the Council of People`s Commissars of the Soviet warszawskie voivodship, from which ciechanowski ad- Union (the Minister of Foreign Affairs) of the USSR ministrative district was established. Parts of krakowskie Wiaczesław Mołotow, signed in Moscow the pact on and kieleckie voivodships were incorporated to Silesia non-aggression, commonly known as Ribbentrop– province as katowicki administrative district. The re- –Mołotow Pact. The agreement was accompanied with maining part of śląskie voivodship (with lubieniecki and a secret protocol, according to which Poland was di- rybnicki counties) as well as the part of kieleckie voivod- vided into German and Soviet zones. It was stated in the ship was incorporated with blachowski and zawierciński protocol that the Reich was to overtake 38%, whereas counties into Opole administrative district7. From the the USSR 62% of the Polish teritories. The frontier line areas that had not been incorporated to the Reich, on was marked by the rivers Pisa–Narew–Wisła and San. the basis of the decree of the Führer and the Chancellor The alliance of the future occupants resulted in the si- of the Reich from 12th October 1939 on the administra- multaneous invasion of both states. On 1st September tion of the occupied Polish areas, General Government 1939 Germany attacked Poland, while several days lat- was established for the Polish occupied areas-General er, i.e. on 17th September, the Red Army entered from Government (in 1940 the second part of the name was the East. This is how the World War II began4. removed)8. While incorporating the areas of the Pol- The simultaneous invasion of two states breached ish Republic to Germany the occupant took historic, the rules of international law, including the right of economic and national issues into consideration. Also, self-determination on the future of citizens. It ought to German administration had been introduced that was be remarked, that the occupants violated the rules con- submitted to the Minister of Internal Affairs. Districts cerning the competences of occupation authorities in- were managed by Statthalters appointed by Führer, cluded in IV Hague Convention of 18th October 1907 who at the same time held the chief functions of the on the laws and customs of war on land. According to this national-socialist party (NSDAP). Whereas in Sile- act, population and the sides at war were under the pro- sia and East Prussia there was the traditional division tection and law of the states of nations, which resulted into provinces preserved, where Oberpräsidenten were from the customs agreed between states, preserving the in charge. Districts and provinces were divided into rules of humanitarianism and conscience5. The result of administrative districts governed by presidents. Urban the alliance between two aggressor states is also referred counties were managed by mayors, while rural coun- to as the 4th partition of Poland6. ties by starost(district head)9. The above mentioned GG On 1st September 1939 Adolf Hitler incorporated the Free City of Gdańsk to Germany on the basis of 7 The Decree of Führer and Germany Chancellor on the division and administration of eastern territories from 8th Oc- tober 1939, in: W. Kozyra, The Occupant German Adminis- 4 G. Górski, The Legal Aspects of Incorporation of the Ar- tration in the Territories of Polish Republic between 1939 and eas of Polish Republic to German Reich and the Soviet Union 1945, p. 40; http://dlibra.umcs.lublin.pl/Content/21463/ in 1939 in: Poland 1939–1945 The Areas Incorporated to the czas4058_60_1_2013_3.pdf Reich, General Government and the Areas Incorporated to the 8 The Decree of Führer and German Chancellor on the Soviet Union Similarities and Differences, ed: B. Chrzanows- administration of the occupied Polish territories from 12th ki, Toruń 2014, p. 97. October 1939, in: A. Wrzyszcz, The Hierarchy of Legal Acts 5 The Convention Concerning the Laws and Customs Introduced by German Occupant in General Government be- of War on Land from 18th October 1907. (Dz.U. 1907 nr 21 tween 1939 and 1945, „Studia Iuridica Lublinensia” 2014, poz. 161). vol. 22, p. 695–696. 6 M. Kallas, The History of Political System in Poland, 9 T. Maciejewski, The History of Administration, Warsza- Warszawa 2005, p. 262. wa 2006², p. 289–290. Dorota Zając: German People`s List – the outline of the issue in historic... 47 was managed by the General Governor, who at the same its positive result was associated with acquiring German time was the chief of the local NSDAP. He held almost nationality that could be cancelled. Valuable elements exclusive state authority in this area. The government of foreign nationality(Wertvolle Fremdvölkische) as well of GG, submitted to the secretary of state, was execu- as German renegades were included in it. The last, forth tive and advisory organs. Districts were ruled by chiefs, group, was made by individuals of foreign origins13. called governors. In counties starosts, rural and urban, The race examination was conducted by Deutsche made the administration10. Lower levels belonged to Volksliste. These were the organs appointed by an Stat- Polish authorities. In urban communes-mayors, in rural thalter or the president of an administrative district. ones-voyts (village mayor) and starosts. Voyts and may- In accordance with the rescript the outpost segregated ors were appointed and dismissed by the governor of population dividing it into four categories: a district. They were the executive organ of a commune I. Volksdeutsche successful in the struggle for Ger- self-government11. manhood II. Volksdeutsche supporting Germanhood in expan- sive way The legal grounds of the German People`s List III and IV were the people of German origins from mixed German marriages, especially Masurians, Kashu- The Statthalter of Wartengau, Gauleiter Arthur Greiser, bians and Upper Silesia inhabitants of German ancestry, was the initiator of the Germanization policy. It was having association with Polish elements and holding him who on 28th October 1939 created the Central Of- opportunity of becoming a decent activist of the Ger- fice of German National List. man community14. He decided that society ought to be divided into five Being included into the first two categories meant categories. In the first one there were active Germans, nationality and citizenship of the Reich, III group had in the second-passive German citizens, the third one in- just the nationality of the German state, while IV was cluded individuals who presumably could be a valuable granted the nationality that could be cancelled.
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