Disgraceful! Erasing history etc. etc.
4 May 1946
ALLIED CONTROL AUTHORITY
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Legislation Dealing With the Liquidation of German Military and Nazi Memorials and Museums
Directive 30
The Control Council directs as follows:
I
On and after the date of this directive, the planning, designing, erection, installation, posting or other display of any monument, memorial, poster, statue, edifice, street or highway name marker, emblem, tablet, or insignia which tends to preserve and keep alive the German military tradition, to revive militarism or to commemorate the Nazi Party, or which is of such a nature as to glorify incidents of war, and the functioning of military museums and exhibitions, and the erection, installation, or posting or other display on a building or other structure of any of the same, will be prohibited and declared illegal; also the reopening of military museums and exhibitions.
II
Every existing monument, poster, statue, edifice, street, or highway name marker, emblem, tablet or insignia, of a type the planning, designing, erection, installation, posting or other display of what is prohibited by Paragraph I of this Directive must be completely destroyed and liquidated by 1 January 1947; also all military museums and exhibitions must be closed and liquidated by 1 January 1947 throughout the entire German territory.
An object of essential public utility or great architectural value should not be destroyed or otherwise liquidated when the purpose of this Directive can be achieved either by the removal therefrom the objectionable part(s) or by some other alternative constituting an effective eradication of its memorial character.
The appropriate military authorities in each Zone will designate responsible local German officials who will be made and held responsible for the compilation of complete lists of memorials in their jurisdiction which are prohibited by Paragraph I and condemned to destruction and liquidation by Paragraph II of this Directive.
Moreover, should those responsible German officials consider that in any particular case concerning an object of exceptional artistic value, an exception to the general rule above should be made, it will be up to them to submit such a request to the appropriate military authorities for forwarding to the Zone Commander for consideration.
III
On or after 1 January 1947, the retention or display knowingly, of any monument, memorial, poster, statue, edifice, military museum or exhibition, street or highway name marker, emblem, tablet, or insignia, of a type the planning, designing, erection, installation, or posting or other display of which is prohibited by Paragraph I and the destruction of which is required by Paragraph II of this Directive will be prohibited and declared illegal.
Responsibility under Paragraph III of this directive shall be upon the owner or owners of the property unlawfully retained or, in the case of a violation involving public property for which no owner can be found, upon the public official or officials responsible for such property.
IV
The following are not subject to destruction and liquidation:
Monuments erected solely in memory of deceased members of regular military organizations, with the exception of paramilitary organizations, the SS and Waffen SS.
Individual tombstones existing at present or to be erected in the future, providing the architectural designs, decorations, or inscriptions of the monuments, mentioned in paragraphs I and II do not recall militarism or commemorate the Nazi party.
With a view to the preservation of the monuments indicated in paragraphs I and II, alterations may be made in the architectural designs, decorations, or inscriptions which would remove objectionable characteristics.
V
For the purposes of this Directive:
The terms “military” and “militarism” and the phrase “incidents of war” refer to warlike activities subsequent to 1 August 1914, whether of land, sea or in the air, and to persons, organizations, and institutions directly associated with such activities; and
The term “Nazi Party” refers to the former Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei and to persons, organizations, and institutions directly associated therewith.
VI
This Directive is effective upon the date of publication.
Done at Berlin on the 13th day of May, 1946.
B.H. ROBERTSON, Lieutenant General.
L. KOELTZ, General de Corps d’Armee.
M.I. DRATVIN, Lieutenant General.
Lucius D. CLAY, Lieutenant General.
ALLIED CONTROL AUTHORITY
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Legislation Dealing With the Liquidation of German Military and Nazi Memorials and Museums
Directive 30
The Control Council directs as follows:
I
On and after the date of this directive, the planning, designing, erection, installation, posting or other display of any monument, memorial, poster, statue, edifice, street or highway name marker, emblem, tablet, or insignia which tends to preserve and keep alive the German military tradition, to revive militarism or to commemorate the Nazi Party, or which is of such a nature as to glorify incidents of war, and the functioning of military museums and exhibitions, and the erection, installation, or posting or other display on a building or other structure of any of the same, will be prohibited and declared illegal; also the reopening of military museums and exhibitions.
II
Every existing monument, poster, statue, edifice, street, or highway name marker, emblem, tablet or insignia, of a type the planning, designing, erection, installation, posting or other display of what is prohibited by Paragraph I of this Directive must be completely destroyed and liquidated by 1 January 1947; also all military museums and exhibitions must be closed and liquidated by 1 January 1947 throughout the entire German territory.
An object of essential public utility or great architectural value should not be destroyed or otherwise liquidated when the purpose of this Directive can be achieved either by the removal therefrom the objectionable part(s) or by some other alternative constituting an effective eradication of its memorial character.
The appropriate military authorities in each Zone will designate responsible local German officials who will be made and held responsible for the compilation of complete lists of memorials in their jurisdiction which are prohibited by Paragraph I and condemned to destruction and liquidation by Paragraph II of this Directive.
Moreover, should those responsible German officials consider that in any particular case concerning an object of exceptional artistic value, an exception to the general rule above should be made, it will be up to them to submit such a request to the appropriate military authorities for forwarding to the Zone Commander for consideration.
III
On or after 1 January 1947, the retention or display knowingly, of any monument, memorial, poster, statue, edifice, military museum or exhibition, street or highway name marker, emblem, tablet, or insignia, of a type the planning, designing, erection, installation, or posting or other display of which is prohibited by Paragraph I and the destruction of which is required by Paragraph II of this Directive will be prohibited and declared illegal.
Responsibility under Paragraph III of this directive shall be upon the owner or owners of the property unlawfully retained or, in the case of a violation involving public property for which no owner can be found, upon the public official or officials responsible for such property.
IV
The following are not subject to destruction and liquidation:
Monuments erected solely in memory of deceased members of regular military organizations, with the exception of paramilitary organizations, the SS and Waffen SS.
Individual tombstones existing at present or to be erected in the future, providing the architectural designs, decorations, or inscriptions of the monuments, mentioned in paragraphs I and II do not recall militarism or commemorate the Nazi party.
With a view to the preservation of the monuments indicated in paragraphs I and II, alterations may be made in the architectural designs, decorations, or inscriptions which would remove objectionable characteristics.
V
For the purposes of this Directive:
The terms “military” and “militarism” and the phrase “incidents of war” refer to warlike activities subsequent to 1 August 1914, whether of land, sea or in the air, and to persons, organizations, and institutions directly associated with such activities; and
The term “Nazi Party” refers to the former Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei and to persons, organizations, and institutions directly associated therewith.
VI
This Directive is effective upon the date of publication.
Done at Berlin on the 13th day of May, 1946.
B.H. ROBERTSON, Lieutenant General.
L. KOELTZ, General de Corps d’Armee.
M.I. DRATVIN, Lieutenant General.
Lucius D. CLAY, Lieutenant General.
Comment