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History of the Inventory Designer: Introduction Stones do not speak. Much less can or must entire buildings reveal the whole historical truth. National Socialism should work. Building under National Socialism also served this purpose, either directly on behalf of the system or indirectly at least by not opposing it. The enslavement of architecture by the regime was not limited to new buildings of the NS era. National Socialism also established itself in the stock, instrumentalised old buildings everywhere for its purposes. Not even all of the important command centers of the Nazi regime or the main sites of Nazi terror were housed throughout in buildings which, in historical retrospect, could be regarded as having their origin and function at the time. In the memory of the city and in the urban space, places of the perpetrators are handed down as places of the victims, whose role is only revealed in the explanation and commentary of their historical function in the "Third Reich". Prehistory until 1937 In the Third Reich, architecture served to express power and domination. This is particularly evident in the inner city of Berlin. The monumental new buildings in the imperial capital were intended to symbolize "German world standing". Adolf Hitler wanted to see "works created for eternity" in Berlin, "only comparable with ancient Egypt, Babylon or Rome," as he said in 1936. At the 1937 Reich Party Congress, Hitler announced: "... Therefore our buildings should not be thought for the year 1940, also not for the year 2000, but should project directly into the domes of our past into the millennia of the future." Soon after the seizure of power, propagandistically effective building projects were started. These included the Reich Aviation Ministry, Tempelhof Airport, which was to be expanded into a "world airport", and the Reich Sports Field, which was to be expanded and redesigned with a view to the Olympic Games. The powerful buildings were presented to the public with great journalistic effort. At the 1936 Reich Party Congress in Nuremberg, Hitler announced the "reconstruction of Berlin as the capital of the German Reich". Hitler had initially intended to have his plans for the reorganization of the inner-city area processed by the Berlin city administration. When he realised that the local authorities were reluctant to impose his far-reaching transformation fantasies, he changed the responsibilities for planning and building in the capital. On 30 January 1937, the young architect Albert Speer was appointed general building inspector for the redevelopment of the imperial capital (GBI), reporting directly to the "Führer". Organization and history from 1937 A few days after Speer's appointment, Hitler ordered the House of the Academy of Arts at Pariser Platz No. 4, which until then had belonged to the office of the Minister of Education, to be vacated for the office of the General Building Inspector. Within a year and a half, the GBI's planning staff alone grew to eighty-seven people, while the so-called implementing body employed the same number of staff. Speer appointed a number of equally competent and reliable people to the executive positions in the three main departments into which he divided the office: the head office, which administered the budget, was taken over by the financial expert Karl Maria Hettlage, the general site manager Walter Brugmann, who had got to know Speer in Nuremberg, and for the planning office, since it was objectively most important to him, he, in addition to Hans Stephan, called on two long-standing friends, Rudolf Wolters and Willi Schelkes, who had been associated with him since days of study. The Speers offices, which had been established successively since 1937, were not divided into three main offices until mid-1940 under the central management of the GBI. After his appointment to the GBI, Speer expanded his planning staff to the "office" of the GBI. This later Main Office I, Planning Office, was responsible for all planning matters, ordered more than one hundred areas of redesign by 1942 and set the respective clearance dates. From 1938, Jewish tenants were forced to cancel their tenancy agreements on the basis of the "Verordnung über den Einsatz des jüdischen Vermögens" (Ordinance on the Use of Jewish Property); they were admitted to Jewish houses and later to concentration camps. For the "resettlement" of Jews and the reassignment of the apartments, the GBI's "Implementation Office" had been set up under the direction of Karl Maria Hettlage. In this way about 18,000 apartments were requisitioned. Areas from which the Jews were completely expelled were described as "Jew-free". The number of buildings erected during the twelve years of National Socialist rule between 1933 and 1945 is surprisingly high, especially since it must be remembered that only six years were available during the Second World War. In November 1939, a ban on new construction was imposed due to the war, which was followed half a year later by the discontinuation of all construction measures not necessary for the war. The GBI was established by the Decree of 30 January 1937. The office itself was assigned to Albert Speer, who from 1934 was "the representative for construction in the staff of the deputy of the Führer" and as such had already established some Nazi party buildings, especially in Nuremberg. At first, the GBI's competence did not extend beyond Berlin and its immediate surroundings. The "Gesetz über die Neugestaltung deutscher Städte" of 4 Oct. 1937 does not yet contain a more detailed provision on the "agency commissioned" by Hitler himself to carry out these projects. Only in this way was it possible for a special "General Building Council for the Capital of the Movement" to be appointed to Munich by decree of 21 Dec. 1938 and for this office to be occupied by the NS party architect Paul Giesler; Giesler was also commissioned with the establishment of NS party buildings in Augsburg and Weimar. It was not until the third decree on the GBI of 18 Oct 1940 that the competence of the GBI was significantly extended. The latter was expressly declared a "commissioned body" within the meaning of the Act on the Redevelopment of German Cities. In the years 1938 to 1942, a total of 32 cities in the former Reich territory were included in the new planning on the basis of the law of 4 Oct. 1937 by decrees and ordinances promulgated in the Reichsgesetzblatt. As of the end of 1942, the progress of all urban development plans of a peace-related nature was completely halted, since tasks important to the war awaited solution and Speer himself had been largely involved in them since his appointment as Reich Minister for Armament and Munitions on 15 February 1942 and on 2 September 1943 as Reich Minister for Armament and War Production. With the decree of 11 Oct. 1943 on the preparation of the reconstruction of bomb-damaged cities, Speer was entrusted with the necessary tasks in his capacity as GBI. He had to determine the framework for the future design of the cities and the right to decide on urban development issues of the reconstruction cities in place of the Reich Minister of Labour. The elimination of the Reich Labour Minister, to whom Speer had previously been bound as GBI despite his direct subordination under Hitler, was above all a consequence of Speer's present position as Reich Minister. Inventory description: Inventory history In Germany, the General Building Inspector's collection for the imperial capital is divided into three archives: the Bundesarchiv, the Landesarchiv Berlin and the Bayerische Hauptstaatsarchiv Munich. A total of three finding aids were available in the Federal Archives for the inventory R 4606 General Building Inspector for the Imperial Capital. The holdings were brought together from Potsdam and Koblenz at the beginning of the 1990s and have since been known as R 4606 General Building Inspector for the Imperial Capital. In the Landesarchiv Berlin there are 1016 files as well as in the planning chamber there 1,000 sheets of the GBI under the signature A Pr.Br.Rep. 107 from the years (1935) 1937 to 1945. In addition there are files of the grave commissioner active since July 1932 and last on his behalf, the former social democratic government president Ernst von Harnack. The card index of the graves of important personalities, arranged according to city districts and cemeteries, was intended to prepare the construction of an honorary cemetery "to express the spiritual significance of the imperial capital" (148 vols., 1941-1943). With the provenance indication "Baubüro Speer", the Hauptstaatsarchiv Munich contains more than 3,000 plans for buildings mainly in Berlin (including the Reich Chancellery, Reichstag, "Haus des Führers", "Große Halle"), the party congress grounds in Nuremberg and others. Furthermore, the special archive in Moscow contains a collection of 86 files of various contents from the years 1920 to 1944 under the title Fond 1409 General Building Inspector for the Reich Capital, e.g. on the use of prisoners of war at the GBI or correspondence between Speers and authorities and private individuals. Archival evaluation and processing Before 1990, the holdings were processed both in Potsdam with the inventory designation R 46.06 and in Koblenz (R 120) up to the preparation of the finding aid book. With the merging of the holdings mentioned above, the Koblenz files received new signatures. In view of the great public interest in information from this archive stock, it was decided in 2008 to retro-convert the finding aids with the aim of publishing them on the Internet. 177 files from a transfer of files from the Bamberg State Archives from the 1980s, which deal with the construction of the High Command of the Army and the Soldiers' Hall, were indexed and subsequently recorded. In 2008, the 29 files of the head of department at GBI, Schelkes' estate documents under the previous name "Kleine Erwerbungen Nr. 864" were also added. A further takeover included the "Art in the Third Reich" component, which had been incorporated into the archives, from which 38 index units of maps and plans were allocated to the holdings and listed. The archives were already taken over by the GDR Department in 1997. However, they have not been added to the portfolio due to equal signatures, but have been managed as an extra bundle without a direct reference to the portfolio. The classifications found were largely adopted and summarised in a factual manner. The development data available up to then were partly modified and series and volume sequences formed. The internal order of the files has been maintained. The inventory has already been moved from standing folders to folders. The maps are stored in specially designed folders and cabinets. Characterization of content: Office Speer 1937-1944 (111); files of leading employees (as far as not objectively assigned) 1937-1944 (59); Main Office Administration and Economy: General Administration: Administration of services 1937-1945 (99), General administration 1932-1945 (442), Land and building matters 1937-1945 (71), Procurement and inventory management 1937-1945 (4), Budget matters 1937-1945 (299), Accounting 1938-1944 (17), Secret files (chronological) 1938-1945 (34), Examination office 1940-1945 (56), Treasury 1938-1945 (91), Other financial and administrative matters 1939-1945 (11). Personnel 1938-1943 (152), Law 1937-1945 (51), Housing issues (evacuation and resettlement), 1937-1945 (50), Quota administration 1939-1945 (80); Planning office: Plankammer 1937-1943 (15), Competitions exhibitions and collections 1934-1942 (44), Area declarations 1938-1944 (64), Individual construction planning areas: General 1937-1945 (133), armament expansion 1939-1943 (43), Wehrmacht installations 1937-1944 (98), Reich Air Ministry Airports 1937-1940 (31), traffic 1934-1943 (402), buildings and installations 1935-1944 (567), Authorities and organisations 1936-1944 (428), industrial buildings 1936-1944 (402), residential buildings in individual administrative districts of Berlin and the surrounding area 1936-1944 (405), other planning projects 1938-1944 (7), construction projects outside Berlin 1936-1943 (164); Implementation office for the redesign of the imperial capital 1938-1944(19); general construction management: Supervision of the army high command: General 1939-1945 (38), individual projects (building blocks) 1939-1945 (150). Construction management 1939-1945 (10), maps plans schematics: General 1938-1942 (11), development planning of settlements and peripheral communities 1938-1942 (20), streets and squares green and open spaces 1937-1943 (50), authorities and institutions 1938-1943 (36), Wehrmacht facilities of the Reich Aviation Ministry 1937-1940 (7), University and teaching facilities 1938-1943 (11), industrial and office buildings 1939-1943 (28), residential buildings 1939-1944 (46), Reichsbahnbaudirektion Berlin 1939-1941 (18), theatre buildings 1936-1943 (260), buildings outside Berlin 1923-1948 (44). Settlement agency: 1946-1948 (1). Citation style: BArch, R 4606/...

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/...

Also contains: Letter from an administration of the Belgian Ministry of War on the validity of army tickets (French language), 1907 3 army orders from 1905/1906 (French language).

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 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/...