GUIDES TO GERMAN RECORDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXANDRIA

244 Pages·2004·16.9 MB·English

GUIDES TO GERMAN RECORDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXANDRIA, VA
No. 84. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command
(Oberkommando der Wehrmacht—OKW), Part VII
Wehrwirtschafts- und Ruestungsamt—Wi Rue Amt (War Economy and Armament Office)
National Archives and Records Administration
Washington: 1985
This finding aid has been prepared by the National Archives as part of its program
of facilitating the use of records 1n Its custody.
The microfilm described 1n this guide may be consulted at the National Archives,
where 1t 1s Identified as RG 242, Microfilm Publication T77. To order microfilm,
write to the Publications Sales Branch (NEPS), National Archives and Records
Administration, Washington, DC 20408.
Some of the papers reproduced on the microfilm referred to 1n this and other
guides of the same series may have been of private origin. The fact of their
seizure 1s not believed to divest their original owners of any literary property
rights In them. Anyone, therefore, who publishes them 1n whole or 1n part
without permission of their authors may be held liable for infringement of such
literary property rights.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 58-9982
GUIDES TO GERMAN RECORDS MICROFILMED AT ALEXANDRIA, VA
No. 84. Records of the German Armed Forces High Command
(Oberkommando der Wehrmacht—OKW), Part VII
Wehrwlrtschafts- und Ruestungsamt--W1 Rue Amt (War Economy and Armament Office)
National Archives and Records
Administration
Washington: 1985

I N T R O D U C T I ON
The Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria, Va., This guide Is one of a series describing the records of OKW/W1 Rue Amt
constltute a series of finding aids to the National Archives and contains descriptions of records microfilmed under Item numbers
and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publications of "W1/ID11 (Eastern Europe), from W1/ID.1 through W1/ID.551. The record
seized records of German central, regional, and local govern- Item numbers are not Inclusive and are sometimes filmed out of seguence.
ment agencies and of military commands and units, as well as Most of the Item numbers were originally Identified as "Wi/ID2." (Russia),
of the Nazi Party, Its component formations, affiliated asso- but all of these numbers were converted to "W1/ID." (Eastern Europe)
ciations, and supervised organizations. These records were before microfilming. The old number "W1/ID2." was added and indexed with
created generally during the period 1920-45. cross-reference to the converted number(s) (e.g., W1/ID.1 (W1/ID2.344)
and cross-indexed W1/ID2.344 (W1/ID.1)) for a chronological sort of record
The guide series was Initiated by the microfilming project of Item numbers 1n both numbering sequences. Where the former number was
the Committee for the Study of War Documents of the American not available, a question mark was used within the parenthesis and no
Historical Association (AHA) 1n cooperation wtth the National cross-index was used. Also a few item numbers under "W1/ID1." (Poland)
Archives and Records Servtce (NARS& as of April 1 1985 MARS were converted to "W1/ID." numbers. Some of them have been previously
9
became NARA) and the Department of the Army, With the termi- described in Guide No. 17.
nation of AHA participation 1n July 1963, MARS assumed sole
responsibility for the reproduction of records and the Other records of this office, designated W1/IF5 and largely pertinent
preparation of guides. to the German war economy, rearmament, and war production from World War I
to World War II, have previously been described in Guide No. 7, Records
Guide No, 84 1s Part VII of Records of the German Armed Forces of Headquarters, German Armed Forces High Command, part I. Records of
High Command fOberkommando der Wehrmacht--OKWJ and describes this office pertatnlng to other countries have been described in Guide
the records reproduced on 73 rolls of NARA Microfilm Publica- No, 17, part II, and also in Guide No, 8, part II (which is a guide to
tion T77 (rolls 1052-1124), which are part of National Archives Microfilm Publication T84, Miscellaneous German Records Collection).
Collection of Seized Enemy Records 1941- Record Group 242.
9 9
Parts I-VI constitute Guide Nos. 7, 17, 18, 19, 78, and 80, The OKW/W1 Rue Amt originated in 1935 as a special staff (Sonderstab)
respectively. named Wehrwlrtschaftsstab (War Economy Staff). It was headed by
Generalleutnant Georg Thomas, who reported to the Minister of War
Guide No. 84 describes OKW/Wehrw1rtschafts- und Ruestungsamt (Krlegsmlnister) Feldmarschall Werner von Blomberg. The special staff
(OKW/W1 Rue Amt--War Economy and Armament Office) records of studied economic situations and procured equipment and arms for all
the German occupation of Western Russia, Including the Ukraine, three branches of OKW (army, navy, and air force). The staff was also
Belorussta (White Russia), the Crimea, and the Northern responsible for the provision of food, supplies, and quarters for the
Caucasus, as well as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, from 1941 armed units. The War Economy Staff (Wehrwirtschaftsstab) was renamed
to 1945. The records are office files that contain war journals, the War Economy Office (Wehrwirtschaftsamt) 1n 1938 and became the War
appendixes, directives, regulations, lists, correspondence, maps, Economy and Armament Office (Wehrwirtschafts- und Ruestungsamt)"ins 1939.,
photographs, and statistical tables from the Economic Staff East During the war 1t was subordinate to the Re1chsmin1sterium fuer Ruestung-
(Wlrtschaftsstab Ost), from Economic Inspectorates (Wirtschafts- und Krlegsproduktion (Reich Ministry for Armament and War Production).
1nspekt1on—W1 In) North, Center, South, Don-Donets, and the Various reorganizations and redesignations within the W1 Rue Amt took
Caucasus (Nord, M1tte, Sued, Don-Donez, Kaukasus), and from place during the war years. These changes involved the general mission
economic units 1n various districts and cities concerning the of the W1 Rue Amt and the organization of Its economy and armament
exploitation of the Occupied Eastern Territories,
111
offices: the RuestungsInspectorate (Rue In) at the Wehrkretse The INDEX to Guide No. 84 can be found Immediately following the
(Armament Inspectorates at Recruitment and Replacement Districts Instructions for Us use on page 109. It 1s an archival Index to
of German Armed Forces); the VMrtschaftslnspektorate (W1 In) 1n this descriptive finding aid only. The Index terms were derived
den besetzten Ostgebleten (Economic Inspectorates 1n Occupied from the descriptive material and have been supplemented with
Eastern Territories); the Armeewlrtschaftsfuehrer (AW1 Fue) and references, cross-references, and explanatory subheadings by means
Verb1ndungsoff1z1ere (VO) with Armeeoberkommando (AOK) and of computer techniques.
Heeresgruppen (Liaison Officers with German Army Field Commands
and Axis Armies); the Wlrtschaftsstab Ost with Its subordinate The CONTENTS column contains the provenance and a general description
subsections of W1 In Nord, M1tte, Sued, and Kaukasus (Economic of the content of the record Item. The Inclusive dates of the record
Inspectorates North, Center, South, and Caucasus); and the Item are given under the DATE column. The ITEM NO. Is an artificial
Wlrtschaftskommandos (W1 Kdo--Econom1c Commands) and Wehrmacht- Identification symbol assigned to the folder at German Military Docu-
erfassungskommando (WEK—Armed Forces Confiscation Commands) ment Section (GMDS) 1n Alexandria, Va.; the ROLL column refers to the
assigned with German and Axis forces 1n occupied eastern terri- sequence of the film rolls 1n Microfilm Publication T77; and the 1ST
tories. Amtsgruppe Inland (Internal Economy Section) became FRAME gives the frame number of the first page of the record Item.
responsible for administrative and personnel matters, armaments,
raw materials, traffic, labor, and petroleum products; Amtsgruppe The original records were returned after filming to the Federal
Ausland (Foreign States) became responsible for foreign trade, Republic of Germany and deposited at the Bundesarchlv 1n Koblenz.
commerce, and propaganda. Close cooperation was required between The master negatives of Microfilm Publication T77 have been
the Wlrtschaftsmlnlsterlum (Economic Ministry), the "Vlerjahres- deposited with the Publications Sales Branch, National Archives
plan" (Four-Year Plan) directed by Hermann Goerlng, the Relchs- and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408, from which copies
arbe1tsm1n1ster1upi and the Deutsche Arbeltsfront (Labor Ministry of specific rolls may be purchased. Reference copies may be con-
and German Labor Front), the Relchsbank, the Prelskommlssar sulted 1n the Microfilm Reading Room of the National Archives.
(Price Commissioner), the Verkehrsm1n1ster1um (Transportation For suggestions for citing microfilm, see page xxxvii; for Instructions
Ministry), the Landwlrtschaft*- und Ernaehrungsm1nlster1um for ordering microfilm, see page 193,
(Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Ministry), the Relchsforst-
melster (Chief f Forestry), the Auswaertlges Amt (Foreign The original descriptions for microfilming were prepared by Anton
O
Office) for foreign trade, and other leading departments Grass! and others, revised and described for this guide by George
responsible for the German economy, armament production, Wagner, The Input data for the computer printed register and Index
allocation of foreign labor, and the economic exploitation of was prepared by Johanna M. Wagner, The textual material was edited
foreign land and Its products. The establishment of the Feld- under the supervision of Shelby Bale, Chief of the NARA Editorial
wlrtschaftsamt (Field Economy Office) took place during 1944, Branch, The computer-input scheme, a modification of the SPINDEX
headed by General Otto Stapf (formerly W1 Stab Ost—Economic program, was devised by the undersigned.
Staff East), with the mission to provide supplies and war
materiels to the armed troops and to secure transports of
goods and labor to Germany. ROBERT WOLFE
Chief, Modern Military Headquarters Branch
Military Archives Division
1v
T A B LE OF C O N T E N TS
Page
Introduction Ill
0
Glossary of Selected Terms and Abbreviations VII
Organizational Charts of Wi Organisation Ost and Wi Stab Ost with its subordinate
Wi In, Wi Kdos, and WEK with AOK, AGr, and HGr IX
Published Guides to German Records Microfilmed at Alexandria, Va XXXIII
Suggestion for Citing Microfilm XXXVII
Listings of Captured German and Related Records Holdings XLI
Register of Record Items Descriptions of OKW/Wi Rue Amt, Eastern Europe,
Microfilm Publication T77, rolls 1052-1124 ,1
Introduction to the Index „ 109
Instructions for ordering Microfilm 193

GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS AND ABBREYIATONS*
AGr: Armeegruppe, Anny Group— No nstandard Headquarters, MU Trupps: Mineralpel Untersuchungstrupps, Technical
limited to geographical areas 1n occupied countries Troops for anal 1zing mineraloil
AK: Armeekorps , Army Corps OKH: Oberkommando des Heeres, Army High Command
ADK: Armeeoberkommando , German Army Field Commands OKL: Oberkommando der Luftwaffe, A1r Force High Command
Fue: Armeewlrtschafts fuehrer, Economic Liaison OKM: Oberkommando der Kr1egsmar1ne, Navy High Command
Officer with WK or AGr and HGr
PzAOK: Panzerarmeeoberkommando, Armored ^rmy Command
Ast: Aussenstelle, Branch Office
RMfdbO: Re1chsm1n1ster1um fuer die besetzten Ostgeblete.
CW1 Stab; Deutscher Wlrtschaftsstab, German Economic Staff Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories
with no n- German Annies
Rue In: Ruestungs1nspekt1on, Armament Inspectorate, see also WW1 In
EGr: Elnsatzgruppe, Special Task Force
Rue Kdo: Ruestungskommando, Armament Command
FK: Feldkommandantur, Military Administration
Headquarters In Occupied Countries RWM: Re1ch$wehrm1n1$ter1um, Reich Defense Ministry - later
Re1chskr1egsm1n1ster1um/RKM and subsequently OKW
FVM Amt: Fel dwl rtschaf tsamt , Field Economy Office,
activated in 1944, formerly W1 Stab Os t TBM: Technlsche Brigade fuer Mlneraloel, technical brigades for
mlneraloll, see also MU Trupps
HGr: Heeresgruppe, Group of Armies 1n occupied
countries, see also AGr VO: yerb1ndungsoff1z1er, Liaison Officer of the Economic Staff
with Armies, see also AW1 Fue
H1w1s: Hllfswllllge, Auxiliary Volunteer - East
European or TOW volunteers for noncombat service
torueck : Kpmmandant des rueckwaertlgen Armeegeblets ,
Commandant of Army Rear Area W1 In: W1rtschafts1nspekt1on, Economic Inspectorate, see also Rue In
WO: Kr1egsverwaltungsoff1z1er, War Administrative WW1 In: Vlehrw1rtschafts1nspekt1on, Armament Economic Inspectorate
Officer
Wkr: Wehrkrels, German Army Recruitment and Replacement District
*5ee also additional terms and abbreviation with various keywords 1n the Index