As Minister of Economics, President of the Reichsbank, and Chief Plenipotentiary for Economics, Funk mobilized the German economy for aggressive war, with full knowledge of the conspirators’ plans for aggression. Moreover, in these capacities, and as a member of the Ministerial Council for the Defense and the Central Planning Board, he also actively participated in the waging of aggressive wars. Finally, by virtue of his membership in the Central Planning Board, which formulated and directed the execution of the program for the enslavement, exploitation, and degradation of millions of foreign workers, he bears a special responsibility for the war crimes committed in the execution of that program.
LEGAL REFERENCES AND LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO WALTER FUNK
| Document | Description | Vol. | Page |
| Charter of the International Military Tribunal, Article 6. | I | 5 | |
| International Military Tribunal, Indictment Number 1, Section IV (H); Appendix A. | I | 29, 62 | |
| ———— | |||
| Note: A single asterisk (*) before a document indicates that the document was received in evidence at the Nurnberg trial. A double asterisk (**) before a document number indicates that the document was referred to during the trial but was not formally received in evidence, for the reason given in parentheses following the description of the document. The USA series number, given in parentheses following the description of the document, is the official exhibit number assigned by the court. | |||
| ———— | |||
| 699-PS | Letter from Funk to Hitler, 25 August 1939, reporting on economic affairs. (GB 49) | III | 509 |
| *1039-PS | Report concerning preparatory work regarding problems in Eastern Territories, 28 June 1941, found in Rosenberg’s “Russia File”. (USA 146) | III | 695 |
| *1301-PS | File relating to financing of armament including minutes of conference with Goering at the Air Ministry, 14 October 1938, concerning acceleration of rearmament. (USA 123) | III | 868 |
| 1409-PS | Order concerning utilization of Jewish property, 3 December 1938. 1938 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 1709. | IV | 1 |
| 1662-PS | Order eliminating Jews from German economic life, 12 November 1938. 1938 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 1580. | IV | 172 |
| *1760-PS | Affidavit of George S. Messersmith, 28 August 1945. (USA 57) | IV | 305 |
| *1816-PS | Stenographic report of the meeting on The Jewish Question, under the Chairmanship of Fieldmarshal Goering, 12 November 1938. (USA 261) | IV | 425 |
| 2029-PS | Decree establishing the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, 13 March 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 104. | IV | 652 |
| 2030-PS | Decree concerning the Duties of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, 30 June 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 449. | IV | 653 |
| 2082-PS | Law relating to the Reich Chamber of Culture of 22 September 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 661. | IV | 708 |
| 2083-PS | Editorial control law, 4 October 1933. 1933 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 713. | IV | 709 |
| *2194-PS | Top secret letter from Ministry for Economy and Labor, Saxony, to Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia, enclosing copy of 1938 Secret Defense Law of 4 September 1938. (USA 36) | IV | 843 |
| *2261-PS | Directive from Blomberg to Supreme Commanders of Army, Navy and Air Forces, 24 June 1935; accompanied by copy of Reich Defense Law of 21 May 1935 and copy of Decision of Reich Cabinet of 12 May 1935 on the Council for defense of the Reich. (USA 24) | IV | 934 |
| *2828-PS | Interrogations of Funk on 4 June 1945 and 26 June 1945. (USA 654) | V | 478 |
| 2872-PS | Fourth decree relative to Reich Citizen Law of 25 July 1938. 1938 Reichsgesetzblatt, Part I, p. 969. | V | 533 |
| *2962-PS | Minutes of meeting of Reich Cabinet, 15 March 1933. (USA 578) | V | 669 |
| *2963-PS | Minutes of meeting of Reich Cabinet, 20 March 1933. (USA 656) | V | 670 |
| *2977-PS | Affidavit of Funk, 14 November 1945, concerning positions held. (USA 10) | V | 683 |
| *3324-PS | Funk on the Organization of War Economy, published in Germany in the Fight. (USA 661) | VI | 42 |
| *3501-PS | Affidavit signed by Max Amann, 19 December 1945. (USA 657) | VI | 207 |
| *3505-PS | Extract from “Walter Funk—A Life for the Economy”, 1941, by Paul Oestreich. (USA 653) | VI | 208 |
| 3533-PS | Statement of Funk concerning positions held by him. (USA 651) | VI | 216 |
| *3544-PS | Interrogation of Funk, 22 October 1945. (USA 660) | VI | 217 |
| *3545-PS | Speech by Funk, from Frankfurter Zeitung, 17 November 1938. (USA 659) | VI | 239 |
| *3562-PS | Letter from Chief Plenipotentiary for Economy, 1 June 1939, transmitting minutes of meeting concerning financing of war. (USA 662). | VI | 248 |
| *3563-PS | Extracts from German publications concerning Funk’s positions and activities. (USA 652) | VI | 251 |
| 3566-PS | Notes for files, prepared by SS-Scharfuehrer Sigismund, concerning General Manager of German Broadcasting, 1 March 1937. | VI | 254 |
| *D-203 | Speech of Hitler to leading members of industry before the election of March 1933. (USA 767) | VI | 1080 |
| *Chart No. 1 | National Socialist German Workers’ Party. (2903-PS; USA) | VIII | 770 |
12. HJALMAR SCHACHT
The prosecution concedes, at the outset, that although Schacht believed that the Jews of Germany should be stripped of their rights as citizens, he was not in complete sympathy with that aspect of the Nazi Party’s program which involved the wholesale extermination of the Jews, and that he was, for that reason, attacked from time to time by the more extreme elements of the Nazi Party. It further concedes that Schacht, on occasion, gave aid and comfort to individual Jews who sought to escape the indignities generally inflicted upon Jews in Nazi Germany. Schacht’s attitude towards the Jews is exemplified by his speech at the German Eastern Fair, Koenigsberg, on 18 August 1935, wherein he said:
“The Jew must realize that their influence is gone for all times. We desire to keep our people and our culture pure and distinctive, just as the Jews have always demanded this of themselves since the time of the prophet Ezra. But the solution of these problems must be brought about under state leadership, and cannot be left to unregulated individual actions, which mean a disturbing influence on the national
The foregoing concessions should render it unnecessary for Schacht to produce evidence upon these matters.
The prosecution’s case against Schacht is that he planned and prepared for wars of aggression and wars in violation of international treaties, agreements and assurances, and that he knowingly and wilfully participated in the Nazi common plan or conspiracy to plan, prepare, initiate, and wage such wars. The evidence establishes that Schacht actively supported Hitler’s accession to power; that he was the chief architect of the financial plans and devices which made possible the huge program of rearmament in Germany; that he played a dominant role in the economic planning of, and preparation for, wars of aggression; and that he contributed his efforts willingly and with full knowledge of the fact that the leader of the conspiracy, Adolf Hitler, was determined upon attaining his objectives by launching aggressive wars.