History of the Inventory Designer: Tasks and Organization Essentially follows: (1) Jany, Curt: History of the Prussian Army from the 15th century to 1914, 2nd ed. Edition (= Die Königlich Preußische Armee und das Deutsche Reichsheer 1807 bis 1914, vol. 4), Osnabrück 1967, pp. 294-296. (2) Cron, Hermann: Geschichte des deutschen Armeres im Weltkriege 1914 bis 1918, Berlin 1937, pp. 3-23. (3) PH 3/124 Die Organisation des Großen Generalstabes 1803-1914 (4) PH 3/1026 Die Organisation des Großen Generalstabes (vom 18. Jhr.. until its dissolution in 1919, manuscript by HOAR Stoeckel) (5) PH 3/1272-1273 Graphical representation of the development of the organisation of the Great General Staff 1802-1914 (6) PH 3/310 First introduction to the organisation and activities of the Deputy General Staff of the Armed Forces (1919) (7) Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, MGFA (Ed. by the German Military Historical Research Institute, MGFA) (ed. by the German historian HOAR Stoeckel)): German military history in six volumes 1648 - 1939. Munich 1983 ff, pp. 69-72. (8) Enzyklopädie Erster Weltkrieg, ed. v: Gerhard Hirschfeld, Gerd Krumeich, Irina Renz in conjunction with Markus Pöhlmann, updated and extended study edition, Paderborn 2009, p. 754f. (9) PH 3/3 (10) Waldemar Erfurth: The History of the German General Staff 1918-1945 (= Studies on the History of the Second World War, ed. by Arbeitskreis für Wehrforschung in Frankfurt/Main, vol. 1), Göttingen 1957. 1. Großer Generalstab und Oberster Heeresleitung Großer Generalstab (7) With the Cabinet Order of 24 May 1883, the Generalstab became an Immediatbehörde (Immediate Authority), in fact it had held this position since the Wars of Unification. The General Staff was also assigned independently and directly to the monarch by the War Ministry. The tasks of the War Ministry and the Great General Staff overlapped in part, which occasionally led to conflicts. The position of Chief of Staff of the General Staff was respected, but, apart from operational management in the event of war, it was not endowed with important powers. The General Staff nevertheless exerted a decisive influence on the formation of the army through the training of leaders (the War Academy was subordinate to the Great General Staff), the care for the training of troops in warfare, and the handling of all questions connected with the conduct of a mobilization and a war. His activities included the cultivation of war science education, especially the study and processing of war history, the collection of news and statistical material on foreign armies and the various theatres of war, mapping, investigation and description of his own country. In the peacetime there were no far-reaching changes in the organization of the Grand General Staff, only some expansions due to the increasing scope of the General Staff duties. General Staff of the Field Army and Supreme Army Command (OHL) of the German Army (2) "According to Article 63 of the Constitution of the German Reich of 16 April 1871, the entire land power of the Reich formed a unified army, which was under the Emperor's command in war and peace. In peace, the head of the Great General Staff had practically no power of command and no right of inspection. He merely acted as chief and disciplinary superior of the Grand General Staff. The highest power of command was in fact with the emperor, but in practice it was the chief of the general staff of the army. During the war, the Chief of the General Staff issued operational orders in the name of the Emperor in accordance with the mobilization regulations and was jointly responsible for the management and execution of military operations as well as the other branches of service (ammunition replacement, catering, health, stage service). With the mobilization on August 2, 1914, the chief of the Prussian General Staff of the Army was formed as the "Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army" and the OHL, which was located in the Great Headquarters. The Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army thus embodied the OHL and was always equated with it by concept. On August 5, 1914, the deputy general staff of the army was mobilized in Berlin. The latter remained in existence until 31 January 1919. With the demobilisation, de Große Generalstab resumed its activities on 1 February 1919, with the exception of the positions remaining with OHL. (10) On the basis of the Treaty of Versailles, the dissolution of the Great General Staff was decided and initiated in July 1919. On 4 July 1919 Major General von Seeckt took over the business of the Chief of the General Staff. The name of the service is now "General von Seeckt". On September 30, 1919, the Great General Staff was finally dissolved with the establishment of a liquidation office from part of the central department. The Heads of the General Staff of the Army in Prussia from 1857 to 1918 Field Marshal General Hemuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke 1857-1888 Field Marshal General Alfred Heinrich Karl Ludwig von Waldersee 1888-1891 Field Marshal General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen 1891-1906 General Colonel Helmuth von Moltke 1906-1914 Between 1914 and 1918 a total of four OHLs were formed (8) 1. OHL: General Colonel Helmuth von Moltke, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from Aug. 2 to Sep. 14, 1914 2. OHL: General of the Infantry Erich von Falkenhayn, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from Aug. 14 to Sept. 14, 1914 2. 3rd Sept. (officially from 3 Sept. 1914) to 29 Aug. 1916 3rd OHL: General Field Marshal Paul von Beneckendorff and von Hindenburg, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from 29 Aug. 1916 to 9 Nov. 1916. 1918, Commander-in-Chief of the Field Army from 9 Nov. 1918 to 3 July 1919, assisted by the First Quartermaster General of the Infantry Erich von Ludendorff, First Quartermaster General from 29 Aug. 1916 to 26 Oct. 1918, then Lieutenant General Wilhelm Groener became First Quartermaster General from 29 Oct. 1918 to 3 July 1919 4. OHL: Lieutenant General Wilhelm Groener took over the OHL after the resignation of Hindenburgs on June 25, 1919 until the dissolution on Sept. 30, 1919 3. The organizational development of the Great General Staff The organization of the Great General Staff since April 1, 1889 (1) The Quartermaster General was first abolished again, but on April 1, 1889 three Quartermasters (O.Q.) were established. Central Office (from 1890 Central Division) Oberquartiermeister (O. Q.) I since 1 April 1889: 2nd Division Ordre de Bataille (Battle Regulations) and deployment of the German Army Railway Division Railway Section The Railway Section was responsible for the operation and training of the Railway Regiment, subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and of the Airship Division. Eisenbahn-Regiment Oberquartiermeister (O.Q.) II 4th Section - New Formation for the Affairs of Foreign Fortresses and the Preparation of the Drafts of Attacks, with AKO of Dec. 19, 1889 the Department for Foreign Fortresses was added by the Engineering Committee Geographical-Statistical Department (since 1894 an independent Department) German Section - Affairs of the Academy of War and the Training Trips of the General Staff Oberquartiermeister (O.Q.) III 1st Division (Russia, the Scandinavian states, Austria, the Balkans, etc.) 3rd Division (France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy) Division of War History National Recording The position of the Quartermaster General was abolished. Structure of the Large General Staff of the Army since 1908 (1) Central Division 6th Division (Manoeuvre) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) I 2nd Division (Aufmasch) Technical Section (Air Force) 4th Division (Foreign Fortresses of the Western War Theatre) 7th Division (Foreign Fortresses of the Eastern War Theatre) Railway Division Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) II 3rd Division (O.Q.) Department (Foreign Armies in the West) 9th Department (German Colonies) Oberquartiermeister (O. Q.) III 5th Department (Training Trips of the General Staff) 8th Department (Affairs of the War Academy) Oberquartiermeister IV (newly added since 1 April 1894) 1st Department (Foreign Armies in the East) 10th Department (Foreign Armies in the East) Oberquartiermeister V War Historical Department I and II The Head of the Large General Staff Central Department (Personnel, Organisation, Administration) with Section III b (Communications) 6th Section (Manoeuvres) War History Department II (Older War History) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) I. 2. (German Division) - Deployment and Operations Division Railway Division Section 1a (for the revision of the Military Transport Order) 4th Division (Foreign Fortresses) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) II 3rd Division (France with Morocco, England with Egypt, Afghanistan) 9th Division (Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Portugal, America, German Colonies) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) III 5th Division (Operations Studies) 8th Division (Operations Studies) Division (War Academy and General Staff Service) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) IV 1st Division (Russia, Nordic States, East Asia, Persia, Turkey) 10th Division (Russia, Northern States, East Asia, Persia, Turkey) Department (Austria-Hungary and Balkan States) Oberquartiermeister V Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung I (neuere Kriege) Kriegsarchiv Kartenarchiv Chief of the Landesaufnahme and Oberquartiermeister Trigonometrische Abteilung Topographische Abteilung Kartographische Abteilung Photogrammetische Abteilung Kolonialsektion Der Chef des Generalstabes des Feldheeres 1914 bis 1918 (2) 1. General Staff Departments Central Department She was responsible for receiving and forwarding correspondence to the relevant departments, in cooperation with the Military Cabinet for Personnel Matters and Administration. The department was headed by Colonel von Fabeck, and from 26 March 1916 it was headed by Colonel Tieschowitz von Tieschowa. Operations Department The department with the closest connection to the Chief of Staff. She was also the office for his personal letters. It was responsible for creating the conditions for all operational measures of the army: to monitor the organisation and organisation of the entire army and to propose improvements as well as the training, armament and operational capability of the units. The Chief of the Opera Department was responsible for advising the Chief of General Staff, drawing up the operational plans of the General Staff and issuing his orders. During the war the department was expanded extensively. Heads: Major General Tappen Lieutenant Colonel Wetzell (since 31 Aug. 1916) Operations Department B On 18 August 1916, a subdivision was set up under the Operations Department which was responsible for the Macedonian and Turkish fronts. Operations Division II On 23 September 1916, the post of Chief of Field Ammunition was dissolved. The tasks of ammunition and equipment replacement were taken over by the ammunition section in the operations department. Subsequently, the ammunition section was merged with the warfare section to form Operations Division II. Chief: Colonel Bauer News Department, since 20 May 1917 Foreign Armies Department She was responsible for the prosecution of military operations abroad, especially for the warfare of the enemy states. She primarily collected information on their organization and distribution of forces. Division III b Your task was to transmit the enemy's messages. This was done by intelligence officers deployed to the armies and at suitable points in the home country. There were also voluntary or paid agents in neutral and hostile foreign countries and the Secret Field Police in the occupied territories. News material was also provided by the border police and the field police, which also served to carry out espionage. The intelligence and counter-espionage services in the homeland communicated with Division IIIb of the Deputy General Staff, which in turn was subordinated to Division IIIb in the Great Headquarters. The guidelines for patriotic education were issued by the department, as was the press service set up to steer public opinion. Political Department since Feb. 10, 1916 Military Political Department It was responsible for the military political affairs of all states, dealt with legal issues and passed on the information to the military attachés and the written authority on peace issues. 2. the Quartermaster General and his subordinates The Quartermaster General was responsible for all the duties relating directly to the relief of the Chief of the Quartermaster General. operations. This included the entire supply, stage and railway system, field post and administration of justice, field medical services and veterinary services. Generalquartiermeister Generalleutnant von Stein since 14 Sept. 1914 Generalleutnant Hahndorff since 16 Jan. 1916 Subordinate positions Generalintendant des Feldheeeres He was responsible for providing the army with food. In addition, he was the head of the field and troop directorships. With the transition to the positional war, the monitoring of the nutrition in the occupied territory was added. In particular the cultivation of the soil and the necessary procurement of the agricultural machine material and the utilization of the harvest surplus for the field army. Later the industrial use of the occupied territories was added. A new economic department was set up for the West with effect from 5 September 1916. With effect from January 1, 1917, the economic department was made independent and expanded and set up on behalf of the General Quartermaster for the Western Theatre of War (B.d.G. West). He was responsible for the administration, management and utilization of the occupied territories in the West. Besides, he was subordinated: - General Wechselamt - art expert for monument preservation - prisoners of war - and civilian worker battalions - electrotechnical workshop West - artillery and training equipment repair workshops - looting and collecting (until subordinated to a special commissioner) At the beginning, the following positions were also subordinated to the Generalquartiermeister: - Chief of field munitions - Chief of field telegraphy - Chief of field railways - Chief of field aviation - Inspector of balloon guns Chief of field medical services General staff physician of the army Prof. Dr. Schiernig headed the medical services in the entire war zone as the highest superior of the medical personnel. His responsibilities included: the medical service, the care and transport of the wounded, the distribution of hospital trains and ships, hospitals in the homeland. Field Chief Postmaster He supervised the postal system on all theatres of war. The Field Oberpost Inspections West and East were set up to relieve him. Second Commander of the Great Headquarters He was responsible for the security and supply of the headquarters and the control of the sub personnel. He commanded the Infantry and Cavalry Staff Guard, a Land Storm Battalion, a Field Gendarmerie Command, Military Police, a motor vehicle spark station and a telephone department, three balloon defence guns (later ducrh replaced two air defence batteries), a headlight train (later expanded into a headlight department), the field directorate of the Great Headquarters together with the field warfare fund, motor vehicle fleet, field post office, Central Postal Surveillance West with the post office monitoring centre of the Great Headquarters, marketing department and reading hall. Secret Field Police cooperated closely with Division III b. During the war, B.d.G.West also added a number of agencies to the Great Headquarters. The commander of the troops, newly created in 1915, was located in Luxembourg. The Chief of Field Service was established at the end of 1916 and placed under the authority of the Quartermaster General. It served to centralise the motor vehicle formations. After the approval of the Generalqaurtiermeister, he was authorized to give instructions to the motor troops of the army high commandos and the staff figures assigned to the army groups in the west. On 17 May 1918, the staff of the commander of the combat vehicle departments was subordinated to the head of the motor vehicle division. The B.d.G. Ost with its seat in Warsaw was responsible for the utilization of the land in the administrative area of the Supreme Commander East and the General Government of Warsaw. Valenciennes Military Mine Directorate It fell under the jurisdiction of the Quartermaster General in September 1917. The mining administrations of Mons and Valenciennes, which until then had been part of the Metz government, were united to form a military directorate. The German representation in occupied Italy Used in February 1918 in Udine with evacuation of the 14th army. It served to assert German interests in the war spoils acquired jointly with Austria. The commander of the 13th Cavalry Brigade and his staff were to regulate the demand for horses on the eastern and western fronts due to the increasing shortage of horses. He was assigned to the GQ on 31 December 1916. In February 1918 he became the Commissioner of the Quartermaster General in equestrian affairs. Commissioner of the General Quartermaster in Berlin In order to reestablish trade relations with the former Russian territories resulting from the treaties with the Allies, coordination between the central authorities and the General Staff was necessary. He also took over the supervision of the import and export points. Commissioner of the Master Quartermaster General for Prey and Collecting This was created with effect from 1 June 1918. It had already been settled in 1917. He was responsible for the administration of the spoils of war and the control of the services. General of the Ammunition Columns and Trains in the Great Headquarters The increase in the number of formations was accompanied by the technical contraction of weapons, which was created in July 1918. Her task was to use the units, to supervise the technical service in the war zone and at home, and to replace the clothing and field equipment. 3. foot artillery and pioneers were among the special weapons and their technical training was monitored by the inspections. The General of the Foot Artillery in the Great Headquarters He was adviser to the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army on technical matters and the deployment of heavy artillery. In addition, he shaped the training in his home country. He was subordinate to the later established "Inspector of Artillery Metrology" and the "Staff Officer for Heavy Flat Fire". At first he had no direct influence on the general of artillery. This did not change when the OHL introduced the unit staffs "Artillery Generals" instead of "Field Artillery Brigade Commanders" and Foot Artillery Generals to unify artillery. Thus his name was changed to "General von der Artillerie Nr. 1". A month later he became "Inspector General of Artillery Shooting Schools". He was in charge of the shooting training of the entire field and foot artillery in the field and at home. General Inspectors: General of the Artillery of Lauter (until 15 Oct. 1917) Lieutenant General Ziethen The General of the Engineering and Pioneer Corps in the Great Headquarters He was the supreme weapons superior during the war of increasing and specializing formations of the pioneers. He advised the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army and was responsible for the organizational and technical development of the pioneers. The special services of the pioneers, such as the stage-managers of the mine-throwing machine, in existence since the end of 1915, the inspector of the gas regiments created in 1916 and the stage-manager of the pioneer melee means of close combat established in May 1918. In August 1918 he received the designation General of the Pioneers from the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army. General der Pioniere: General der Infanterie von Claer bis bis zum 2. Juli 1916 Major General Marschall von Bieberstein seit 28. Aug. 1918 The Chief of the Field Ammunition Service This was initially subordinated to the Generalquartiermeister. His tasks included coordinating the ammunition provided by the War Ministry in conjunction with the Chief of Field Railways as well as the replacement of equipment on the basis of the reports from the Army High Commands and the Stage Inspection. In addition, he was responsible for planning the needs of the army commandos and the stage inspections and reporting them to the War Ministry. With effect from 10 May 1915, he was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army. This should ensure close coordination with the operations department. On 23 September 1916 the position of Chief of Field Ammunition was dissolved. His duties were performed by the Operations Department. The Chief of the Field Telegraphy The Chief of the Field Telegraphy was settled during the first three years of war at the General Quartermaster. He was in charge of the entire intelligence troops and intelligence media of the field army. During the war the news formations were strongly expanded, which caused the army leadership under Hindenburg to carry out a reorganization. A general of the telegraph troops for the western, eastern and southeastern theater of war was created to relieve the field telegraphy chief. These generals were subordinated to the chief of field telegraphy. A new restructuring of the intelligence system took place, with the head of the field telegraphy reporting to it. A new organizational change was made by the Chief of Field Telegraphy to "Chief of Intelligence" and reporting directly to the Chief of General Staff of the Field Army. He also became commanding general. He was now responsible for organisation, use, training, staffing, replacement, replenishment, technical requirements and all German spark telegraphy traffic. Chief: Major General Balck Colonel von Wolff since Dec. 7, 1914 Major General von Hesse since Apr. 9, 1917 The Chief of Field Railways He was initially subordinate to the Quartermaster General. It was not until his replacement in October 1916 that he was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff. His tasks included the complete railway system and the use of the waterways. At the commander-in-chief east he was represented by the field railway boss east. There were also railway officers at the stage commandos and the stage inspections, later there were authorized general staff officers at the allied states in Constantinople, Sofia, Vienna, and from mid-1916 also at the army groups. Further streamlining of the organization was achieved by the creation of independent railway transport departments based at the Great Headquarters in Kowno and Pleßhatten. Heads: Major General Groener until 31 Oct. 1916 Colonel Freiherr von Oldershausen Chief of War Surveying With the war of positions and the production of a wide variety of maps, war surveying became increasingly important. The head of war surveying was to steer this task. Therefore, the authority was created in July 1915. All surveying units were subject to this authority. Depending on requirements, staff figures for surveying were assigned to the army commandos in the west and the army groups in the west. Chief of the military aviation While one was superior to the army airships, one lay back with the planes behind France, with the captive balloons one was set up in something equal. In order to make the air forces more efficient, the chief of the air force was set up in 1915 with the general quartermaster. He ran the aviators, the airmen and the weather service. On 1 July 1915, an inspector of the balloon guns of the General Quartermaster was created for the air defence, which belonged to artillery. On 8 October 1916, Lieutenant General Hoppner was appointed Commanding General of the Air Force by Allerhöchste Kabinettsordrre and the former Chief of Field Aviation, Lieutenant Colonel Thomsen, became his Chief of Staff. All formations of the airmen, the airship, the air defence and the weather service in the field and in the homeland were subordinated to the Kogenluft. This was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff in October 1915. The head censorship office was also integrated into this, which had previously been the organisational office of the deputy commanding generals. The tasks of the War Press Office were to improve cooperation between the home authorities and the Supreme Army Command in the field of the press, to provide information to the authorities and the press, and to ensure that the supervision of the press was uniform. She was also responsible for forwarding the censorship guidelines to the censorship offices. The press office had contact to all departments, the otherwise usual way of appeal did not exist. In October 1918, the War Press Office was subordinated to the War Ministry. Military post of the Federal Foreign Office The post was established on 1 July 1916 and was subordinated to the Supreme Army Command, but was organisationally subordinated to the Federal Foreign Office, Division IIIb of the Deputy General Staff, the War Press Office, the War Ministry, the Admiral Staff and the R e i c h s m a r i n e a m t . She was responsible for the defense against enemy propaganda and for German propaganda at home and abroad. On 30 January 1917, a "Picture and Photo Office" was set up, which in April 1917 was designated as the "Picture and Film Office". In December 1917, Universum Film AG was founded on the initiative of the Picture and Film Office and used for educational purposes. In January 1918, the Bild- und Filmamt was administratively subordinated to the War Ministry. However, the Military Office of the Federal Foreign Office continued to be empowered to issue directives. The organization of the Great General Staff from 1. February 1919 Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army (9) Central Department Chief of the Landesaufnahme General Staff Departments Department Foreign Army Department (F) Railway Department (E) War Economics Department (Kriweis) Economics Department (W) War History Department (K) War History Department (K 1) War History Department (K 2) War History Department (K 3) Description of the Collection: The maps from the former inventory KART 3 were transferred to the inventory PH 3-KART. Content characterization: The map inventory contains maps of various types (section maps, location maps, position maps, operation maps, photo maps, artillery maps, map sheets, map sketches, etc.) of the theatres of war of the First World War. The maps were produced by the cartographic department of the Deputy General Staff of the Field Army and by the surveying departments and map offices of the command authorities and associations. The majority of the maps refer to the western theater of war, especially Belgium, France and Luxembourg. Only a small part of the documents refers to the eastern theater of war, especially Russia. State of development: Invenio citation: BArch, PH 3-KART/...

History of the Inventory Designer: On October 1, 1939, summary of the (Prussian) Secret State Police Office (Ge‧stapa), the office of the Political Police Commander of the (non-Prussian) Länder, the Reich Criminal Police Office, the Security Police Main Office, and the Sicherheits‧haupt‧amtes (SD Main Office) of the SS in the newly erected Security Police Main Office, which was established by the Chief of Security Police and SD, Reinhard Heydrich (since October 30, 1939). January 1943 Ernst Kaltenbrunner) Reichssi‧cher‧heits‧hauptamt (RSHA); in October 1943 the RSHA was established as follows: Amt I Per‧sonal, Training and Organisation of the Security Police and the SD, Amt II Haushalt und Wirtschaft, Amt III Deutsche Lebensgebiete, Amt IV Gegner-Erforschung und -Be‧kämp‧fung (Geheimes Staatspolizeiamt), Amt V Verbrechensbekämpfung (Reichskriminal‧poli‧zei‧amt), Amt VI Auslandsnachrichtendienst, Amt VII Weltanschauliche Forschung und Aus‧wer‧tung Content characterisation: Part 1 (formerly: ZStA, 17.03): 1917-1945 (138): Personnel, organisation, business administration of various SS and SD offices 1917-1919, 1933-1945 (12), political situation (with reports), labour movement, communist and social democratic actions, church affairs (both domestic and foreign) 1921-1945 (22), training activity (also church political training) 1936-1944 (13), Literaturnach‧weise (historical and contemporary documents) 1927-1943 (9), lecture directories, Seme‧ster and seminar papers, various records 1923-1945 (15), Hexenwesen, Zauberei (with references) 1932-1942 (36), Geheimes Staatspolizeiamt, Berlin 1933-1943 (14), Geheime Staatspolizei Bremen 1934 (1), Staatspolizei(leit)stellen - mit verschiedenen Außen(dienst)stellen und Grenz(polizei)kommissariaten - Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Königsberg (Prussia), Munich, Saarbrücken, Prague 1933-1944 (15), Commander of the Security Police and the SD in the Be‧reich of the Military Commander in France, Paris 1944 (1) Part 2 (formerly: BArch, R 58): 1920-1945 (1.670): Administration: Central authorities of the Security Police and SD 1933-1945 (21), Central and Unterbehör‧den 1933-1945 (6), Reichsstiftung für Länderkunde 1943-1944 (5), Correspondence and administration of written records 1933-1945 (20), Procurement, in particular Weapons and equipment 1933-1945 (15), vehicles 1936-1944 (10), literature 1941-1944 (9), budget, cash and accounting 1933-1945 (13), personnel affairs in general 1933-1945 (10), affairs of individual departments and persons 1936-1945 (97), Involvement of university teachers by the Orient Research Centre 1944-1945 (3), Ein‧stellung, education and training 1930-1945 (22), disciplinary measures 1934-1944 (4) Monitoring and prosecution of political opponents: Principles and guidelines 1933-1945 (6), status reports and overviews from the gesam‧ten Reichsgebiet 1931-1944 (34), status reports, v.a. individual state police officers 1933-1939 (68), imposition of protective custody and "special treatment" 1933-1945 (5), Über‧wachung and persecution of the labor movement in general 1928-1944 (27), popular front, united front 1925-1940 (15), German united party 1937-1940 (3), Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and socialist splinter groups 1931-1943 (23), Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and communist splinter groups 1932-1942 (41), individual social democratic, socialist or communist political organizations 1926-1942 (17), socialist and communist youth and sports organizations 1931-1941 (26), "Red Aid" 1930-1939 (16), cultural political organizations, free thinkers 1927-1941 (12), socio-political, professional and other organizations 1920-1941 (7), Ge‧werkschaftsbewegung 1922-1944 (20), anarcho-syndicalist movement 1930-1940 (5), Catholic and Protestant churches 1933-1945 (16), sects and freemasons 1933-1943 (10), Jews in the "Old Empire" 1933-1944 (16), Jews in integrated and occupied territories 1937-1944 (4), Zionist movement 1933-1944 (5), anti-Semitic propaganda 1936-1941 (6), national, liberal, conservative and monarchist opponents 1931-1945 (11) Surveillance of the NSDAP, its branches and the Wehrmacht: NSDAP and Wehrmacht in General 1933-1943 (1), Ribbentrop Office 1937 (1), German Labour Front 1933-1940 (2), Foreign National Socialist and Fascist Groups and Foreign Emigrants in Germany 1934-1942 (1), 20. July 1944, 1944 (1) Supervision of non-political organizations and economic enterprises: non-political organizations 1929-1941 (3), sports, youth and social associations 1930-1942 (2), consumer cooperatives 1934-1941 (6), artificial language organizations (Esperanto and others) 1933-1943 (10), economic enterprises, v.a. Insurances 1933-1942 (13) Defense against and fight against espionage and sabotage: Defense against espionage, treason and sabotage in general 1933-1945 (22), Lan‧desverrat and espionage 1933-1945 (9), sabotage and assassinations 1933-1945 (13) Measures against foreigners and in the integrated, affiliated and occupied Gebie‧ten: Treatment of foreigners in general 1933-1944 (3), foreign workers 1934-1944 (3), prisoners of war 1938-1945 (4), national minorities in Reich territory and in incorporated, affiliated and occupied territories 1934-1944 (1), state police measures in Austria 1938-1943 (7), daily reports of the state police headquarters Vienna 1938-1940 (11), mood and situation reports from Austria 1939-1944 (6), Sudetenland, Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia 1938-1945 (4), incorporated eastern territories and Generalgou‧vernement for the occupied Polish territories 1939-1945 (3), Denmark and Norway 1940-1945 (14), Eupen-Malmedy, associated western territories (Alsace, Lorraine, Luxem‧burg) 1940-1943, occupied western territories (Netherlands, Belgium, France) 1940-1944 (8), Occupied Eastern Territories (Baltic States, USSR) 1941-1945 (24), Yugoslavia, Hungary, Siebenbür‧gen, Macedonia, Operation Zone Adriatic Coastal Country 1941-1945 (6) Persecution and fight against non-political crime: Remainders of the criminal police 1935-1944 (3) Surveillance of public opinion and mood of the people: Principles of reporting by the SS Security Service (SD) 1937-1945 (2), Be‧richte on the 1939 domestic political situation (2), reports from the Reich: General, opponents, cultural areas, folklore and public health, administration and law, economics, Luft‧krieg 1939-1943 (39), SD reports on domestic issues 1943-1944 (10), regional Stimmungs‧berichte 1943-1945 (2), propaganda against foreign reports and "anti-state" influencing of public opinion 1933-1944 (3), combating antinationalsozialisti‧schen Literature 1933-1944 (11), Review and prohibition of books and brochures 1933-1943 (66), monitoring of the press 1933-1945 (55), broadcasting 1933-1945 (20), music, theatre, film, art 1935-1943 (2), science, education and popular education 1939-1945 (1), folklore 1939-1944 (1), situation of the general administration 1939-1945 (4), administration of justice 1939-1942 (1), economy 1939-1943 (1) procurement and evaluation of news from abroad: Foreign news in general 1938-1945 (16), monitoring of trips abroad 1936-1939 (10), German citizens and emigrants abroad 1933-1943 (6), German minorities abroad 1933-1943, news about individual countries: Abyssinia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Albania, Algeria, Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Bel‧gien, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Morocco, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nie‧derlande, Norway, Austria, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Rhodesia, Romania, Schwe‧den, Switzerland, Soviet Union, Spain, South Africa, Syria, Transjordan, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Hungary, Uruguay, Venezuela, United States of America, Cyprus 1931-1945 (188) Individual cases of persecution and surveillance: Lists, files and collective files, v.a. about political opponents from the Weimar Republic 1934-1944 (7), card index about clergy retired from church service, Or‧densangehörige and civil servants 1940-1944 (5), card index of the SD to files about individual Perso‧nen also outside of Germany with personal data and information about the reason of the file keeping, a.o. Emigrants, diplomats, foreign legionnaires, lodge membership, political activity, Spionage‧verdacht, loss of service card 1936-1938 (157), SD file on persons in individual places, especially in northern Germany with a focus on Lower Saxony, including information on profession, organization (including KPD, Freemasons, denominational associations, companies, Be‧hörden), with additional stamp "Jude" o.Dat. if necessary. (223), SD card indexes on Germans and foreigners, especially Ireland, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Spain, Tsche‧chen and Hungary 1933-1943 (22) Annex: Personal documents 1883-1945, 1957-1960 (73) Part 3a (formerly: ZPA, PSt 3): 1913-1946 (616): Amt IV Geheimes Staatspolizeiamt (Office IV): political surveillance in the area of various state police (leading) positions 1929-1942 (135), Lage‧berichte 1938-1941 (4), KPD, SPD 1920-1944 (115), political emigration, directories of fugitive political opponents 1931-1944 (34), Distribution of illegal pamphlets 1927-1940 (43), jurisdiction against political opponents and interrogation practice 1933-1943 (21), various areas of surveillance 1913-1946 (27), internals, supplements 1933-1944 (16) Main Security Office of the RFSS: Monthly and situation reports, daily reports 1933-1939 (34), KPD, SPD, Red Massen‧selbstschutz, Red Frontkämpferbund 1924-1940 (50), Rheinischer Separatismus 1919-1940 (7), distribution of illegal pamphlets 1931-1941 (23), jurisdiction against politi‧sche opponents 1931-1938 (9), various areas of surveillance 1931-1939 (23), Perso‧nalangelegenheit Professor Dr. Scheidt 1936-1944 (1) Various offices of the RSHA, including state police (leit)stellen Berlin, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Stettin, Vienna 1920-1945 (73) Supplement: Structure of the main offices and offices of the Reichsführer of the SS o.Dat. (1) Part 3b (formerly: ZStA, 17.01 St 3): 1919-1946 (1.344): Office IV Secret State Police Office: printed reports of the Secret State Police and memorandums 1923-1942 (29), situation reports of the Secret State Police Office 1933-1942 (63), statistical reports of the State Police Offices 1938-1942 (30), reports of the State Police Offices in Germany and the occupied territories 1941-1943 (23), Anwei‧sungen, ordinances, orders and search lists of the Secret State Police, etc. Personal data and reports on doctors and guards in concentration camps 1928-1946 (42), materials of the Secret State Police Office on the dissemination of illegal writings, arrests, investigations, trials and the Tätig‧keit of the party organizations of the KPD 1928-1945 (81), various materials 1930-1945 (33), German, foreign and international organizations, parties and projects vor‧nehmlich of the labor movement 1919-1945 (291); various departments (RSHA and others) 1929-1945 (58); reports and notifications of the state police departments 1921-1945 (417); font collection: Illegal writings with reports and reports of the Secret State Police on their distribution and registration 1926-1945 (203); Supplements: various offices (RSHA and others) 1930-1946 (74) Part 4 (taken over by the Polish archive administration): approx. 17th century - 1945 (771): various agencies (RSHA and others; focus: RSHA Office VII Weltanschauli‧che Research and evaluation, with illegal and confiscated materials), approx. 17th century - approx. 1945 (771) Part 5 (Boberach/Muregger project): approx. 1782 - approx. 1946 (approx. 3,902): SD-Hauptamt and agencies III, VI and VII - Control and prosecution of ideological opponents: Jews, members of Christian denominations, Freemason lodges (with illegal and confiscated materials), ca. 1782 - ca. 1946 (ca. 3,902) State of development: Part 1 (former: ZStA, 17th century)03): Database/Find Index Part 2 (formerly: BArch, R 58): Database/Publication Findbuch: Boberach, Heinz: Reichssicherheitshauptamt (fonds R 58) (Findbücher zu Bestände des Bundesarchivs, Bd. 22), Koblenz 1982, reprint 1992 u. 2000 Annex - Personnel documents: database Part 3a (formerly: ZPA, PSt 3): database/findbuch (1967) Part 3b (formerly: ZStA, 17.01 St 3): database/findbuch, vol. 1-3 (1968) Part 4 (taken over by the Polish archive administration): Provisional directory Part 5 (Boberach/Muregger project): Database/Preliminary Findbuch Reichssicherheitshauptamt R 58 Part I: SD-Hauptamt und Ämter III, VI und VII, edited by Heinz Boberach and Dietrich Muregger Subsequent developments in database citation style: BArch, R 58/...

History of the inventor: Joseph Goebbels, who had already been head of the NSDAP's Reich Propaganda Department since 1929, had certainly developed plans for a Ministry of Propaganda even before the seizure of power.(1) The Reichskabinett (Reich Cabinet) dealt with the issue of the Propaganda Department on 11 September. The arguments for the foundation, which the Reich Chancellor (Hitler) himself presented, sounded extremely harmless ex post and far from future realities: "One of the predominant tasks of this ministry would be the preparation of important acts of government. On the oil and fat issue, for example, which now occupies the cabinet, the people should be enlightened in the direction that the farmer would perish if something were not done to improve the sale of his products. The importance of this matter also for the war measures would have to be pointed out ..." Government action would only begin if the awareness-raising work had taken place and worked for some time. ..."(2) On 16 March 1933, however, Goebbels described the future tasks of his ministry programmatically three days after his appointment in a remarkably open manner in front of press representatives: "If this government is now determined never to give way again, never and under no circumstances, then it need not make use of the dead power of the bayonet, then in the long run it will not be able to be satisfied with knowing 52 percent behind it ..., but it will have to see its next task in winning the remaining 48 percent for itself. This is not only possible through objective work". And about the nature of his propaganda he proclaimed: "Not any aesthete can judge the methods of propaganda. A binding judgment can only be given on the basis of success. For propaganda is not an end in itself, but a means to an end.(3) A timid attempt by Hugenberg to at least delay the decision to establish the Ministry of Propaganda in the cabinet meeting of March 11, 1933 failed miserably. Already on 13 March 1933 the law on the establishment of the RMVP was signed by the Reich President and the "writer" Dr. Goebbels was appointed minister.(4) Almost three weeks later, on 5 April 1933, Goebbels noted in his diary: "The organisation of the ministry is finished".(5) In difficult negotiations(6) with the ministries, which had to cede parts of their competences to the new ministry, the responsibilities were determined in detail. The RMVP was responsible for all tasks relating to intellectual influence on the nation, advertising for the state, culture and economy, informing the domestic and foreign public about them, and the administration of all institutions serving these purposes. As a result, the business area of the RMVP will be: 1. from the business area of the Federal Foreign Office: News and education abroad, art, art exhibitions, film and sports abroad. 2. From the RMI division: General Domestic Enlightenment, Hochschule für Politik, introduction and celebration of national holidays and celebration of national holidays with the participation of the RMI, press (with Institute for Newspaper Science), radio, national anthem, German Library in Leipzig, art (but without art-historical institute in Florence, copyright protection for works of literature and art, directory of nationally valuable works of art, German-Austrian Convention on the Export of Art, Protection of Works of Art and Monuments, Protection and Maintenance of Landscape and Natural Monuments, Nature Parks, Preservation of Buildings of Special Historical Importance, Preservation of National Monuments, Verband Deutscher Vereine für Volkskunde, Reich Memorial), Music Conservation, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, Theatre Matters, Cinema, Combating Trash and Dirt 3. From the business areas of the Reich Ministry of Economics and the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture: Economic Advertising, Exhibitions, Trade Fairs and Advertising 4. From the business areas of the Reich Ministry of Posts and the Reich Ministry of Transportation: Traffic Advertising Furthermore, all radio matters dealt with by the Reich Ministry of Posts and the Reich Ministry of Transportation are transferred from the business area of the Reich Ministry of Posts, unless they concern the technical administration outside the premises of the Reich Broadcasting Company and the radio companies. In matters of technical administration, the RMVP shall be involved to the extent necessary to carry out its own tasks, in particular in determining the conditions for the awarding of broadcasting rights and the regulation of fees. In particular, the representation of the Reich in the Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft and the broadcasting companies is fully transferred to the RMVP. The RMVP is in charge of all tasks, including legislation, in the designated areas. The general principles shall apply to the participation of the other Reich Ministers." (RGBl. 1933 I, p. 449) These competences were exercised by seven departments, so that the business distribution plan of 1 Oct. 1933 (7) shows the following picture: Ministerial office (with five employees), directly subordinated to the Minister. State Secretary, at the same time Head of Press of the Reich Government I. Administration and Law with one main office Administration, three departments as well as the registry II. Propaganda with 10 departments 1. Positive world view propaganda, shaping in state life, press photography 2. Jewish question, foundation for victims of work, Versailles treaty, national literature, publishing etc. 3. Demonstrations and regional organisation 4. Opposing world views 5. German University of Politics 6. Youth and sports issues 7. Economic and social policy 8. Agricultural and eastern issues 9. Transport 10. Public health III. Broadcasting with three sections 1. Broadcasting 2. Political and cultural affairs of broadcasting 3. Organisation and administrative issues of German broadcasting IV. Press, simultaneously press department of the Reich government with eleven papers V. Film with three papers VI. Theatre, music and art with three papers VII. Defence (defence against lies at home and abroad) with eight papers Goebbels was obviously not satisfied with the official title of his ministry. The extensive tasks in the fields of culture and the arts did not come into their own and the word propaganda, of which he was aware, had a "bitter aftertaste" (8). His proposal to rename his department "Reichsministerium für Kultur und Volksaufklärung", however, met with Hitler's rejection. (9) In July 1933, a circular issued by the Reich Chancellor drew the attention of the Reich governors to the exclusive competence of the Reich or of the new Ministry for the above-mentioned competences and called on them to cede to the RMVP any existing budget funds and offices of the Länder. (10) At the same time, 13 regional offices were established as the substructure of the Ministry, the sprinkles of which corresponded approximately to those of the regional employment offices, and 18 imperial propaganda offices, which subdivided the territory of the regional offices once again. After the Reichspropagandastellen were already converted after short time (approx. 1934) to Landesstellen, in each Gau of the NSDAP a Landesstelle of the RMVP was located. Their leaders were in personal union at the same time leaders of the Gaupropagandaleitungen of the NSDAP, which in its leadership, the Reichspropagandalleitung, was also perceived by Goebbels in personal union. (11) As a result, conflicts of loyalty between the Gaupropaganda leaders/leaders of the RMVP regional offices were unavoidable in disputes between Goebbels and individual Gauleiters. According to theory, the regional offices were supposed to monitor and implement the political decisions made in the ministry in the individual districts, but in practice their heads were often more dependent on their respective Gauleiter than on the ministry due to the above-mentioned personal union. By the Führer decree of 9 September 1937 (RGBl. 1937 I, p. 1009), the Landesstellen were renamed Reichspropagandaämter and elevated to Reich authorities. After the integration of Austria there were no less than 42 Reichspropagandaämter with 1400 full-time employees. (12) In addition to the state offices and Reich Propaganda Offices, a whole range of offices, organizations, associations, societies and societies soon developed, which are to be counted to the subordinate area of the Ministry. (13) Despite the apparently clear regulation on the responsibilities of the RMVP, the 13 years of its existence were marked by disputes over responsibilities with other ministries, in particular with the ministers Rust, Rosenberg and Ribbentrop, of whom Goebbels, as is known, held very little personally. Successes and failures in the competence disputes cannot be followed in detail here; they depended to a large extent on Hitler's relationship with Goebbels. For example, Goebbels did not succeed in extending his competence in theatre to the Prussian State Theatres in Berlin. By contrast, in 1943 the RMVP assumed responsibility for carrying out the Eastern propaganda, while Rosenberg, as Reich Minister for the occupied Eastern territories, was left with only the authority to issue guidelines. (14) In the conflict with the Federal Foreign Office over the delimitation of responsibilities for foreign propaganda, an arrangement was reached in a working agreement in October 1941. (15) Wehrmacht propaganda also remained long and controversial. Despite many efforts (16), Goebbels did not succeed in making a decisive break in the competencies of the OKW/Wpr department until the end of the war in March 1945. Propaganda into the Wehrmacht and about the Wehrmacht at home and abroad was then to be taken in charge by the RMVP. It is not possible to determine whether the planned organizational consequences have yet been implemented. (17) Another major success for Goebbels was the establishment of the Reichsinspektion für zivile Luftschutzmaßnahmen (Reich Inspection for Civilian Air Defence Measures), which was headed by the RMVP (18), and his appointment as Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War Operations by Führer Decree of 25 July 1944 (19). For the last months of the Third Reich, Goebbels had reached the zenith of power with this function, apart from his appointment as Reich Chancellor in Hitler's last will and testament of April 29, 1945, which had become effective only theoretically. As Reich Plenipotentiary for the total deployment in war, he had extremely far-reaching powers over the entire state apparatus with the exception of the Wehrmacht. (20) Until that date, the competences of the RMVP had changed only slightly in the main features of all disputes over jurisdiction. That it nevertheless grew enormously and steadily until 1943 (21) was mainly due to diversification and intensification in the performance of its tasks. After 1938, the expansive foreign policy of the Third Reich necessitated further propaganda agencies to direct and influence public opinion in the incorporated and occupied territories. In the occupied territories with civil administrations, "departments" (main departments) for "popular enlightenment and propaganda" were usually set up in the territories with military administration, "propaganda departments", which exercised roughly the functions of the Reich Propaganda Offices. Their position between their superior military services and the RMVP, which sought to influence the content of the propaganda and from where part of the personnel came, was a constant source of conflict. As an indication for the weighting of the individual areas of responsibility of the Ministry in relation to each other, the expenditures for the individual areas in the 10 years from March 1933 to March 1943 are mentioned. With a total volume of 881,541,376.78 RM (22), the expenses for the Active propaganda: 21.8 Communications: 17.8 Music, visual arts, literature: 6.2 Film: 11.5 Theatres: 26.4 Civil servants and equipment: 4.3 Salaries, business needs, including film testing agencies and RPÄ: 12.0 By 1942, the RMVP and its division had been continuously expanded, before facilities in the subordinate area were shut down and departments in the ministry were merged as part of the total war from 1943 onwards. The business distribution plan of Nov. 1942 was as follows: (23) Ministerial Office, reporting directly to the Minister with adjutants, personal advisers and press officers of the Minister, a total of 10 employees State Secretaries Leopold Gutterer, Reich Press Head Dr. Otto Dietrich, Hermann Esser Budget Department (H) with 11 departments; reporting to the Head of the Department, the Main Office and the House Administration Personnel Department (Pers) with seven departments Legal and Organisation Department (R) with three departments Propaganda Department (Pro) with the following ten departments: 1. Political Propaganda 2. Cultural Propaganda 3. Propaganda Exploration 4. Public Health, Social Policy 5. Economy 6. Imperial Propaganda Offices 7. Major Events 8. Youth and Sports 9. Representation 10. Budget of the Department, Preparation of the Peace Treaties, Stagma and other Press Department of the Imperial Government I. Department German Press (DP) with 13 Speeches II. Foreign Press Department (AP) with 19 papers III. Journal Press Department /ZP) with five papers Foreign Press Department (A) with the following five groups: 1. Organization 2. Europe and Middle East 3. Non-European 4. Propaganda Media 5. Deployment abroad and in the Reich Tourism Department (FV) with four units Broadcasting Department (Rfk) with the following eight units 1. Coordination, Interradio and others 2. Broadcasting Command Office 3. Mob Department 4. Broadcasting Programme Support 5. Foreign Broadcasting 6. Broadcasting Industry 7. Broadcasting Organisation 8. Rundfunk-Erkundungsdienst Filmabteilung (F) with five departments Schrifttumsabteilung (S ) with eight departments Theaterabteilung (T) with seven departments Bildende Kunst (BK) with four departments Musik-Abteilung (M) with ten departments Reichsverteidigung (RV) with six departments Abteilung für die besetztischen Ostgebiete (Ost) with twelve departments Generalreferate with State Secretary Gutterer directly subordinated: 1. Exhibitions and Fairs 2nd General Cultural Department (General Cultural Department for the Reich Capital) 3rd General Department for Reich Chamber of Culture Matters 4th Technology (propaganda, radio, film, sound, stage, press, service installations of the RMVP) Press Recording Office for the PK reports of the Press Department of the Reich Government (directly subordinated to the Reich Press Head) A major change in this distribution of responsibilities took place in September 1944 (24). The art departments of theatre, music and visual arts were dissolved and merged into a single department of culture (cult). The East Department was integrated into the Propaganda Department as a main department, the Tourism Department was shut down and the General Departments of the Reich Cultural Chamber, Armaments and Construction and Propaganda Troops were dissolved. Notes (1) J. Goebbels: Vom Kaiserhof zur Reichskanzlei, p. 28. (2) R 43 II/1149, p. 5, excerpt from the minutes of the ministerial meeting of 11 March 1933. (3) R 43 II/1149, pp. 25 - 29, wording of Goebbels' speech of 16 March 1933 according to W. T. B. (4) R 43 II/1149, RGBl. 1933 I, p. 104 (5) J. Goebbels: Vom Kaiserhof zur Reichskanzlei, p. 293 (6) In an elaboration presumably by Goebbels on a "Reichskommissariat für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda" to be created (R 43 II/1149, pp. 49 - 53) further competences had been demanded. In particular, additional responsibilities were demanded of the German section of the RMI and section VI of the AA, as well as in foreign propaganda. (7) R 43 II/1449, pp. 126 - 133. Heiber gives a diagram of the organisational development of the RMVP at department level with the names of the department heads on the inside of the cover of his Goebbels biography. (8) See speech to representatives of the press on the tasks of the RMVP of 16 March 1933 in R 43 II/1149. It was not without reason that there was a language regulation for the press according to which the term propaganda was to be used only in a positive sense (R 55/1410, Decree of the RMVP to the RPA Nuremberg, 8 Nov. 1940). (9) R 43 II/1149, p. 169, Note by Lammers of 9 May 1934 on a lecture to the Reich Chancellor. (10) R 43 II/1149. (11) After the establishment of the Reichskulturkammer organization, they were also state cultural administrators in the substructure of the RKK. (12) Boelcke, Kriegspropaganda, p. 185. (13) Ebendort, p. 136 ff. there are hints for some institutions. (14) The Führer's order concerning the delimitation of responsibilities dated 15 Aug. 1943, cf. R 55/1435, 1390. (15) Boelcke, Kriegspropaganda, p. 126/127. (16) Lochner, Joseph Goebbels, p. 334, p. 442. (17) R 55/618, p. 123; cf. also the depiction of Hasso v. Wedel, the propaganda troops of the German Wehrmacht. Neckargemünd 1962, Die Wehrmacht im Kampf, vol. 34 (18) Führer decree of Dec. 21, 1943, R 55/441 (19) RGBl. 1944, p. 161, R 43 II/664 a. (20) This competence is virtually not reflected in the RMVP files available in the BA. However, it is well documented in R 43 II. See R 43 II/664 a. (21) See the annual budget negotiations on increasing the number of posts in R 2/4752 - 4762. (22) R 55/862, Statistical overview of monetary transactions. Accordingly, 88,5 % of the expenditure was covered by the licence fee. It remains unclear whether the old budgetary expenditure has been taken into account. (23) R 55/1314 According to this schedule of responsibilities, the files held in the Federal Archives were essentially classified. (24) Newsletter of 13 Sept. 1944 in R 55/441. Inventory description: Inventory history The RMVP records have suffered substantial losses, although the main building of the Ministry, the Ordenspalais am Wilhelmplatz, was destroyed relatively late and almost accidentally in March 1945. Large parts of the old registries, including the previous files from the Federal Foreign Office and the Reich Ministry of the Interior (1), had already been destroyed by air raids in 1944. Moreover, in the last days of the war before and during the conquest of Berlin by the Soviet Russian army, files were also systematically destroyed. (2) In view of the total collapse and devastation of Berlin by the air war, it is not surprising that hardly any manual or private files of RMVP employees have been handed down. Notable exceptions are, in particular, documents from Ministerialrat Bade (press department) (3) and hand files of the head of the broadcasting department, Ministerialdirigent Fritzsche. In this context, the diaries of Goebbels should also be mentioned, which, with the exception of those edited by Lochner in 1948, had been lost for almost 30 years. (4) The bulk of the volumes available in the Bundesarchiv Koblenz until 1996 was transferred from Alexandria (cf. Guide No. 22) and from the Berlin Document Center to the Bundesarchiv in the years 1959 - 1963. The personnel files still held back were added to the portfolio in 2007. The RMVP files kept by the Ministry of State Security of the GDR (mainly personnel files, personnel processes of the theatre, music and defence departments), which were stored in the so-called NS archive until 2006, are also assigned to the holdings. Not in Allied hands was only a small collection from the Music Department and some documents from the German Press Department, which were transferred to the Federal Archives in 1969 as part of the land consolidation with the Secret State Archives of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. Some original RMVP files can still be found at the Hoover Institution Standford, the Yivo Institute New York and the Wiener Library London. Fortunately, all three institutions were willing to produce microfilms for the Federal Archives (5). In 1974, the Rijksinstitut voor Oologsdocumentatie Amsterdam (Rijksinstitut for Oologsdocumentatie Amsterdam) kindly handed over some original fragments of files to the Federal Archives. In 1946, officers of the French and Soviet secret services found films of about 35,000 documents that had been filmed in the RMVP and buried near Potsdam at the end of the war with the help of an American mine detector (6). The films were taken to Paris to make re-enlargements of them, and it is possible that they will still be kept in the French secret service. The Americans apparently did not receive copies because they had withheld from the French documents of other provenance found in the CSSR. Only incomplete information is available about the content of the films; it can be assumed, however, that not exactly unimportant files have been filmed. Notes (1) Only a few handfiles and a few volumes on the promotion of music have survived. (2) Files of the Reichsfilmarchiv that had been moved to Grasleben/Helmstedt were even to be destroyed by agents of the RSHA when they threatened to fall into the hands of the English (cf. R 55/618). (3) Cf. Kl. Erw. 615, which is a selection of the bath papers from the time around 1933 in the Hoover library. (4) Frankfurter Allgemeine, 21 Nov. 1974, reader's letter. Insignificant fragments from Goebbels' estate from his student days can be found in the Federal Archives under the signature Kl. Erw. 254. (5) A collection of newspaper clippings concerning Goebbels in the amount of 82 Bde for the years 1931 - 1943 was not filmed at the Yivo-Institut. (6) See the documents in: National Archives Washington, RG 260 OMGUS 35/35 folder 19. Archival processing The order and indexing work on the holdings was relatively time-consuming and difficult, as the order of the files was extremely poor. On the one hand there were no detailed file plans or other registry aids for the mass of files from the budget and personnel departments, on the other hand the file management in the ministry, which at least in its development phase was always deliberately unbureaucratic, left a lot to be desired. Especially during the war, when inexperienced auxiliaries had to be used more and more during the war, the Ministry's staff often complained about the inadequacy of the registries. The organisation of the RMVP's records management showed typical features of office reform (1): Registries were kept on a departmental basis, with each registry having a "self-contained partial list of files". The documents were stored in standing folders (System Herdegen). Instead of a diary, an alphabetical mailing card was kept, separated according to authorities and private persons. The reference numbers consisted of the department letter, file number, date as well as an indication, on which card of an order file the procedure was seized. All in all, the files of the Budget and Human Resources Department were in a certain, albeit unsatisfactory, state of order when they entered the Federal Archives. Numerous volumes from the other departments, on the other hand, were formed in a chaotic manner, possibly as a result of a provisional recording of loose written material when it was confiscated. These were often amorphous and fragmentary materials that lacked the characteristics of organically grown writing. So it was practically impossible to form meaningful band units in all subjects. In the case of some "mixed volumes" with written material on numerous file numbers, only the most frequent ones were noted in the finding aid book. Due to the high loss of files, no strict evaluation standard was applied to the files. The main items collected were volumes from the budget department on preliminary checks in the subordinate area and individual procedures for the procurement and management of managed goods for the purposes of the Ministry. Formal records of non-compliant positions in the business division and a number of unarchivalable documents from the Human Resources Department will still be kept for the foreseeable future for the purpose of issuing service time statements. It is not listed in this guide. Preparatory work for the indexing of the Koblenz part of the stock was carried out by Mr. Oberarchivrat Regel (1967) with regard to the files of the budget department on the Reich's own film assets, Mr. Ltd. Archivdirektor Dr. Boberach (1966) with regard to correspondence and the reference files of the head of the broadcasting department, Hans Fritzsche and Ms. Archivoberinspektorin Schneider, née Fisch (1966) for files of the propaganda department. In 2005, the inventories of the finding aids of both sections of the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda were imported into the database of the Federal Archives via a retroconversion procedure. The data records were then combined in a classification. Despite the inhomogeneity of the traditions of most specialist departments, it was advisable to maintain the division by departments. (2) Within the departments, the structure was essentially based on file numbers and factual contexts. The file numbers used in the RMVP were - as far as possible - used as aids for further subdivision. The final step was the integration of the personnel files and personal documents from the NS archive (approx. 5000 individual transactions) and the former Berlin Document Center (approx. 700 transactions). The documents taken over are mainly documents from the personnel department (in addition to personnel files also questionnaires and index cards), theatre (applications, appointments, confirmation procedures) and imperial defence (applications in propaganda companies). The personal records also contain isolated documents on denazification from the period 1946-1950. Since a relatively large number of individual transactions from the NS archives were often only a few sheets, transactions that objectively related to one transaction (e.g. applications for interpreting) were merged into one file. The names of the individual persons as well as the old signatures from the NS archive can still be traced via the BASYS-P database. Both the files from the NS archive and those from the former BDC are not always filed according to the provenance principle. However, the files were not separated again. Most of the files taken over from the former BDC are personal files and questionnaires as well as personnel index cards of individual employees of broadcasting stations. A search is still possible via the BASYS-P database. The procedures for the donation "Artist's thanks" still present in the personal records of the former BDC concerning the Theatre Department were not adopted in this context (approx. 15,000 procedures). The names are entered in the BASYS-P database and can be searched there. Notes (1) Rules of Procedure and Registration of 8 May 1942 in R 55/ 618. (2) The structure of the business distribution plan of Nov. 1942 was used as a basis. Abbreviations AA = Federal Foreign Office Department A = Department Abroad AP = Foreign Press BDC = Berlin Document Center BdS = Commander of the Security Police ChdZ = Chief of the Civil Administration DAF = German Labour Front DASD = German Amateur Broadcasting Service e.V. DNB = Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro DRK = Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Dt. = Deutsch DVO = Durchführungsverordnung french = French Gestapo = Geheimes Staatspolizeiamt KdF = Kraft durch Freude KdG = Kommandeur der Gendarmerie KdS = Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei Kl. Erw. Small acquisition KLV = Kinderlandverschickung LG = District Court MA = Military Archives, Department of the Federal Archives MdR = Member of the Reichstag MinRat = Ministerialrat MdL = Member of the Landtag NDR = Norddeutscher Rundfunk NSV = National Socialist Volkswohlfahrt o. Az. = without file number or date = without date OKW = Oberkommando der Wehrmacht OLG = Oberstes Landesgericht OLT = Oberleutnant ORR = Oberregierungsrat OT = Organisation Todt PG = Parteigenosse PK = Propagandakompanie RAVAG = Österreichische Radio-Verkehrs-AG Reg. Pres. RMI = Reich Ministry of the Interior RMJ = Reich Ministry of the Interior RMK = Reich Ministry of Justice RMK = Reich Chamber of Music RMVP = Reich Ministry of Education and Propaganda ROI = Reichsoberinspektor RPA = Reichspropagandaamt RPÄ = Reichspropagandaämter RPL = Reichspropagandalleitung RR = Regierungsrat RRG = Reichsrundfunkgesellschaft RS = Reichssender RSHA = Reichssicherheitshauptamt RSK = Reichsschrifttumskammer SBZ = Soviet Occupation Zone SD = Security Service SD-LA = SD-Leitabschnitt SDR = Süddeutscher Rundfunk Sipo = Security Police STS = Secretary of State and a. = among others v. a. = above all VGH = Volksgerichtshof VO = Regulation WDR = Westdeutscher Rundfunk ZSTA = Zentrales Staatsarchiv (Potsdam) citation method: BArch R 55/ 23456 Content characterization: Rounded delivery complexes are available only from the budget department and from the personnel department. From the point of view of financing and personnel management, they illuminate almost all areas of the Ministry's activities. From the specialist departments, the volumes from the Propaganda Department should be emphasized, which document above all the design of propaganda and the propagandistic support of foreign workers and resettled persons in the last years of the war. Also worth mentioning are mood and activity reports of individual RPÄ and suggestions from the population for propaganda and for leading the total war. In the Radio Department there is some material about the design of the radio program and the propaganda reconnaissance with reports about the opposing propaganda, which were compiled from the bugging reports of the special service Seehaus. A separate complex of this department are 14 volumes of pre-files from the RMI with handfiles of the Oberregierungsrat Scholz as representative of the Reich in supervisory committees of broadcasting companies in Berlin from 1926 - 1932. Of the film department there are only a few, but interesting volumes about the film production of the last war years with numerous ministerial documents. The majority of the theatre department's traditions are based on documents on professional issues and the Reich's dramaturgy. From the music department the promotion of musical organizations from the years 1933 - 1935 with pre-files from the RMI, the support and job placement of artists as well as material about the musical foreign relations is handed down. The files of the Department for the Occupied Eastern Territories offer rich sources for questions of Eastern propaganda. The losses are greatest in the departments Law and Organization, Magazine Press, Foreign Press, Foreign Countries, Tourism, Literature and Fine Arts. State of development: Publication Findbuch (1976, reprint 1996), Online Findbuch (2007). Citation style: BArch, R 55/...

Geschichte des Bestandsbildners: Rechtsgrundlagen Zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts herrschte in Deutschland mit 29 verschiedenen Patentrechten bzw. Privilegienordnungen jeweils territorialer Wirkung eine große Rechtszersplitterung auf dem Gebiet des gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes. Dieser Zustand wurde durch das von einer Patentkommission des Reichskanzleramts erarbeitete Patentgesetz vom 25. Mai 1877 (RGBl. S. 501) beendet. Dieses war mehr industrie- als erfinderfreundlich, denn der Erteilungsanspruch stand dem ersten Anmelder, nicht dem Erfinder zu, und Patente konnten gewerblich verwertet werden. Jedermann hatte das Recht auf Einsichtnahme in die Erteilungsunterlagen. Beschreibungen und Zeichnungen wurden von da an amtlich veröffentlicht. Obwohl die Möglichkeit der Lizenzerteilung an Dritte ohne Übertragung des Patentrechts vorgesehen war, unterlag der Patentinhaber drei Jahre nach der Erteilung einem indirekten Lizenzzwang. Die gesetzlichen Grundlagen für das Kaiserliche Patentamt bildeten das o.g. Patentgesetz und die Verordnung betreffend die Errichtung, das Verfahren und den Geschäftsgang des Patentamts vom 18. Juni 1877 (RGBl. S. 533). Der Patentschutz war aber noch nicht effektiv genug, und die Zahl der Anmeldungen stieg, so dass schon am 4. April 1891 ein neues Patentgesetz (RGBl. S. 79) erlassen wurde. In erster Linie verstärkte es die Rechte der Patentinhaber. Der Neuheitsbegriff im Sinne des § 2 des Gesetzes wurde eingeschränkt und unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen die Aussetzung der Bekanntmachung ermöglicht. Das Gesetz betreffend den Schutz von Gebrauchsmustern vom 1. Juni 1891 (RGBl. S. 290) war eine Ergänzung des Patentgesetzes und trat ebenso wie dieses am 1. Oktober 1891 in Kraft. Es war notwendig geworden, da das Gesetz betreffend das Urheberrecht an Mustern und Modellen vom 11. Januar 1876 (RGBl. S. 11) nur die sogenannten Geschmacksmuster, jedoch nicht die zur Steigerung der Gebrauchsfähigkeit dienenden Modelle (Gebrauchsmuster) schützte. Eine weitere Vereinheitlichung des gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes brachte das Gesetz zum Schutz der Warenbezeichnungen vom 12. Mai 1894 (RGBl. S. 441). Auf diesem Gebiet hatte es bis 1874 lediglich regionale Zeichenrechte gegeben. Das Gesetz über den Markenschutz vom 30. November 1874 (RGBl. S. 1943) hatte die Zuständigkeit für die Registrierung den Amtsgerichten zugewiesen. Nun oblag auch diese Aufgabe dem Patentamt. Das Gesetz betreffend die Patentanwälte vom 21. Mai 1900 (RGBl. S. 233; neugefasst durch das Patentanwaltsgesetz vom 28. September 1933 (vgl. RGBl. II S. 669) führte eine Liste von berufsmäßigen Vertretern im Verfahren vor dem Patentamt, eine Prüfungskommission und einen Ehrengerichtshof für Patentanwälte ein. Starke Reformbestrebungen seit ca. 1900, die 1913 zu einem Entwurf der Reichsregierung für ein neues Patentgesetz nebst Gebrauchsmustergesetz führten, wurden durch den Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkrieges unterbrochen. Sie wurden ab 1927 wieder aufgenommen, konnten auf Grund der innenpolitischen Verhältnisse aber nicht sofort durchgeführt werden und fanden ihren Abschluss erst in den Gesetzen über den gewerblichen Rechtsschutz vom 5. Mai 1936. Das Patentgesetz vom 5. Mai 1936 (RGBl. II S. 117) brachte hauptsächlich dem Erfinder zugute kommende Änderungen, darunter die Ersetzung des Anmelderprinzips durch das Erfinderprinzip, die Unterstützung mittelloser Erfinder und eine Neuheitsschonfrist. Das Patentrecht sollte das geistige Eigentum des Erfinders schützen. Durch das Gebrauchsmustergesetz vom 5. Mai 1936 (RGBl. II S. 130) wurden das materielle Gebrauchsmusterrecht und das Verfahrensrecht an das Patentgesetz angeglichen. Auch das neue Warenzeichengesetz vom 5. Mai 1936 (RGBl. II S. 134) brachte verschiedene Neuerungen. Im Zweiten Weltkrieg gab es neben der Einführung von Geheimpatenten und eingeschränkten Beschwerdemöglichkeiten auch im Interesse der Rüstungswirtschaft stehende Fortschritte im Arbeitnehmererfinderrecht. Aufgaben des Patentamts Die wesentlichen Aufgaben des Patentamts waren die Erteilung von Patenten und die Entscheidung über die Erklärung der Nichtigkeit bzw. die Zurücknahme von Patenten sowie die Erteilung von Zwangslizenzen. Daraus ergab sich eine Doppelfunktion sowohl als Verwaltungsbehörde als auch als gerichtliche Instanz. Eine Möglichkeit der Berufung gegen Nichtigkeitsbeschlüsse bestand beim Reichsoberhandelsgericht in Leipzig, ab dem 1. Oktober 1879 beim Reichsgericht. Einen besonderen Aufgabenbereich des Reichspatentamts in der Zeit des Zweiten Weltkriegs bildete die Vergeltung von Patenten. Auf der Grundlage des § 26 der Verordnung über die Behandlung feindlichen Vermögens vom 15. Januar 1940 (RGBl I S. 191) erließ der Reichsjustizminister in den folgenden Jahren mehrere Verordnungen über gewerbliche Schutzrechte bzw. Urheberrechte ausländischer Staatsangehöriger. Wurden deutschen Staatsangehörigen oder Unternehmen auf Grund fehlender bilateraler Abkommen oder Verträge auf der Grundlage von Ausnahmegesetzen Beschränkungen in der Nutzung von ausländischen Patenten auferlegt und in der Vergeltung ihrer eigenen Patente durch ausländische Firmen eine gegenüber den Bürgern dieser ausländischen Staaten abweichende Behandlung zuteil, so wurden sie für entstandene finanzielle Schäden durch das Deutsche Reich vergolten. An den in Deutschland wirksamen Schutzrechten ausländischer Staatsangehöriger konnten zur Wahrung allgemeiner Belange Ausübungsrechte an deutsche Firmen erteilt werden. Außerdem bestand die Möglichkeit, Patenterteilungen auszusetzen bzw. Gebrauchsmuster und Warenzeichen einzutragen. Die entsprechenden Anordnungen wurden vom Präsidenten des Reichspatentamts getroffen, gegen dessen Entscheidung keine Beschwerde möglich war. Organisation Zu Beginn seiner Tätigkeit gliederte sich das Patentamt in sechs Anmeldeabteilungen (für Patentanmeldungen) und eine Nichtigkeitsabteilung. Es gab keine eigenen Beschwerdeabteilungen, denn über Beschwerden gegen Beschlüsse einer Anmeldeabteilung entschied jeweils eine der anderen Anmeldeabteilungen. Das Patentgesetz von 1891 schuf erstmals die klare funktionelle Trennung von Anmelde-, Beschwerde- und Nichtigkeitsabteilungen sowie ein Vorprüfverfahren durch Mitglieder der Anmeldeabteilungen. Durch das Gebrauchsmustergesetz von 1891 wurde die Einrichtung einer Anmeldestelle für Gebrauchsmuster notwendig. Jedoch fand das Gebrauchsmusterlöschungsverfahren vor den ordentlichen Gerichten statt. Das Warenzeichengesetz von 1894 führte zur Errichtung von Warenzeichenabteilungen. Am 31. Oktober 1917 wurde das Patentamt aus dem Geschäftsbereich des Reichsamts des Innern ausgegliedert und dem Reichsjustizamt nachgeordnet. Am 24. März 1919 erhielt es die Bezeichnung "Reichspatentamt" (RPA). 1926 wurde beim Reichspatentamt der Große Senat gebildet, der die Entscheidungsbefugnis über grundsätzliche Rechtsfragen erhielt. Die Gesetze über den gewerblichen Rechtsschutz von 1936 bewirkten folgende organisatorische Veränderungen: Im Patentbereich wurden die Anmelde-, Beschwerde- und Nichtigkeitsabteilungen in Senate umbenannt, an deren Spitze Senatspräsidenten standen. Im Warenzeichenbereich gab es fortan Warenzeichenabteilungen und Beschwerdesenate. Im Gebrauchsmusterbereich ging die Zuständigkeit für Gebrauchsmusterlöschungsverfahren von den Zivilgerichten auf das Patentamt über. Daher gab es neben der Gebrauchsmusterstelle, die für Anmeldungen zuständig war, auch Gebrauchsmusterabteilungen, die mit Löschungen befasst waren. Durch eine Verordnung vom 17. Juni 1938 (RGBl. I S. 638) wurden das österreichische Patentamt und der österreichische Patentgerichtshof mit Wirkung vom 1. Juli 1938 übernommen und als Zweigstelle Österreich dem Reichspatentamt angegliedert. Die Zweigstelle wurde allerdings durch Erlass des Reichsjustizministers vom 23. Dezember 1941 (s. "Deutsche Justiz" 1942, S. 13) zum 31. März 1942 wieder aufgelöst (vgl. R 131/587-589, 794-796, 1021-1025). Im April 1945 stellte das Reichspatentamt seine Arbeit ein. Bedingt durch die Folgen des Zweiten Weltkrieges entwickelten sich in beiden deutschen Staaten separate Patentämter, in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland das Deutsche Patentamt (DPA) mit Sitz in München sowie einer Außenstelle in Berlin und in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik das Amt für Erfindungs- und Patentwesen (AfEP). Personelle Entwicklung im Patentamt Bei der personellen Besetzung des Patentamts unterschied man neben dem Vorsitzenden, der seit der Bekanntmachung vom 26. Oktober 1882 den Titel "Präsident" führte, zwischen ständigen und nicht ständigen Mitgliedern sowie den "sonstigen" Bediensteten (Hilfskräften). Es gab zum einen rechtskundige, d.h. zum Richteramt oder zum höheren Verwaltungsdienst befähigte, zum anderen technische, d.h. in einem Bereich der Technik sachverständige, Mitglieder, die sämtlich in den Anfangsjahren des Patentamts nebenberuflich tätig waren. Im Jahr 1877 beschäftigte das Patentamt insgesamt 39 Personen. Im Zuge des Personalausbaus erhöhte sich zwar die Zahl der Beschäftigten von 39 (1877) auf 172 (1889), jedoch stieg die Mitgliederzahl nur von 22 auf 36. Der Grund dafür war das verstärkte Einstellen technischer Hilfsarbeiter (wissenschaftlicher Hilfskräfte). Als Folge der Neugestaltung durch das Patentgesetz von 1891, welches auch die Berufung der Mitglieder auf Lebenszeit brachte, wuchs der Personalbestand von über 600 (1900) auf annähernd 1.000 Personen (1914) an. Dabei vergrößerte sich die Zahl der Techniker im Vergleich zu den Juristen immer stärker. Im Ersten Weltkrieg wurden vermehrt weibliche Arbeitskräfte als Hilfskräfte eingestellt. Nach dem Krieg erreichte man den Stand von 1914 erst wieder im Jahr 1926 mit rund 1.000 Bediensteten. Ab 1930 setzte eine rasche Vergrößerung des Personalbestands ein, der seine Höchstzahl 1939 mit ca. 1.900 Personen erreichte. Internationale Zusammenarbeit: Auf internationaler Ebene kam es zur ersten Zusammenarbeit anlässlich der "Pariser Verbandsübereinkunft zum Schutz des gewerblichen Eigentums" vom 20. März 1883 (vgl. R 131/1049-1052, 1055). Dieser trat Deutschland allerdings erst mit Wirkung vom 1. März 1903 bei. Seitdem galt die Übereinkunft als innerdeutsches Recht. Ihre wichtigsten Bestimmungen waren die Unionspriorität und die Inländerbehandlung aller Unionsangehörigen. Diese Handhabung galt seit der Revision von 1911 auch für Gebrauchsmuster und Warenzeichen. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist außerdem das "Madrider Abkommen über die internationale Registrierung von Fabrik- und Handelsmarken" vom 14. April 1891 (vgl. R 131/1040, 1077-1081), dem Deutschland 1924 beitrat. Dies führte zur Bildung der Markenstelle für internationale Markenregistrierung beim Reichspatentamt. Bestandsbeschreibung: Bestandsgeschichte Wie andere Dienststellen der Verwaltung auch lagerte das in der Gitschiner Straße 97-103 in Berlin ansässige Reichspatentamt einen großen Teil seiner Unterlagen während des Zweiten Weltkriegs an Ausweichstandorte aus. Ab 1943 gelangten die Geheimsachen, das gesamte Prüfungsmaterial, die Akten der 21 Patentabteilungen sowie fast alle Unterlagen über noch schwebende Patentanmeldungen (ca. 180.000 Patenterteilungsakten der ersten Instanz) nach Schlesien, in ein leerstehendes Zuchthaus in Striegau und in den Ort Jauer. Die Geheimsachen über Patentanmeldungen, geheime Gebrauchsmuster, erteilte und Sonderpatente wurden im Januar 1945 wieder nach Berlin und im Februar 1945 in ein verlassenes Kalibergwerk in Heringen (Werra) gebracht. Dorthin verlegte man auch die Personalakten sowie einen Großteil der Bibliotheksbestände des Reichspatentamts (ca. 300.000 Bände) und das "Index" genannte Patentregister seit 1939 - mit Ausnahme des Buchstaben R, dessen Register in Striegau verblieb. Striegau wurde am 10. Februar 1945 von sowjetischen Truppen besetzt, die das Zuchthaus sprengten. Das gesamte Prüfungsmaterial, die Akten von 18 Patentabteilungen sowie das Patentregister für den Buchstaben R fielen den Flammen zum Opfer. Die nach der Rückeroberung der Stadt durch deutsche Truppen geborgenen Reste verbrachte man nach Heringen. Das Prüfungsmaterial und die Akten der drei restlichen Patentabteilungen, die zuvor in Jauer aufbewahrt worden waren, verlagerte man nach Eger und von dort aus später nach Lichtenfels. Andere Teile, vor allem Bücher und Prüfungsmaterial, flüchtete man im März 1945 von Striegau aus in eine Försterei in Bayerisch-Eisenstein. Diese Unterlagen überdauerten die Wirren der letzten Kriegstage. Das Schicksal der nach Jauer verlagerten Schriftgutbestände ist indes ungewiss. Von den in Berlin verbliebenen Unterlagen, v.a. Patenterteilungsakten der zweiten Instanz, d.h. Beschwerde- und Nichtigkeitsverfahren, sowie Akten über Gebrauchsmuster- und Warenzeichenverfahren, fielen große Teile den Kriegseinwirkungen in den letzten Monaten des Krieges zum Opfer. Durch Bomben zerstört wurden fast sämtliche Warenzeichenakten (ca. 520.000), Unterlagen über die in Deutschland geschützten, international registrierten Marken, fast sämtliche Gebrauchsmusterakten (ca. 160.000) sowie viele Verwaltungsakten. Vollständig zerstört wurden insbesondere die Sachakten der Personalverwaltung. Erhalten blieben vor allem die Patent-, Gebrauchsmuster- und Warenzeichen-Rollen. Von den sowjetischen Truppen wurden nach ihrem Einmarsch in Berlin am 27. Mai 1945 Patentanmeldungen, die sich im Beschwerdeverfahren befanden (ca. 2.787), Akten über erteilte Patente, von denen noch keine gedruckten Patentschriften vorlagen (ca. 150.000), eine Sammlung der deutschen Patentschriften (ca. 14.000 Bände), Teile der Büchereibestände über wichtige technische Probleme, sämtliche Dissertationen sowie ein Teil der Verwaltungsakten beschlagnahmt und teilweise weggeführt. Als nicht wichtig sah man offenbar die noch nicht bearbeiteten ca. 150.000 Patentanmeldungen an, da von diesen nur Durchschläge vorzufinden waren; die Originale waren in Striegau verbrannt. Die nicht von der UdSSR beschlagnahmten Unterlagen blieben in der Dienststelle Berlin, darunter auch Verwaltungsakten über Rechtssachen, das Patentanwaltswesen, Haushalts- und Kassensachen, und wurden später der Außenstelle Berlin des Deutschen Patentamts übergeben. Nicht mehr im laufenden Geschäftsbetrieb benötigte Unterlagen hatte das Reichspatentamt bereits ans Reichsarchiv auf dem Brauhausberg in Potsdam abgegeben. Dieser Schriftgutbestand wurde im April 1945 zerstört, als das Reichsarchiv nach Bombenabwürfen brannte. Nach dem Einmarsch der Westalliierten in Berlin fand sich die dortige Dienststelle des Reichspatentamts im US-amerikanisch besetzten Sektor der Stadt wieder. Von deren noch vorhandenen, unzerstört gebliebenen Unterlagen, darunter vor allem von den Patentanmeldungen, fertigte die amerikanische "Organization Field Information Agency Technical" (FIAT) Mikrofilme, die in die USA gebracht wurden. Das "British Intelligence Objective Sub-Committee" (BIOS) erstellte Auszüge aus den Patentakten, die in 22 Bänden zusammengefasst der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht wurden. Im Schacht Heringen hatten SD-Angehörige vor der Besetzung durch US-amerikanische Truppen wichtige Patente und Geheimakten (zu 95 Prozent) sowie Personalakten vernichtet. Ein großer Teil der dort verbliebenen Unterlagen, darunter ein Teil noch nicht bearbeiteter geheimer Anmeldungen und die geheime Patentrolle, wie auch der in Lichtenfels und in Bayerisch-Eisenstein sichergestellten Akten, wurde in die USA abtransportiert, unter anderem in das Aktendepot der US Army in Alexandria bei Washington. Das Patentamt erhielt im Juli 1945 die Erlaubnis, seine Tätigkeit wieder aufzunehmen. Als Amt für Bodenforschung wurde es mit Unterstützung der Regierung in Kassel an das Geologische Institut der Universität Marburg verlegt. Seine Akten lagerte man in der Grube Beilstein bei Oberscheld ein. Im Januar 1946 erfolgte die Abtrennung der für die Arbeit im großhessischen Raum benötigten von den die sowjetisch besetzten Gebiete betreffenden Unterlagen. Derart gelangte nach Beilstein das für die Provinzen Schleswig-Holstein, Hannover, Oldenburg, Braunschweig, Westfalen, das Rheinland und Süddeutschland relevante Material. Dem 1949 in München neu eröffneten Deutschen Patentamt übergaben die USA die Bibliothek des Reichspatentamts im Umfang von ca. 350.000 Bänden sowie Fotokopien beschlagnahmter Akten. Das in die USA verbrachte Schriftgut des Reichspatentamts wurde in den 1950er und 60er Jahren in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland zurückgeführt. Größtenteils gelangte das Schriftgut direkt ins Deutsche Patentamt nach München, darunter auch vor der Zerstörung im Schacht Heringen gerettete Personalakten. Die ehemalige Außenstelle des Reichspatentamts in Berlin nahm zu Anfang der 1950er Jahre ihre Arbeit offiziell wieder auf. Diese Treuhandstelle Reichspatentamt - Informationsamt für gewerbliche Schutzrechte wurde 1968 als Dienststelle Berlin in das Deutsche Patentamt übernommen. Die in Alexandria zur Record Group 1016 gehörigen Akten des Reichspatentamts (112 Kartons) wurden 1959 an das Bundesarchiv zurückgegeben, das sie im selben Jahr nach München abgab. Zu den von der Sowjetunion zurückbehaltenen Teilen der Überlieferung des Reichspatentamts gehören 132 Akten, die in den 1960er Jahren von der Geheimen Abteilung des Ministeriums für Landwirtschaft der UdSSR in das sog. "Sonderarchiv" überführt wurden. Diese ausschließlich das Fachgebiet Landwirtschaft betreffenden Akten erstrecken sich über die Laufzeit 1935-1942 und sind in einem russischsprachigen Findbuch erschlossen. Sie befinden sich noch heute in dem zur Aufbewahrung von "Beuteakten" bestimmten Archiv, das heute dem Russländischen Zentralen Staatlichen Militärarchiv untersteht (siehe www.sonderarchiv.de). Generalakten Die Generalakten des Reichspatentamts wurden von den Westalliierten direkt in das Deutsche Patentamt überführt. 1972 gab sie die Dienststelle Berlin des Patentamts an das Bundesarchiv ab (Zugang Nr. I 77/72). Patentanmeldungsakten Bis zum Kriegsende konnten nicht mehr alle Anmeldungen beim Reichspatentamt bearbeitet werden. Die Patentakten aus den Fällen, in denen wegen der Kriegsereignisse in den Jahren 1944-1945 kein Patent mehr erteilt werden konnte und die nicht bekannt gegeben worden waren, wurden zwischen 1945 und 1947 zusammen mit anderen Unterlagen technischer und wissenschaftlicher Art von zunächst militärischen, dann zivilen "Investigating Teams" der Briten und US-Amerikaner beschlagnahmt. Entscheidend für die Auswahl des Materials war das Interesse der britischen und US-amerikanischen Industrie an Fertigungsverfahren der deutschen Kriegswirtschaft. Fachleute beider Seiten arbeiteten anhand der Akten Forschungsberichte, sog. "Reports", über einzelne Firmen oder Produktionssparten sowie kurze Inhaltsbeschreibungen, sog. "Summaries", aus und machten diese der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Großbritannien veröffentlichte die "British Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee Overall Reports" (BIOS) und die USA die "Field Information Agency Technical US Group, Control Council for Germany"-Serie (FIAT). Daneben wurde noch gemeinsam die "Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee"-Serie (CIOS) herausgegeben. Die Veröffentlichungen erregten ihrerzeit öffentliches Aufsehen. Der sog. Harmsen-Report übte Kritik an der "Ausbeutung" deutscher Patente seitens der USA und Großbritanniens. Auf britischer Seite war zunächst die "German Division" der "Technical Information and Document Unit" (TIDU) beim "Ministry of Economic Warfare" für diese Aktion zuständig. 1946 wurde die TIDU dem "Board of Trade" unterstellt. 1951 kam diese Informations- und Dokumentationsstelle in den Geschäftsbereich des "Department of Scientific and Industrial Research" (DSIR). Bei der Auflösung der TIDU 1957 übertrug man die Verwahrung des deutschen Aktenmaterials der "Lending Library Unit" des DSIR. Infolge Raummangels wurde diese 1961/62 als "National Lending Library for Science and Technology" nach Boston Spa, Yorkshire, verlegt. Die Originale der von den Briten ausgewerteten deutschen Patentakten befinden sich noch heute in Boston Spa. Zu Anfang der 1950er Jahre erwarb das Deutsche Patentamt in München Mikrofilme dieses Aktenbestands. Diese 1.000 Mikrofilmrollen kopierte das Bundesarchiv in den Jahren von 1969 bis 1974 auf Sicherheitsfilm um. Diese Filmduplikate bilden einen eigenen Teilbestand innerhalb von R 131. Sieben einzelne Patentakten gab das Deutsche Patentamt in München 1972 an das Bundesarchiv ab. Im Jahr 1975 wurden 243 sogenannte "Erteilungsakten" des Reichspatentamts mit der Genehmigung des Bundesarchivs in der Dienststelle Berlin des Deutschen Patentamts kassiert. Mehrere Kartons mit Patentanmeldungsunterlagen gelangten nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg in die DDR, vermutlich in das Zentrale Staatsarchiv der DDR (ZStA) in Potsdam, wo sie zunächst wohl nicht weiter bearbeitet, d.h. auch nicht erschlossen wurden. In Ermangelung entsprechender Dokumentation lässt sich der Zeitpunkt, zu dem diese Unterlagen nach Deutschland kamen, nicht näher bestimmen. Russischsprachige Vermerke auf einzelnen Dokumenten lassen immerhin darauf schließen, dass diese Unterlagen 1945 von den sowjetischen Besatzungstruppen beschlagnahmt und von Fachleuten gesichtet, vermutlich auch ausgewertet wurden. Ob sie im Zuge der sowjetischen Aktenrückgaben in den 1950er Jahren oder zu einem anderen Zeitpunkt nach Deutschland zurückkehrten, ließ sich bisher leider genauso wenig feststellen. Nach der Integration der zentralen Archive der DDR ins Bundesarchiv 1990 wurden diese Unterlagen jedenfalls in die neue Außenstelle des Archivs in Hoppegarten umgelagert. Dort blieben sie bis 2010, als das Archiv Aufräumarbeiten durchführte, weitgehend unbeachtet. Vergeltungsakten Eine wenig umfangreiche Überlieferung an Vergeltungsakten (ca. 420 AE) gelangte im April 1973 durch eine Abgabe (Zugang I 26/73) der Dienststelle Berlin des Deutschen Patentamts ins Bundesarchiv. Personalakten Das Deutsche Patentamt gab im Jahr 1980 aus seiner Dienststelle in München Personalakten von Beamten des Reichspatentamts ab, die nach dem Krieg noch weiterbeschäftigt worden waren. Die in München gelagerten Akten waren infolge eines Brandschadens bei der zu Kriegsende erfolgten Auslagerung, von wenigen Ausnahmen abgesehen, zu großen Teilen angesengt bzw. vollständig verbrannt. Die Dienststelle München gab im selben Jahr 1980 ferner "Personalakten verschiedener Behörden und Gerichte über Personen, deren Zugehörigkeit zum ehemaligen Kaiserlichen Patentamt/Reichspatentamt nicht festgestellt werden konnte", ab. Aus seiner Dienststelle in Berlin gab das Deutsche Patentamt 1980 in dreizehn Kartons 859 Personalakten von Angehörigen des Kaiserlichen bzw. des Reichspatentamts ab. Das Bundesministerium der Justiz (BMJ) als vorgesetzte Dienststelle des Bundespatentamts reichte 1980 im Nachgang eine weitere Archivalieneinheit nach (R 131/2720). Aus den für archivwürdig befundenen Akten wurde im Bundesarchiv der Teilbestand "R 131 - Personalakten" gebildet (Signaturen: R 131/1698-2720). 1981 gab das BMJ weitere 29 Personalakten des Reichspatentamts ab, die dem Bestand beigefügt wurden (R 131/2730-2758). 1995 wurden dem Bundesarchiv vom Deutschen Patentamt, München, 94 Personalakten jüdischer Patentanwälte übergeben (R 131/2760-2853). Im März 2004 gab das Bundespatentamt sechs Kartons mit 325 Personalakten von Patentanwälten an das Bundesarchiv ab. Im April desselben Jahres folgten weitere 194 Akten, im Juli drei weitere Kartons. Spätere Nachlieferungen sind nicht im Einzelnen dokumentiert, auch fehlen weitere Abgabeverzeichnisse oder namentliche Auflistungen. Insgesamt handelt es sich um ca. 19 lfm (38 große Umzugskartons). Aus dem Bestand 30.12 (Reichsjustizprüfungsamt) des Zentralen Staatsarchivs der DDR in Potsdam wurden 0,57 lfm (3 Archivkartons) mit Fragmenten von Personalakten in den Bestand übernommen (Altsignaturen: 30.12/2296-2895). Diese Unterlagen sind noch unbearbeitet wie auch weitere 0,14 lfm (ein Archivkarton) an Fragmenten von Personalunterlagen unbekannter Herkunft. Archivische Bewertung und Bearbeitung Das Schriftgut des Reichspatentamts bildet im Bundesarchiv den Bestand R 131. Für die unterschiedlichen Überlieferungsteile wurden in den 1980er Jahren zunächst jeweils eigenständige Findmittel angefertigt: R 131 - Generalakten R 131 - Vergeltungsakten R 131 - Patentanmeldungsakten R 131 - Personalakten In späteren Jahren kamen weitere Personal- und Patentanmeldungsakten hinzu. Organisationsunterlagen und Aktenpläne des Reichspatentamts sind nicht vorhanden. Lediglich ein Aktenplan von 1935/36 (vgl. R 131/446) konnte ermittelt werden, der in Anlehnung an den Generalaktenplan des Reichsjustizministeriums nach Haupt- und Untergruppen gegliedert, allem Anschein nach aber nie in Kraft getreten ist. Das Fehlen von Aktenplänen bzw. von entsprechend aufschlussreichen sonstigen Nachweisen über die Registraturführung im Reichspatentamt einerseits und das Vorhandensein zahlreicher Akten ohne Aktenzeichen andererseits lassen definitive Aussagen über die Schriftgutverwaltung der Behörde und eine durchweg induktive Klassifikation nicht zu. Generalakten Die Aktenverwaltung oblag den einzelnen Registraturen des Reichspatentamts. Vermutlich führten diese - nach dem Muster der Justiz - jeweils Generalaktenregister, in welche die dort gebildeten Generalakten eingetragen und anhand derer neue Aktenzeichen für neu anfallende Akten vergeben wurden. Es ist auch zu vermuten, dass in einer der Registraturen oder Organisationseinheiten des Hauses ein "vollständiges" Generalaktenregister geführt worden ist. Die Vergabe von Aktenzeichen erfolgte offenbar nach Aufgabenbereichen, gekennzeichnet durch römische Ziffern, so z.B. "gen. I" für Patentsachen. Auf der Aktenstufe vergab man arabische Ziffern, so z.B. "gen. I, 1". In einigen Fällen erfolgte eine weitere Untergliederung des Aktenstoffs durch Anfügen von Kleinbuchstaben an die Grundnummer, so z.B. "gen. III, 4 - Zeichen" "gen. III, 4 a - Freizeichen" "gen. III, 4 b - Wortzeichen" "gen. III, 4 c - Wappen". Zahlreichen Generalakten sind Rotuli vorgeheftet, in denen die Schriftstücke vorgangsweise nachgewiesen sind. Nach klassischem Muster wurden im Reichspatentamt zu den Generalakten auch abgeleitete Akten in Form von Specialia und Adhibenda angelegt: Die Kennzeichnung erfolgte durch die bekannten Abkürzungen "spec." und "adh.". Die Gliederung des Aktenstoffes in diese Aktenkategorien scheint dem Wortsinn nach fast durchweg logisch durchgeführt worden zu sein. Eine erste Bearbeitung der Generalakten nahmen in den Jahren 1984-1985 Dorothe Günthner und Johannes Ganser vor. Bei der Verzeichnung der Akten wurden nicht nur sämtliche Aktenzeichen aufgenommen worden, sondern auch auf den Aktendeckeln angebrachte Hinweise auf verwandte Aktenzeichen, allerdings nur insoweit, als letztere im Bundesarchiv überliefert sind. Der Umstand, dass die Überlieferung des Schriftguts des Reichspatentamts, darunter auch jenes der Generalakten, nur unvollständig in das Bundesarchiv gelangt ist; ist an der Klassifikation deutlich sichtbar. Die Klassifikation des Bestands konnte nach der vom Reichspatentamt vorgenommenen Gruppierung der Akten nach Aufgabenbereichen (römische Ziffern) und Aktennummern (arabische Ziffern) in aufsteigender Zahlenfolge vorgenommen werden, ausgenommen die ohne Aktenzeichen überlieferten Akten zu den Patentanwälten, die als Gruppe VI angefügt wurden. Die Gesamtklassifikation stellt sich folgendermaßen dar: I Patente II Geschmacks- und Gebrauchsmuster III Warenzeichen IV Angelegenheiten von Hauptbüro/Präsidialabteilung V Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz im Ausland VI Patentanwälte. Die Klassifizierung der Gruppen I-III und V gestaltete sich dank vorgegebener Aktenzeichen bei der Mehrzahl der Akten nach diesem Raster problemlos. Die ohne Aktenzeichen vorliegenden Akten in den Gruppen I-III konnten relativ leicht nach sachlichem Zusammenhang zugeordnet werden. Eine tiefer gestufte Klassifikation erschien nicht erforderlich. In den Gruppen I-III waren die Akten-Nummern ursprünglich wohl so vergeben worden, dass sie den jeweiligen Paragrafen der Patent-, Muster- und Warenzeichengesetze entsprachen. Für diejenigen Akten, die nicht in unmittelbarem Bezug zu Gesetzesparagrafen standen, sind die Aktenzeichen offenbar in fortlaufender nummerischer Abfolge vergeben worden. Die Gruppe IV hebt sich gegenüber den übrigen Gruppen insofern ab, als es sich um den schriftlichen Niederschlag übergreifender Tätigkeiten des Hauptbüros bzw. der Präsidialabteilung handelt: Regelungen zur Handhabung der Bestimmungen des Patent-, Gebrauchs- und Geschmacksmuster- sowie des Warenzeichenrechts einerseits sowie Regelungen des Dienstbetriebs, Geschäftsgangs, Postverkehrs andererseits. Hier ist - auf Grund der unvollständigen Überlieferung der Akten - eine Aktenordnung ähnlich jener der Gruppen I-III nicht erkennbar. Wegen der lückenhaften Überlieferung des Bestands einerseits und fehlender Aktenzeichen andererseits - meist sind nur Spezialia oder Adhibenda vorhanden, während die Generalia fehlen -, wurde bei der Klassifikation zwar die Abfolge der Aktenzeichen beibehalten, aber im Unterschied zu den Gruppen I-III und V eine archivische Klassifikation durchgeführt, die eine feiner gestufte Gliederung notwendig machte. Die Akten der Gruppe V sind vom Reichspatentamt nach einem Länderalfabet angelegt, die Aktenzeichen auch hier in aufsteigender Zahlenfolge vergeben worden. Die Reihung der Akten nach Aktenzeichen wurde bei der Klassifikation lediglich dadurch unterbrochen, dass die Akten betreffend internationale Zusammenschlüsse, Abkommen und Kongresse, die mitten in der Länderserie angesiedelt worden waren, dort herausgenommen und an den Schluss der Aktengruppe gestellt wurden. Angesichts im Laufe der Jahrzehnte geänderter Bezeichnungen einzelner Staatsgebiete (vgl. z.B. Schutzgebiete) ist zur Erleichterung der Benutzung ein geografischer Index gefertigt worden. Die ohne Aktenzeichen überlieferten Akten der Gruppe VI wurden nach Sachkomplexen klassifiziert. Kassiert wurden im Jahr 1995 die in den Generalakten enthaltenen und Auszüge aus Gesetzes- und Veröffentlichungsblättern sowie bedeutungsloser Schriftwechsel - z.B. über die Verlegung von Sitzungen des Reichspatentamts. Das von Dorothe Günthner und Johannes Ganser erarbeitete Findbuch wurde von Frau Schuster geschrieben. Diese Erschließungsdaten wurden nach 2005 retrokonvertiert und können nunmehr im Datenbanksystem des Bundesarchivs (BASYS) über das Recherchesystem INVENIO abgerufen werden. Vergeltungsakten Dorothe Günthner und Johannes Ganser bearbeiteten im April 1984 den ersten Teil der Überlieferung. Von den ursprünglich 376 Bänden (ca. 1,5 Gefach) des ersten Überlieferungsteils wurden 75 Bände als archivwürdig bewertet (R 131/10001-10076). Kassiert wurden insbesondere diejenigen Akten, die aus rein formalen Gründen abgelehnte Anträge nach der Verordnung über die Behandlung feindlichen Vermögens vom 15. Januar 1940 (RGBl I S.191) zum Gegenstand haben. Bei Aktengruppen, welche die Bearbeitung von Anträgen einer bestimmten Firma auf die Nutzung von mehreren Patentrechten dokumentieren, die eine andere Firma innehatte, wurde, da ursprünglich für jedes Patent ein einzelner Band angelegt worden war, jeweils nur ein Beispielband aufgehoben. Im 1984 entstandenen Findbuch erschlossen wurden der Name des Antragstellers, des Schutzrechtinhabers, die Laufzeit sowie die alten Vergeltungsaktenzeichen. Auf die Nennung der einzelnen Schutzrechtinhalte wurde verzichtet, da sie hinter dem Aspekt der kriegswirtschaftlichen Maßnahmen des Deutschen Reiches in heutiger Bewertung zurück stehen. Die vorgegebene Gliederung in Akten über erteilte und nicht erteilte Ausübungsrechte wurde beibehalten. Diese beiden Gruppen waren wiederum unterteilt in Patente, Gebrauchsmuster, Warenzeichen, Urheberrechte und Patente in einzelnen eingegliederten Gebieten. In der zweiten Jahreshälfte 2008 wurde der Bestand einer Revision unterzogen, da Unstimmigkeiten im Signaturensystem aufgetaucht waren. 270 Archivalieneinheiten, die bei Bestandsbereinigungen aufgefunden worden waren, wurden neu verzeichnet (R 131/10077-10346). Der gesamte Überlieferungsteil "Vergeltungsakten", der nun insgesamt 345 AE umfasst, wurde eingemappt und vollständig neu signiert. Kassationen wurden nicht vorgenommen. Die Erschließung folgte den Vorgaben des Findbuchs von 1984. Erfasst wurden entsprechend die Namen der Antragsteller, der Schutzrechtinhaber, die Laufzeiten sowie die Aktenzeichen der Vergeltungspatente. Die Verzeichnungsdaten zum ersten Überlieferungsteil wurden per Retrokonversion in die Datenbank des Bundesarchivs (BASYS) übertragen. Bei der Integration der neu hinzugekommenen Unterlagen konnte das bereits vorgegebene Klassifikationsschema beibehalten werden. Das nun vorliegende, von Karl-Heinz Eggert und Sabine Dumschat bearbeitete Findbuch ist auch online recherchierbar. Patentanmeldungsakten Patent- und Gebrauchsmusteranmeldungen wurden im Reichspatentamt bestimmten Klassen zugeordnet. Zu diesem Zweck bestand dort eine nach gewerblichen und industriellen Spezialfachgebieten gegliederte Patentklasseneinteilung. Sie diente als Grundlage für die Bearbeitung der Anmeldungen. Der wichtigste Grundsatz für die Bestimmung der Klassenzugehörigkeit einer Anmeldung war deren Zuweisung in dasjenige Spezialfachgebiet, in dem die Erfindung lag. Zur Feststellung der Erfindung musste der Prüfer alle eingereichten Unterlagen, d.h. Beschreibung, Zeichnung, Ansprüche, heranziehen. Falls mehrere Spezialgebiete vorlagen, fiel die Entscheidung auf die am wichtigsten erscheinende Klasse. Zu den Mikrofilmen jener Akten, die sich bis heute in britischem Gewahrsam, in der "National Lending Library for Science and Technology" in Boston Spa befinden, erstellte 1984 Johannes Ganser ein Findbuch, das im Benutzersaal des Bundesarchivs für Recherchen zur Verfügung steht. Die Grundlage der Gliederung des Teilbestands bildet die beim Reichspatentamt praktizierte Patentklasseneinteilung. Diese war für die Briten bei der Verfilmung der Akten indes nicht der entscheidende Klassifikationsmaßstab. Anmeldungen zu einer bestimmten Klasse können somit auf mehreren Filmen zu finden sein; auf jedem Film sind vice versa Unterlagen zu mehreren Patentklassen zu erwarten. Bei der Benutzung der Filme ist demnach zunächst von dem in Frage kommenden Spezialfachgebiet gemäß der Patentklasseneinteilung auszugehen. Auf welchen Filmrollen zum entsprechenden Fachgebiet Unterlagen vorhanden sind, ist der 1. Konkordanz im Findbuch zu entnehmen. Die 2. Konkordanz stellt die Verknüpfung zwischen den Rollensignaturen und den Filmsignaturen her. Die über das Zentrale Staatsarchiv der DDR überlieferten Einzelfall-Unterlagen wurden im Zeitraum 2011-2012 bearbeitet. Sie befanden sich zunächst in einem ungeordneten, um nicht zu sagen: chaotischen Zustand. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass der Kontext einstmals organisch gewachsener Einzelvorgänge empfindlich gestört ist. Begleitende Dokumentation irgendwelcher Art konnte nicht ermittelt werden. Die Unterlagen waren stoßweise in Papier eingeschlagen und mit Paketband verknotet. Diese Bündel wurden geöffnet, die Unterlagen vollständig durchsortiert. Da kein Überlieferungskontext, geschweige denn ein System der Aktenbildung zu erkennen war, wurde versucht, vermittels alfabetischer Sortierung nach Patent-Anmeldern Abhilfe zu schaffen. Anschließend wurden 314 Archivalieneinheiten gebildet, neu eingemappt und signiert (R 131/10347-10670). Doppelstücke wurden vernichtet, darüber hinaus jedoch keine Kassationen vorgenommen. Eine Akte (R 131/10502) wurde an das Bergbauarchiv im Deutschen Bergbau-Museum, Bochum, abgegeben. Ein "Nachtrag zur Nummernliste" für das Jahr 1933 ist nunmehr in der Dienstbibliothek des Bundesarchivs zugänglich (Signatur: ZB 24128). Sowohl die Klassifikation des Bestands als auch die Erschließungsparameter orientieren sich an dem Muster, welches das Findbuch für die Vergeltungsakten aus dem Jahr 1984 vorgegeben hat. Unterschieden wurden die Anmeldung von Patenten und Gebrauchsmustern, ungültige Patente und Hilfsmittel in Form von Unterlagen, welche die Zulassungen ausländischer Patentämter dokumentieren. Unterschieden wurde nach Anmeldern, die im Deutschen Reich ansässig waren, und solchen, die vom Ausland aus ihre Ansprüche geltend zu machen versuchten. Bei letzteren handelt es sich unter anderem um Dependancen deutscher Konzerne im Ausland. Im Einzelnen erfasst wurden bei der Erschließung jeweils: Namen der anmeldenden Firmen oder privaten Antragsteller bzw. der Patentinhaber, schlagwortartig der Patentanspruch, d.h. der Gegenstand des Patents respektive das zu schützende Verfahren, das Aktenzeichen des Reichspatentamts, gegebenenfalls auch die zugeteilte Patentnummer sowie die Laufzeiten der Akten. Das nun vorliegende, von Karl-Heinz Eggert und Sabine Dumschat bearbeitete Findbuch ist auch online recherchierbar. Personalakten Von den vom Deutschen Patentamt 1980 aus seiner Dienststelle in München abgegebenen Personalakten von Beamten des Reichspatentamts, die nach dem Krieg noch weiterbeschäftigt worden waren, wurden nur zwei als archivwürdig angesehen. Der Rest wurde kassiert. Die in den Bestand R 131 integrierten Akten sind vorläufig personenbezogen erschlossen (sog. "Anlage 2"). Bei allen im selben Jahr 1980 abgegebenen "Personalakten verschiedener Behörden und Gerichte über Personen, deren Zugehörigkeit zum ehemaligen Kaiserlichen Patentamt/Reichspatentamt nicht festgestellt werden konnte", handelte es sich bei näherer Prüfung um Vorakten des Reichspatentamts. Die Mehrzahl der Akten wurde für kassabel befunden (untergeordnetes Büropersonal). Lediglich 14 Akten wurden in den Bestand übernommen: R 131/1737, 1754, 1787, 1804, 1942-1943, 1996, 2609, 2000, 2000 a, 2000 b und 2721-2723. Sie sind in einem Vorläufigen Verzeichnis personenbezogen erfasst (sog. "Anlage 3"). Mit den aus seiner Dienststelle in Berlin 1980 in 13 Kartons übergebenen 859 Personalakten von Angehörigen des Kaiserlichen bzw. des Reichspatentamts lieferte das Deutsche Patentamt ebenfalls ein Vorläufiges Verzeichnis mit namentlicher Auflistung (sog. "Anlage 4") ab. Abgesehen von den Akten R 131/2724, 2725 und 2726 waren diese Unterlagen stark zerstört und kassabel. Zu den "bei der Dienststelle Berlin des Deutschen Patentamts befindlichen Personalakten oder Personalaktenteile[n] über Angehörige des ehemaligen Kaiserlichen Patentamts und des Reichspatentamts" existiert allerdings noch eine zweite, leider undatierte, namentliche Aufstellung mit 875 Einzelpositionen, die sich mit der oben genannten nicht deckt. Eine eindeutige Klärung kann erst die Erschließung aller noch nicht in BASYS erfassten archivwürdigen Personalakten ergeben. Aus den nach der Bewertung verbliebenen Akten wurde im Bundesarchiv der Teilbestand "R 131 - Personalakten" gebildet (Signaturen: R 131/1698-2720). 1981 kamen die vom Bundesministerium der Justiz abgelieferten 29 Personalakten des Reichspatentamts hinzu, zu denen gleichfalls ein Vorläufiges Verzeichnis vorhanden ist (R 131/2730-2758). Eine namentliche Auflistung existiert ebenso zu den 1995 vom Deutschen Patentamt abgegebenen 94 Personalakten jüdischer Patentanwälte (R 131/2760-2853). Von den im Jahre 2004 vom Deutschen Patentamt abgegebenen Personalakten, v.a. von Patentanwälten, liegen bisher lediglich zu 519 namentliche Auflistungen vor. Eine Bewertung der 38 große Umzugskartons umfassenden Ablieferungen steht noch aus. Ebenso müssen die aus dem Bestand 30.12 (Reichsjustizprüfungsamt) des Zentralen Staatsarchivs der DDR in Potsdam aussortierten Fragmente von Personalakten sowie die weiteren 0,14 lfm (ein Archivkarton) Personalunterlagen unbekannter Herkunft noch bearbeitet werden. Inhaltliche Charakterisierung: Inhaltliche Charakterisierung Generalakten Der Generalaktenbestand gibt einen Einblick in die Tätigkeit des Reichspatentamts, der von erheblichem Wert für die Geschichte der Technik und die Entwicklung des Rechtswesens, insbesondere des gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes in Deutschland, sein dürfte. Hervorhebenswert sind die umfangreiche Sammlung von Gesetzen und Verordnungen zum gewerblichen Rechtsschutz im Ausland sowie die Akten aus der Mitarbeit des Reichspatentamts in der Internationalen Union zum Schutz des gewerblichen Eigentums. Diese Mitarbeit hatte auch das Ziel, die internationalen Abkommen mit den deutschen Gesetzen auf diesem Gebiet zu koordinieren. Nach 1945 hatte das Reichspatentamt noch partiell weiter gearbeitet, was die Fortführung einiger Akten bis 1951 erklärt. Überlieferung: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 (1946-1951) (1.171 AE): Patente 1877-1949 (187), Gebrauchs- und Geschmacksmuster 1877-1945 (24), Warenzei‧chen 1894-1945 (65), Patentklasseneinteilung 1882-1944 (9), Abteilungsmitgliedersitzungen und -entscheidungen 1877-1945 (30), Post- und Fernmeldewesen, Auslegestellen 1879-1946 (28), Annahme und Anmeldung 1877-1945 (21), Veröffentlichungen 1878-1949 (47), Zivilgerichtsbarkeit und Rechtsauskünfte 1879-1944 (13), Dienstbetrieb, Aktenführung und Präsidialverfügungen 1877-1948 (76), kriegsbedingte Maßnahmen auf dem Gebiet des ge‧werblichen Rechtsschutzes 1914-1948 (49), Zusammenarbeit mit Ingenieur- und Erfinder‧verbänden 1911-1951 (11), gewerblicher Rechtsschutz im Ausland 1878-1944 (13), ein‧zel‧ne Länder 1877-1944 (425), internationale Zusammenschlüsse, Abkommen und Kongresse 1878-1944 (57), Patentanwaltsgesetz, Patentanwaltskammer 1933-1949 (5), Eintragung und Löschung als Patentanwalt 1900-1948 (34), Ausbildung und Prüfung, Berufsausübung und Ehrengerichtsbarkeit 1900-1950 (41), Patentanwaltswesen im Ausland 1894-1949 (36) Findmittel: Findbuch (1984) und BASYS/INVENIO-Recherche Vergeltungsakten Die 1973 ins Bundesarchiv gelangten Akten dokumentieren die Behandlung von Anträgen einzelner Firmen auf die Erteilung von Ausübungsrechten gemäß der Verordnung über gewerbliche Schutzrechte britischer Staatsangehöriger vom 26. Februar 1940 (RGBl I S. 424), der Verordnung über Urheberrechte britischer Staatsangehöriger vom 1. Juli 1940 (RGBl I S. 947) sowie der Verordnung über gewerbliche Schutzrechte und Urheberrechte von Angehörigen der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika vom 22. Dezember 1942 (RGBl I S. 737). Die für archivwürdig befundenen Vergeltungsakten besitzen somit einen gewissen Aussagewert über das Verhältnis Deutschlands zu den USA und Großbritannien, wenn auch beschränkt auf den gewerblichen Rechtsschutz während des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Darüber hinaus ist zu erkennen, auf welchen Gebieten Erfindungen als kriegswichtig und als zur Wahrung allgemeiner Belange notwendig angesehen wurden. Die in den Jahren 2008-2010 nacherschlossenen Unterlagen behandeln vor allem deutsche Reichspatente, die Urheberrechte für künstlerische Werke, deutsche Warenzeichen und österreichische Marken. Überlieferung: 1940-1945 (345 AE): Erteilte Ausübungsrechte: deutsche Reichspatente 1940-1945 (4), Patentanmeldungen 1941 (1), österreichische Patente 1940-1944 (1), Patente Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren 1940-1945 (2), deutsche Gebrauchsmuster 1940-1941 (1), deutsche Warenzeichen 1940-1942 (2), Warenzeichen Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren 1941-1942 (1), Urheberrechte für künstlerische Werke 1941-1945 (7); nicht erteilte Ausübungsrechte: deutsche Reichspatente 1940-1945 (175), Patentanmeldungen 1940-1944 (14), deutsche Gebrauchsmuster 1940-1941 (1), deutsche Warenzeichen 1940-1945 (44), österreichische Marken 1940-1945 (19), Urheberrechte für künstlerische Werke 1940-1945 (73) Findmittel: Online-Findbuch Patentanmeldungen a) Auf den Mikrofilmen jener Unterlagen, deren Originale sich bis heute in der "National Lending Library for Science and Technology" in Boston Spa befinden, sind aneinander gereiht einzelne Patentanmeldungen mit den dazugehörigen Erläuterungen zu finden. Sie erstrecken sich über den Zeitraum 1941-1945. Bearbeitungsvermerke oder Schreiben des Reichspatentamts sind selten vorhanden. Lediglich Hinweise auf Druckschriften, die zur Abgrenzung des Anmeldungsgegenstands in Betracht gezogen wurden, tauchen hin und wieder auf. Diese Unterlagen stammen aus Verfahren, die wegen des Kriegsgeschehens nicht zu Ende geführt werden konnten, zu denen keine Patente mehr erteilt wurden. Dennoch geben sie einen Einblick in die Anstrengungen und Errungenschaften deutscher Erfinder und Unternehmen in der Spätphase des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Man erkennt teilweise, welche gewerblichen und industriellen Zweige infolge der kriegsbedingten Probleme zurückgestellt werden mussten. Der technikgeschichtliche Wert der Unterlagen dürfte nicht unerheblich sein. Überlieferung: Patentanmeldeakten 1941-1945 (999 Mikrofilme) Findmittel: Findbuch (1984) b) Die über das Zentrale Staatsarchiv der DDR überlieferten Unterlagen beziehen sich vornehmlich auf Erfindungen, die mit dem Wirtschaftsbereich des Bergbaus zu tun haben. Es handelt sich um in ihrer Struktur gleichförmige Einzelfall-Vorgänge, denen in der Regel allerdings die Anlagen abhanden gekommen sind, die zur Erteilung von Patenten herangezogen werden mussten. Ein Teil dieser Anlagen sind vermutlich die als "Hilfsmittel" verzeichneten fremdsprachigen Unterlagen. Da die registraturmäßige Ordnung dieses Überlieferungsteils vollkommen zerstört vorgefunden wurde und die verbliebenen Unterlagen zu wenige Geschäftsgangsvermerke tragen, war eine Rekonstruktion der ursprünglichen Vorgänge leider nicht möglich. Überlieferung: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 (314 AE): Patentanmeldungen (249): Deutsches Reich 1878-1945 (211), Großbritannien 1883-1942 (6), Belgien 1905-1944 (2), Frankreich 1881-1937 (4), Niederlande 1915-1939 (2), Österreich 1897-1945 (2), Ungarn 1902-1945 (4), USA 1880-1939 (8), andere Länder 1888-1942 (10); Gebrauchsmuster (12): Deutsches Reich 1913-1939 (11), Ausland 1927-1936 (1); ungültige Patente (7): Deutsches Reich 1877-1941 (4), Ausland: Frankreich 1905-1927 (2), andere Länder 1905-1929 (1); Hilfsmittel (46): Großbritannien 1877-1937 (12), Frankreich 1907-1937 (11), USA 1875-1938 (20), andere Länder 1894-1939 (3) Findmittel: Online-Findbuch Personalakten Der Teilbestand umfasst Personalakten von Mitarbeitern des Reichspatentamts sowie von Patentanwälten. Zu letzteren zählen 84 jüdische Anwälte, denen man ihrer Abstammung wegen die Zulassung entzog und die entsprechend 1933 bzw. 1938 aus der im Patentamt geführten Anwaltsliste gelöscht wurden. Überlieferung: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 (1.155 AE), 19,71 lfm unbearbeitet Umfang: Gesamt: ca. 100 lfm und 999 Mikrofilme Generalakten: 44,9 lfm - 1.171 AE (R 131/1-1205) Vergeltungsakten: 3,7 lfm - 345 AE (R 131/10001-10346) Patentanmeldungen: 314 AE (R 131/10347-10670) und 999 Mikrofilmrollen (R 131/EC 3317-EC 4316) Personalakten: 28,11 lfm - 1.155 AE (R 131/1698-2853) 19,71 lfm unbearbeitet "Erteilungsakten": 0,14 lfm unbearbeitet Gesamtlaufzeit des Bestands: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 (1946-1951) Teilbestände: Generalakten: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 (1946-1951) Vergeltungsakten: 1940-1945 Patentanmeldungsakten: Filme 1941-1945 Akten (1877-1918) 1919-1945 Personalakten: (1877-1918) 1919-1945 Erschließungszustand (Überblick): Generalakten: Findbuch (1984) und BASYS/INVENIO-Recherche Patentanmeldungsakten: Findbuch (1984) zu den Filmen, Online-Findbuch zu den Akten Vergeltungsakten: Online-Findbuch Personalakten: Vorläufige Verzeichnisse Hinweis: Online-Findmittel liegen bisher nur zu den Vergeltungs- und den nicht verfilmten Patentanmeldungsakten vor. Erschließungszustand: Erschließungszustand (Überblick): Generalakten: Findbuch (1984) und BASYS/INVENIO-Recherche Patentanmeldungsakten: Findbuch (1984) zu den Filmen, Online-Findbuch zu den Akten Vergeltungsakten: Online-Findbuch Personalakten: Vorläufige Verzeichnisse Hinweis: Online-Findmittel liegen bisher nur zu den Vergeltungs- und den nicht verfilmten Patentanmeldungsakten vor. Zitierweise: BArch, R 131/...

Inventory description: Dept. 159 Herrnsheimer Dalberg-Archiv (files, official books) Size: 1943 units of description (= 27 lfm = 201 archive cartons, 2 large cartons, 2 lfm oversized formats - own inventory: 1878 VE, remainder in Heylshof = 64 VE, with sub-VE in total) 2015) Duration: 1445 - 1866 Zur Familie und Herrschaft Dalberg (Note 1) The family of the chamberlains of Worms, later called 'von Dalberg', belonged as an influential family association to the episcopal ministry of Worms. Since 1239 she held the hereditary office of the chamberlain of Worms; this was later associated with economic-financial privileges in Worms, court rights and the Jewish Court in Worms. Since the 14th century, the family has succeeded in expanding various ownership complexes between Niederelsass and Hunsrück, with a focus on Wormsgau. This also includes the expansion of power in the towns of Herrnsheim and Abenheim, which began in the 14th century, through the acquisition of feudal rights and property (2). The dominion complex with Herrnsheim and Abenheim was predominantly surrounded by Electoral Palatinate territory. Around 1460 a castle was erected in Herrnsheim (castle) and a surrounding wall was built around the village; between 1470 and 1492 a chapel of the local parish church of St. Peter was converted into a burial place, which has led to the development of the situation of a small residential town in Herrnsheim, which can still be seen today from the buildings and the townscape. Today's Herrnsheim Castle, owned by the town of Worms since 1958, was built together with the important English landscape garden in two construction phases from 1808 to 1814 and from 1820 to 1824. The dominion of Dalberg is a typical middle imperial knighthood territory. Since the late Middle Ages, the Dalberg dynasty had provided the fiefdoms of the Electorate of Mainz and Palatinate and held important ecclesiastical offices, including the bishop of Worms, Johann von Dalberg (1445-1503). The family split into different lines and branches. Outstanding persons for whom the collection contains material are Carl Theodor von Dalberg (1744-1817, Elector of Mainz, Grand Duke of Frankfurt); Wolfgang Heribert von Dalberg (1750-1806, Minister of State in Mannheim, Director of the National Theatre); Johann Friedrich Hugo von Dalberg (1760-1812, bishop and humanist); Emmerich Joseph Duc de Dalberg (1773-1833, diplomat and politician). In 1883 John Dalberg-Acton sold Herrnsheim Castle with all its interior and the park from his family's estate to Cornelius Wilhelm Heyl (Cornelius Wilhelm Freiherr von Heyl zu Herrnsheim), a leather industrialist from Worms, due to financial shortages (3). Thus also the library stored there and the documents and files of the Herrnsheimer Dalberg Archive of the previous owners were transferred to the buyer. After the death of his father in 1923, D. Dr. jur. Cornelius Freiherr Heyl zu Herrnsheim took over the castle, which he officially moved into in April 1929 (4). In the years of the Second World War the documents were relocated several times for safety reasons and probably suffered incomprehensible, but rather smaller losses (5). Until it was converted into an apartment, the Dalberg Archive was housed in a special archive room locked with an iron door in the castle, then in the library in the tower room on the first floor. When Siegfried Freiherr von Heyl zu Herrnsheim, son of D. Dr. jur. Cornelius Frhr. Heyl zu Herrnsheim, sold the castle to the city of Worms in July 1958 (6), the documents, files and official books of the Dalberg archive kept in boxes and bundles were not part of the sale. However, it was to be left on loan to the town on the basis of an agreement with the community of heirs (in autumn 1959) and an inventory was to be taken before a corresponding contract was concluded (7). This work was done by Carl J. H. Villinger (8), who handed over his summary list with the disaggregation to Dr. Georg Illert on 3.7.1964 (9). The draft of the loan contract was completed to the satisfaction of both parties at the end of 1965, so that there was nothing to prevent it from being concluded the following year. On 19 July 1966, lawyer H. Ramge, in his capacity as joint executor of the will, surprisingly approached the city with the offer that it could purchase the Dalberg Archive and the library holdings of Herrnsheim Palace from the estate of D. Dr. jur. Cornelius Freiherr Heyl zu Herrnsheim (10). With the support of the Landesarchivverwaltung Koblenz, which prepared an expert opinion on the basis of Villinger's list, the value was determined and one year later - in July 1967 - the documents were sold to the city. Thus, the Dalberg Archive, which according to the decree of the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate of 13.7.1961 had been entered into the state register of nationally valuable archives, could remain in Worms as a closed collection (11). A more detailed inventory should then be made, which was completed before the archive was moved to the city archive for security reasons. Villinger had compiled a detailed list of the contents of the 39 archive boxes, the qualitative condition of which was indicated from good to partly very poor, and of the remaining archive documents (12). On the basis of this list of Villingers, the lack of various documents and files as well as individual letters from correspondence series and gaps in official book series could be ascertained (13). In 1980 Siegfried Freiherr Heyl zu Herrnsheim handed over 14 sealed parchment documents and in 1985 his daughter, Mrs. Cornelia von Bodenhausen, another 72, partly decorative documents from the former possession of the treasurers of Worms Freiherr von Dalberg to the Foundation Kunsthaus Heylshof (14). The documents kept there were examined with the consent of the then Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Frhr. Ludwig von Heyl, as part of the project for the Dalberg Regestensammlung under the auspices of Hess. Staatsarchivs Darmstadt microfilmed in Darmstadt in 1985 and included in the Regestenwerk (15). The further written material lying in the Heylshof such as files, correspondence etc. could be taken into account in the preparation of the present repertory (16). Some files, which were offered at an auction in Heidelberg in 1984, could be bought with the support of the Altertumsverein Worms (17). Also in 1994, with the financial support of the Kulturfonds der Wormser Wirtschaft, the city was able to acquire 23 official and accounting books from private sources, which were added to the collection. With the help of this material, gaps in existing series could be closed again. Among these acquisitions was also the inventory "Verzeichnis der Urkunden, Schriftstücke etc. des Kämmerer-Dalbergarchivs Schloß Herrnsheim...", compiled in 1919 by Heyl's librarian and archivist Wilhelm Graf, in which he [until then] had only recorded the documents (18). For the use and recording of the Dept. 159 This inventory, Dept. 159, comprises the Herrnsheimer Dalberg Archive (files and official books), which, together with the other inventories, Dept. 159-U Herrnsheimer Dalberg Archive (documents) and Dept. 159-P Dalberg Plan Collection, comprises the entire collection of the archive of the chamberlains of Worms Freiherr von Dalberg, formerly kept in the Herrnsheimer Palace. As a complex aristocratic archive within the holdings of the Worms City Archive, it is of supra-regional importance. It reflects the work of a knightly aristocratic family with its lordly function and family ties. After the takeover of the material by the city of Worms in 1967, the directory prepared by C. J. H. Villinger served as a finding aid for years. In the archive, the bundles and official books of No. 1 - No. 428 were numbered consecutively and recorded in a corresponding list. While the documents (No. 1 - No. 323, plus sub-numbers (19)) already registered in 1919 by the Heyl's librarian and archivist Wilhelm Graf in document folders with numbers and title entries were initially easy to use, the files and folders with short titles and box numbers contained in the remaining archive boxes were relatively reliably findable, but only vaguely citable due to missing individual signatures. After in the 1980s the processing of the Dalbergian document holdings in Darmstadt, Worms (Stadtarchiv, Heylshof, Pfarrarchiv Herrnsheim) and in other archives had been implemented under the auspices of the Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt, a more precise indexing of the files was started as a further project (20). Dr. Jürgen Rainer Wolf of the Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt processed the documents kept in the other archive boxes of the Worms Dalberg Archive, which were brought to Darmstadt for this purpose. However, only a part of the boxes (21) was opened, and each box was given a number with sub-numbers separated by slashes for the individual pieces contained therein. However, the work did not come to a conclusion. With immediate effect Wolf's finding aid, which also included official book series, had to be used in addition to the directory compiled by Villinger (22). From then on, the use of the holdings was regarded as a particular challenge, especially since there was also a link between the holdings of documents and files. This was because, at the time of the document project, the comprehensive record of documents also included the documents lying dormant in the files, the location of which was then not reliable or only difficult to secure (23). At the beginning of 2011, due to the unsatisfactory usability of the inventory on the one hand and due to the discontinuous and inconsistent depth of distortion on the other hand, the complete new distortion of the file inventory was decided and completed in October 2012. The signatures should not be changed completely, but as many as possible should be preserved and the link with existing old signatures by means of concordance should of course be guaranteed. The titles were recorded directly in the Augias archive program, at the same time the documents were embedded in acid-free archive folders and boxes. "The numbering of the convolutes was retained as signatures and, if necessary, sub-numbers separated by slashes were assigned as soon as the mostly extensive fascicles contained various individual folders. "The official records retained their signatures. "The Wolf's units of description with their signatures (no. 430/1ff - no. 440/1ff) were taken over, sifted through and the existing title recordings were deepened and supplemented on the basis of the newly recorded pieces. "Documents (24) possibly in the files, which were considered in the Dalberger Regesten volumes, were seized with the title admission both over the old signature, and usually with reference to the sequential number in the second volume of the Dalberger Regesten (25). "The further archive boxes not yet taken up by Wolf were continued and listed according to the given pattern, i.e. each further archive box received a new number (No. 442ff (26)) and the individual files, folders etc. preserved therein were provided with sub-numbers, separated by a slash. "The unlisted material found at the end of the inventory was then added with consecutive signatures. "The Dalberg letters purchased on various occasions in the 1970s, mainly letters from Carl Theodor von Dalberg, which had been integrated into the collection at the time, also remained with the new indexing in Dept. 159. " The documents kept at Kunsthaus Heylshof were recorded and selected pieces digitized (27). The digital copies were integrated in the Worms Municipal Archives into the collection of Dept. 159, since the pieces of their provenance can be attributed to the former Herrnsheim Dalberg Archive. In the case of the originals, the signatures of the city archives were noted, while the numbering used in the Heylshof (28) was recorded as an "old signature" in the title recording. This enables targeted access to the originals at Heylshof if required. "Within the scope of the registration work also the files of Dept. 159 N were dissolved (29) and inserted into Dept. 159 (now Dept. 159 No. 852 - No. 884). These are files, correspondence and family papers (mainly on the Petersau donation and the Tascher affair), which obviously also belonged to the Dalberg Archive in the past. These once formed the inventory of Dept. 158 of Dalberg, which must have existed before 1967, about its origin, i.e. (pre-)provenance before transfer into the archive, but no information is available. During the title recording it became apparent that the inventory did not have a coherent structure and that the development of a system would only make sense after completion of the work. The classification was finally drawn up on the basis of the main points of content. The assignment of each individual unit of description to the corresponding classification group then took place in a final work step, after the completion of which a real overview of the contents of the present tradition and its meaning in its entirety could be obtained. Contents The documents that were last kept in the library tower of Herrnsheim Castle before being transferred to the Worms City Archives essentially comprise archival documents relating to the Herrnsheim Dalberg Line. By the marriage (oo 12.1.1771) Wolfgang Heribert von Dalbergs with Elisabetha Augusta nee Ulner von Dieburg (30) as well as by connections of the Dalberger with other families further document and file material was added. The collection of Dept. 159 as part of the Herrnsheimer Dalberg Archive comprises the file and official book tradition, the temporal focus of which clearly lies in the 18th and the first half of the 19th century. The early material (from 1249) is mostly copies of documents. A copy in which a large number of documents were recorded between 1249 and 1469 (31) deserves special mention here. Temporal "runaways" in the 20th century came about through subsequent additions to the holdings. On the one hand, various correspondences and records had been added sporadically at the time of the von Heyl family (32) and on the other hand, in connection with the purchase of Dalberg letters, the corresponding correspondence had been left with the letters (33). The most closed collection within the Dept. 159 is the archive material dating back to Emmerich Joseph von Dalberg (1773-1833). Due to the fact that with him the Herrnsheimer Dalberg line died out in the male tribe, after the death of his father Wolfgang Heribert all administrative matters of the Herrnsheimer line and after the death of his uncle Carl Theodor von Dalberg as his universal heir were incumbent upon him the order and administration of his inheritance including the Regensburg endowment. Furthermore and especially in Dept. 159 there is the diplomatic estate of the Duc de Dalberg with numerous memoirs, correspondence and rich material (targeted collection, own records etc.) on the (foreign) policy of France and other European countries. In addition, its business activities are richly reflected, not least in the activities of the Paravey Bank.

History of the Inventory Designer: Tasks and Organization Essentially follows: (1) Jany, Curt: History of the Prussian Army from the 15th century to 1914, 2nd ed. Edition (= Die Königlich Preußische Armee und das Deutsche Reichsheer 1807 bis 1914, vol. 4), Osnabrück 1967, pp. 294-296. (2) Cron, Hermann: Geschichte des deutschen Armeres im Weltkriege 1914 bis 1918, Berlin 1937, pp. 3-23. (3) PH 3/124 Die Organisation des Großen Generalstabes 1803-1914 (4) PH 3/1026 Die Organisation des Großen Generalstabes (vom 18. Jhr.. until its dissolution in 1919, manuscript by HOAR Stoeckel) (5) PH 3/1272-1273 Graphical representation of the development of the organisation of the Great General Staff 1802-1914 (6) PH 3/310 First introduction to the organisation and activities of the Deputy General Staff of the Armed Forces (1919) (7) Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, MGFA (Ed. by the German Military Historical Research Institute, MGFA) (ed. by the German historian HOAR Stoeckel)): German military history in six volumes 1648 - 1939. Munich 1983 ff, pp. 69-72. (8) Enzyklopädie Erster Weltkrieg, ed. v: Gerhard Hirschfeld, Gerd Krumeich, Irina Renz in conjunction with Markus Pöhlmann, updated and extended study edition, Paderborn 2009, p. 754f. (9) PH 3/3 (10) Waldemar Erfurth: The History of the German General Staff 1918-1945 (= Studies on the History of the Second World War, ed. by Arbeitskreis für Wehrforschung in Frankfurt/Main, vol. 1), Göttingen 1957. 1. Großer Generalstab und Oberster Heeresleitung Großer Generalstab (7) With the Cabinet Order of 24 May 1883, the Generalstab became an Immediatbehörde (Immediate Authority), in fact it had held this position since the Wars of Unification. The General Staff was also assigned independently and directly to the monarch by the War Ministry. The tasks of the War Ministry and the Great General Staff overlapped in part, which occasionally led to conflicts. The position of Chief of Staff of the General Staff was respected, but, apart from operational management in the event of war, it was not endowed with important powers. The General Staff nevertheless exerted a decisive influence on the formation of the army through the training of leaders (the War Academy was subordinate to the Great General Staff), the care for the training of troops in warfare, and the handling of all questions connected with the conduct of a mobilization and a war. His activities included the cultivation of war science education, especially the study and processing of war history, the collection of news and statistical material on foreign armies and the various theatres of war, mapping, investigation and description of his own country. In the peacetime there were no far-reaching changes in the organization of the Grand General Staff, only some expansions due to the increasing scope of the General Staff duties. General Staff of the Field Army and Supreme Army Command (OHL) of the German Army (2) "According to Article 63 of the Constitution of the German Reich of 16 April 1871, the entire land power of the Reich formed a unified army, which was under the Emperor's command in war and peace. In peace, the head of the Great General Staff had practically no power of command and no right of inspection. He merely acted as chief and disciplinary superior of the Grand General Staff. The highest power of command was in fact with the emperor, but in practice it was the chief of the general staff of the army. During the war, the Chief of the General Staff issued operational orders in the name of the Emperor in accordance with the mobilization regulations and was jointly responsible for the management and execution of military operations as well as the other branches of service (ammunition replacement, catering, health, stage service). With the mobilization on August 2, 1914, the chief of the Prussian General Staff of the Army was formed as the "Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army" and the OHL, which was located in the Great Headquarters. The Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army thus embodied the OHL and was always equated with it by concept. On August 5, 1914, the deputy general staff of the army was mobilized in Berlin. The latter remained in existence until 31 January 1919. With the demobilisation, de Große Generalstab resumed its activities on 1 February 1919, with the exception of the positions remaining with OHL. (10) On the basis of the Treaty of Versailles, the dissolution of the Great General Staff was decided and initiated in July 1919. On 4 July 1919 Major General von Seeckt took over the business of the Chief of the General Staff. The name of the service is now "General von Seeckt". On September 30, 1919, the Great General Staff was finally dissolved with the establishment of a liquidation office from part of the central department. The Heads of the General Staff of the Army in Prussia from 1857 to 1918 Field Marshal General Hemuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke 1857-1888 Field Marshal General Alfred Heinrich Karl Ludwig von Waldersee 1888-1891 Field Marshal General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen 1891-1906 General Colonel Helmuth von Moltke 1906-1914 Between 1914 and 1918 a total of four OHLs were formed (8) 1. OHL: General Colonel Helmuth von Moltke, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from Aug. 2 to Sep. 14, 1914 2. OHL: General of the Infantry Erich von Falkenhayn, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from Aug. 14 to Sept. 14, 1914 2. 3rd Sept. (officially from 3 Sept. 1914) to 29 Aug. 1916 3rd OHL: General Field Marshal Paul von Beneckendorff and von Hindenburg, Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army from 29 Aug. 1916 to 9 Nov. 1916. 1918, Commander-in-Chief of the Field Army from 9 Nov. 1918 to 3 July 1919, assisted by the First Quartermaster General of the Infantry Erich von Ludendorff, First Quartermaster General from 29 Aug. 1916 to 26 Oct. 1918, then Lieutenant General Wilhelm Groener became First Quartermaster General from 29 Oct. 1918 to 3 July 1919 4. OHL: Lieutenant General Wilhelm Groener took over the OHL after the resignation of Hindenburgs on June 25, 1919 until the dissolution on Sept. 30, 1919 3. The organizational development of the Great General Staff The organization of the Great General Staff since April 1, 1889 (1) The Quartermaster General was first abolished again, but on April 1, 1889 three Quartermasters (O.Q.) were established. Central Office (from 1890 Central Division) Oberquartiermeister (O. Q.) I since 1 April 1889: 2nd Division Ordre de Bataille (Battle Regulations) and deployment of the German Army Railway Division Railway Section The Railway Section was responsible for the operation and training of the Railway Regiment, subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and of the Airship Division. Eisenbahn-Regiment Oberquartiermeister (O.Q.) II 4th Section - New Formation for the Affairs of Foreign Fortresses and the Preparation of the Drafts of Attacks, with AKO of Dec. 19, 1889 the Department for Foreign Fortresses was added by the Engineering Committee Geographical-Statistical Department (since 1894 an independent Department) German Section - Affairs of the Academy of War and the Training Trips of the General Staff Oberquartiermeister (O.Q.) III 1st Division (Russia, the Scandinavian states, Austria, the Balkans, etc.) 3rd Division (France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy) Division of War History National Recording The position of the Quartermaster General was abolished. Structure of the Large General Staff of the Army since 1908 (1) Central Division 6th Division (Manoeuvre) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) I 2nd Division (Aufmasch) Technical Section (Air Force) 4th Division (Foreign Fortresses of the Western War Theatre) 7th Division (Foreign Fortresses of the Eastern War Theatre) Railway Division Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) II 3rd Division (O.Q.) Department (Foreign Armies in the West) 9th Department (German Colonies) Oberquartiermeister (O. Q.) III 5th Department (Training Trips of the General Staff) 8th Department (Affairs of the War Academy) Oberquartiermeister IV (newly added since 1 April 1894) 1st Department (Foreign Armies in the East) 10th Department (Foreign Armies in the East) Oberquartiermeister V War Historical Department I and II The Head of the Large General Staff Central Department (Personnel, Organisation, Administration) with Section III b (Communications) 6th Section (Manoeuvres) War History Department II (Older War History) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) I. 2. (German Division) - Deployment and Operations Division Railway Division Section 1a (for the revision of the Military Transport Order) 4th Division (Foreign Fortresses) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) II 3rd Division (France with Morocco, England with Egypt, Afghanistan) 9th Division (Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Spain, Portugal, America, German Colonies) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) III 5th Division (Operations Studies) 8th Division (Operations Studies) Division (War Academy and General Staff Service) Chief Quartermaster (O.Q.) IV 1st Division (Russia, Nordic States, East Asia, Persia, Turkey) 10th Division (Russia, Northern States, East Asia, Persia, Turkey) Department (Austria-Hungary and Balkan States) Oberquartiermeister V Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung I (neuere Kriege) Kriegsarchiv Kartenarchiv Chief of the Landesaufnahme and Oberquartiermeister Trigonometrische Abteilung Topographische Abteilung Kartographische Abteilung Photogrammetische Abteilung Kolonialsektion Der Chef des Generalstabes des Feldheeres 1914 bis 1918 (2) 1. General Staff Departments Central Department She was responsible for receiving and forwarding correspondence to the relevant departments, in cooperation with the Military Cabinet for Personnel Matters and Administration. The department was headed by Colonel von Fabeck, and from 26 March 1916 it was headed by Colonel Tieschowitz von Tieschowa. Operations Department The department with the closest connection to the Chief of Staff. She was also the office for his personal letters. It was responsible for creating the conditions for all operational measures of the army: to monitor the organisation and organisation of the entire army and to propose improvements as well as the training, armament and operational capability of the units. The Chief of the Opera Department was responsible for advising the Chief of General Staff, drawing up the operational plans of the General Staff and issuing his orders. During the war the department was expanded extensively. Heads: Major General Tappen Lieutenant Colonel Wetzell (since 31 Aug. 1916) Operations Department B On 18 August 1916, a subdivision was set up under the Operations Department which was responsible for the Macedonian and Turkish fronts. Operations Division II On 23 September 1916, the post of Chief of Field Ammunition was dissolved. The tasks of ammunition and equipment replacement were taken over by the ammunition section in the operations department. Subsequently, the ammunition section was merged with the warfare section to form Operations Division II. Chief: Colonel Bauer News Department, since 20 May 1917 Foreign Armies Department She was responsible for the prosecution of military operations abroad, especially for the warfare of the enemy states. She primarily collected information on their organization and distribution of forces. Division III b Your task was to transmit the enemy's messages. This was done by intelligence officers deployed to the armies and at suitable points in the home country. There were also voluntary or paid agents in neutral and hostile foreign countries and the Secret Field Police in the occupied territories. News material was also provided by the border police and the field police, which also served to carry out espionage. The intelligence and counter-espionage services in the homeland communicated with Division IIIb of the Deputy General Staff, which in turn was subordinated to Division IIIb in the Great Headquarters. The guidelines for patriotic education were issued by the department, as was the press service set up to steer public opinion. Political Department since Feb. 10, 1916 Military Political Department It was responsible for the military political affairs of all states, dealt with legal issues and passed on the information to the military attachés and the written authority on peace issues. 2. the Quartermaster General and his subordinates The Quartermaster General was responsible for all the duties relating directly to the relief of the Chief of the Quartermaster General. operations. This included the entire supply, stage and railway system, field post and administration of justice, field medical services and veterinary services. Generalquartiermeister Generalleutnant von Stein since 14 Sept. 1914 Generalleutnant Hahndorff since 16 Jan. 1916 Subordinate positions Generalintendant des Feldheeeres He was responsible for providing the army with food. In addition, he was the head of the field and troop directorships. With the transition to the positional war, the monitoring of the nutrition in the occupied territory was added. In particular the cultivation of the soil and the necessary procurement of the agricultural machine material and the utilization of the harvest surplus for the field army. Later the industrial use of the occupied territories was added. A new economic department was set up for the West with effect from 5 September 1916. With effect from January 1, 1917, the economic department was made independent and expanded and set up on behalf of the General Quartermaster for the Western Theatre of War (B.d.G. West). He was responsible for the administration, management and utilization of the occupied territories in the West. Besides, he was subordinated: - General Wechselamt - art expert for monument preservation - prisoners of war - and civilian worker battalions - electrotechnical workshop West - artillery and training equipment repair workshops - looting and collecting (until subordinated to a special commissioner) At the beginning, the following positions were also subordinated to the Generalquartiermeister: - Chief of field munitions - Chief of field telegraphy - Chief of field railways - Chief of field aviation - Inspector of balloon guns Chief of field medical services General staff physician of the army Prof. Dr. Schiernig headed the medical services in the entire war zone as the highest superior of the medical personnel. His responsibilities included: the medical service, the care and transport of the wounded, the distribution of hospital trains and ships, hospitals in the homeland. Field Chief Postmaster He supervised the postal system on all theatres of war. The Field Oberpost Inspections West and East were set up to relieve him. Second Commander of the Great Headquarters He was responsible for the security and supply of the headquarters and the control of the sub personnel. He commanded the Infantry and Cavalry Staff Guard, a Land Storm Battalion, a Field Gendarmerie Command, Military Police, a motor vehicle spark station and a telephone department, three balloon defence guns (later ducrh replaced two air defence batteries), a headlight train (later expanded into a headlight department), the field directorate of the Great Headquarters together with the field warfare fund, motor vehicle fleet, field post office, Central Postal Surveillance West with the post office monitoring centre of the Great Headquarters, marketing department and reading hall. Secret Field Police cooperated closely with Division III b. During the war, B.d.G.West also added a number of agencies to the Great Headquarters. The commander of the troops, newly created in 1915, was located in Luxembourg. The Chief of Field Service was established at the end of 1916 and placed under the authority of the Quartermaster General. It served to centralise the motor vehicle formations. After the approval of the Generalqaurtiermeister, he was authorized to give instructions to the motor troops of the army high commandos and the staff figures assigned to the army groups in the west. On 17 May 1918, the staff of the commander of the combat vehicle departments was subordinated to the head of the motor vehicle division. The B.d.G. Ost with its seat in Warsaw was responsible for the utilization of the land in the administrative area of the Supreme Commander East and the General Government of Warsaw. Valenciennes Military Mine Directorate It fell under the jurisdiction of the Quartermaster General in September 1917. The mining administrations of Mons and Valenciennes, which until then had been part of the Metz government, were united to form a military directorate. The German representation in occupied Italy Used in February 1918 in Udine with evacuation of the 14th army. It served to assert German interests in the war spoils acquired jointly with Austria. The commander of the 13th Cavalry Brigade and his staff were to regulate the demand for horses on the eastern and western fronts due to the increasing shortage of horses. He was assigned to the GQ on 31 December 1916. In February 1918 he became the Commissioner of the Quartermaster General in equestrian affairs. Commissioner of the General Quartermaster in Berlin In order to reestablish trade relations with the former Russian territories resulting from the treaties with the Allies, coordination between the central authorities and the General Staff was necessary. He also took over the supervision of the import and export points. Commissioner of the Master Quartermaster General for Prey and Collecting This was created with effect from 1 June 1918. It had already been settled in 1917. He was responsible for the administration of the spoils of war and the control of the services. General of the Ammunition Columns and Trains in the Great Headquarters The increase in the number of formations was accompanied by the technical contraction of weapons, which was created in July 1918. Her task was to use the units, to supervise the technical service in the war zone and at home, and to replace the clothing and field equipment. 3. foot artillery and pioneers were among the special weapons and their technical training was monitored by the inspections. The General of the Foot Artillery in the Great Headquarters He was adviser to the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army on technical matters and the deployment of heavy artillery. In addition, he shaped the training in his home country. He was subordinate to the later established "Inspector of Artillery Metrology" and the "Staff Officer for Heavy Flat Fire". At first he had no direct influence on the general of artillery. This did not change when the OHL introduced the unit staffs "Artillery Generals" instead of "Field Artillery Brigade Commanders" and Foot Artillery Generals to unify artillery. Thus his name was changed to "General von der Artillerie Nr. 1". A month later he became "Inspector General of Artillery Shooting Schools". He was in charge of the shooting training of the entire field and foot artillery in the field and at home. General Inspectors: General of the Artillery of Lauter (until 15 Oct. 1917) Lieutenant General Ziethen The General of the Engineering and Pioneer Corps in the Great Headquarters He was the supreme weapons superior during the war of increasing and specializing formations of the pioneers. He advised the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army and was responsible for the organizational and technical development of the pioneers. The special services of the pioneers, such as the stage-managers of the mine-throwing machine, in existence since the end of 1915, the inspector of the gas regiments created in 1916 and the stage-manager of the pioneer melee means of close combat established in May 1918. In August 1918 he received the designation General of the Pioneers from the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army. General der Pioniere: General der Infanterie von Claer bis bis zum 2. Juli 1916 Major General Marschall von Bieberstein seit 28. Aug. 1918 The Chief of the Field Ammunition Service This was initially subordinated to the Generalquartiermeister. His tasks included coordinating the ammunition provided by the War Ministry in conjunction with the Chief of Field Railways as well as the replacement of equipment on the basis of the reports from the Army High Commands and the Stage Inspection. In addition, he was responsible for planning the needs of the army commandos and the stage inspections and reporting them to the War Ministry. With effect from 10 May 1915, he was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army. This should ensure close coordination with the operations department. On 23 September 1916 the position of Chief of Field Ammunition was dissolved. His duties were performed by the Operations Department. The Chief of the Field Telegraphy The Chief of the Field Telegraphy was settled during the first three years of war at the General Quartermaster. He was in charge of the entire intelligence troops and intelligence media of the field army. During the war the news formations were strongly expanded, which caused the army leadership under Hindenburg to carry out a reorganization. A general of the telegraph troops for the western, eastern and southeastern theater of war was created to relieve the field telegraphy chief. These generals were subordinated to the chief of field telegraphy. A new restructuring of the intelligence system took place, with the head of the field telegraphy reporting to it. A new organizational change was made by the Chief of Field Telegraphy to "Chief of Intelligence" and reporting directly to the Chief of General Staff of the Field Army. He also became commanding general. He was now responsible for organisation, use, training, staffing, replacement, replenishment, technical requirements and all German spark telegraphy traffic. Chief: Major General Balck Colonel von Wolff since Dec. 7, 1914 Major General von Hesse since Apr. 9, 1917 The Chief of Field Railways He was initially subordinate to the Quartermaster General. It was not until his replacement in October 1916 that he was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff. His tasks included the complete railway system and the use of the waterways. At the commander-in-chief east he was represented by the field railway boss east. There were also railway officers at the stage commandos and the stage inspections, later there were authorized general staff officers at the allied states in Constantinople, Sofia, Vienna, and from mid-1916 also at the army groups. Further streamlining of the organization was achieved by the creation of independent railway transport departments based at the Great Headquarters in Kowno and Pleßhatten. Heads: Major General Groener until 31 Oct. 1916 Colonel Freiherr von Oldershausen Chief of War Surveying With the war of positions and the production of a wide variety of maps, war surveying became increasingly important. The head of war surveying was to steer this task. Therefore, the authority was created in July 1915. All surveying units were subject to this authority. Depending on requirements, staff figures for surveying were assigned to the army commandos in the west and the army groups in the west. Chief of the military aviation While one was superior to the army airships, one lay back with the planes behind France, with the captive balloons one was set up in something equal. In order to make the air forces more efficient, the chief of the air force was set up in 1915 with the general quartermaster. He ran the aviators, the airmen and the weather service. On 1 July 1915, an inspector of the balloon guns of the General Quartermaster was created for the air defence, which belonged to artillery. On 8 October 1916, Lieutenant General Hoppner was appointed Commanding General of the Air Force by Allerhöchste Kabinettsordrre and the former Chief of Field Aviation, Lieutenant Colonel Thomsen, became his Chief of Staff. All formations of the airmen, the airship, the air defence and the weather service in the field and in the homeland were subordinated to the Kogenluft. This was directly subordinated to the Chief of the General Staff in October 1915. The head censorship office was also integrated into this, which had previously been the organisational office of the deputy commanding generals. The tasks of the War Press Office were to improve cooperation between the home authorities and the Supreme Army Command in the field of the press, to provide information to the authorities and the press, and to ensure that the supervision of the press was uniform. She was also responsible for forwarding the censorship guidelines to the censorship offices. The press office had contact to all departments, the otherwise usual way of appeal did not exist. In October 1918, the War Press Office was subordinated to the War Ministry. Military post of the Federal Foreign Office The post was established on 1 July 1916 and was subordinated to the Supreme Army Command, but was organisationally subordinated to the Federal Foreign Office, Division IIIb of the Deputy General Staff, the War Press Office, the War Ministry, the Admiral Staff and the R e i c h s m a r i n e a m t . She was responsible for the defense against enemy propaganda and for German propaganda at home and abroad. On 30 January 1917, a "Picture and Photo Office" was set up, which in April 1917 was designated as the "Picture and Film Office". In December 1917, Universum Film AG was founded on the initiative of the Picture and Film Office and used for educational purposes. In January 1918, the Bild- und Filmamt was administratively subordinated to the War Ministry. However, the Military Office of the Federal Foreign Office continued to be empowered to issue directives. The organization of the Great General Staff from 1. February 1919 Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army (9) Central Department Chief of the Landesaufnahme General Staff Departments Department Foreign Army Department (F) Railway Department (E) War Economics Department (Kriweis) Economics Department (W) War History Department (K) War History Department (K 1) War History Department (K 2) War History Department (K 3) Description of the Collection: The Federal Archives have a few copies of organisational documents as well as orders, leaflets and reports from the various areas of responsibility, but also individual documents on events of the First World War and lists of formations of the field army. The Railway Department has received some files on individual projects, and the Chief of the Deputy General Staff has duplicated news from the Surveying Department on the evaluation of aerial photographs. Most of the files of the General Staff were destroyed by the effects of war in 1945 during the fire at the Army Archives in Potsdam. What has remained are only fragmented individual pieces that have been handed down. At the beginning of 1994, a large part of the documents again reached the inventory. These remains were originally kept in the military archives of the former GDR. The stock of official printed matter PHD 7 was dissolved and transferred to the stock. The large-format plans and maps were taken from the files, placed in map folders and attached to the holdings. With the exception of the official printed matter (old PHD 7) and the large formats, the stock was microfilmed. Microfilms are available for use. Content characterisation: Based on the area of responsibility, the collection contains documents on the organisation and distribution of responsibilities, on military measures by foreign states and defensive measures by German agencies, reconnaissance reports and news about foreign armies, evaluation of prisoner testimonies as well as on the deployment, use and strength of foot artillery in war. In addition, there are occasionally reproduced organisational documents as well as orders, orders, notices, leaflets and elaborations from various areas of responsibility, but also individual news about war events from the First World War. From the railway department of the Great General Staff a remnant of individual case files on railway projects has been preserved. The head of the deputy general staff has handed down duplicated reports from the surveying department on the evaluation of aerial photographs. A very small number of copies of the files from the First World War were preserved in the National Archives in Washington. Additional copies of these have been delivered here. Replacement traditions, e.g. of fundamental decrees, orders or correspondence of Prussian military and command authorities, which went to civilian or military authorities of the individual states, can be found in the holdings of the respective competent state archives, in particular Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden as well as Saxony. State of development: Invenio Scope, Explanation: Inventory without increase 37.0 m 1006 AE Citation method: BArch, PH 3/...