Express letter from Eichmann on the preparations for deportations from the German Reich, 31 January 1942

Copy!

Reich Security Main Office

IV B 4- 2093/42g (391)                                       Berlin, 31 January 1942

                                                Secret.

                                       Express Letter.

To

all Regional (Command) Branches of the State Police in the

Altreich,(including Sudetengau) [annexed Czechoslovakian territory]

State Police headquarters in Vienna,

Centre for Jewish Emigration in Vienna.

Copies to

the Inspecting Officers of the Security Police and SD in the Altreich,

the Inspecting Officers of the Security Police and SD in Vienna.

Subject: Evacuation of Jews

Reference: none

The evacuation of Jews to the East that has recently been implemented in individual regions constitutes the beginning of the final solution of the Jewish question in the Altreich, the Ostmark [Austria since March 1938] and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

These evacuation measures were extended initially to especially urgent projects, and therefore only some of the regional command branches of the State Police Headquarters could be involved in respect of the only partial actions in progress because of the restricted possibilities for settlement in the East and the transportation difficulties.

New possibilities for settlement are being worked on right now. The objective is to remove additional allotments of Jews from the Altreich, the Ostmark, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. In order to work out precise plans for the preparation of further evacuation measures it will be the first priority to establish the exact number of Jews still residing within the Reich. Taking into account the appropriate viewpoints, this must be done according to the following guidelines for evacuation:

             All Jews can be included in the evacuation (§ 5 of the 1. Ordinance to the Reich Citizenship Law of 11 November 1935, RGBl. I, p. 1333) with the following exceptions:

1) Jews living in a German-Jewish mixed marriage.

2) Jews of foreign nationality (except for stateless Jews and Jews of formerly Polish or Luxembourg nationality).

3) Jews who are presently working in closed facilities while carrying out labour essential for the war effort and whose evacuation will not be approved right now by the appropriate armaments commands (armaments inspectors), agricultural departments and employment offices because of the war economy. (The resulting temporary deferments must be restricted to an acceptable minimum level to be worked out in cooperation with the various agencies involved).

4) Jews

a) over 65 years of age;

            b) between the ages of 55 and 65 whose health is

particularly fragile and who for this reason cannot be transported.

In the case of Jewish marriages where one partner is under 65 years of age and the other one over 65, both partners may be evacuated whenever the marriage partner in question is not older than 67 and an official medical certificate states that he is able to work. Additional exemptions are not permissible under any circumstances. (For those Jews who cannot be evacuated because of their age, subsequent special regulations are under consideration).

5) Jewish legal practitioners [Rechtskonsulenten, formerly “lawyers”] will be registered proportionally to the number of Jews temporarily remaining behind.

6) Separation of marriages as well as separation of children [from their parents] up to the age of 14 is to be avoided.

I hereby request that within the departments responsible the requisite information be ascertained at once and reported by 2 February 1942 at the latest (applications to extend deadlines cannot be considered), including the answers to the following questions:

1) The number of Jews of German nationality (including those who are stateless as well as Jews formerly of Polish or Luxembourg
     nationality) in accordance with the legal requirements prevailing in any given district. (Total number and how
     they are distributed throughout the individual localities).

2) The number of Jews who are living in German-Jewish mixed marriages.

3) The number of Jews of foreign nationality. (Except for stateless Jews and Jews who were formerly citizens of Poland or Luxembourg).

4) The number of Jews of Slovakian, Croatian or Romanian nationality.

5) The number of Jews presently employed in closed facilities doing labour essential for the war effort who for this reason
     cannot be released for evacuation at present.

6) The number of Jews over 65 years of age.

7) The number of Jews over 55 years of age, especially those who are physically infirm and therefore cannot be transported.

8) The total number of Jews available for evacuation after the exceptions listed above has been taken into consideration.
    (Their distribution over the individual localities).

This total number, based on the most recent assessments, will be decisive for the subsequent allocation of transportation trains and, respectively, the arrangement of transports for evacuation purposes.

Negative reports [in case of none existence of Jews in a region] will be obligatory.

Special emphasis should be placed on a precise and conscientious ascertainment [of data] in order to prevent from the outset any postponements or alterations of transport schedules.

Until further notice, any additional measures which go beyond these orders are to be desisted.

Supplementary remark for the Regional State Police Command Frankfurt/Oder: The communications II B 4 - 2394/41, dated 15 January 1942, and II B 3  2434/41, dated 20 January 1942, are hereby no longer operative.

On behalf of:

[signed] Eichmann

Witnessed:

[signed] Scholz

Office employee.                                            Seal.

No. 2505  g/41  II B 4.