For the Free Germany of Tomorrow!
The Association of Free Germans, Inc.
confident that complete victory will reward the efforts and sacrifices of the United Nations,
trusting that this victory will bring freedom to the German people, which is now oppressed by Hitler and his henchmen, as wellas to the rest of the world,
deeply convinced that the collaboration of the Free German people is indispensable for the peaceful development of Europe andthe world in the spirit of the Atlantic Charter ,
determined not to spare any sacrifice in the struggle for freedom,will strive for the realization of the following aims in Germany :I. True Democracy
The German people will build a free Republic .
The second German Republic shall establish democracy inGermany firmly and permanently, and make sure that Germany never again shall be subjected to a dictatorship of any descrip-tion. The state shall serve the interests of the people. It shallmaintain peace through the authority of law and provide forthe people of the Second German Republic the four freedoms:freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear,and freedom from want.
II. On the Morrow After the Removal of Nazi TyrannyThe national socialist rule shall be completely uprooted.All laws, decrees and measures of the Nazi government andits functionaries, which were aimed at the furtherance of theHitler regime, shall be declared null and void. All the Hitler annexations, including those masked as" Anschluss ", will berepealed. If any foreign territories are still occupied, they willbe promptly returned to their status quo.
Newspapers, radio, and motion pictures will be purged fromthe enemies of democracy. The policies applied to these insti-tutions will be governed by democratic principles.
All Germans , regardless of race, color, creed, or politicalopinion, are entitled to the exercise of all the rights of citizen-ship, except people who have actively participated in the Nazisystem of oppression. They shall be deprived of such rights,for they have forfeited their claim to live under a democraticform of government by promulgating and furthering a totali-tarian form of government. Attempts to overthrow the demo-cratic form of government in the future will be checked byadequate agencies to be established by the government, and allsuch attempts shall be repressed with utmost energy.
The crimes committed by the Nazis and their henchmen inGermany or in the victimized countries will be punished ascriminal acts against the German people and the peace of theworld. A speedy trial of the criminals shall clear the situationand establish a warning example for the future.
Damage inflicted by the Nazis upon individuals or minoritygroups shall be repaired within the limits of possibility.
III. Influence on Youth
The Second German Republic shall educate the young peopleto be loyal citizens of the democratie state. With this end inview, care for and education of the younger generation shallbe completely reformed. Youth shall be taught the appreciationof cultural values, shall learn to believe in right rather thanmight, in tolerance rather than persecution, in respect for the
Aufhaeuser, SiegfriedBaerensprung, Dr. HorstBandmann, Dr. EugeneBernhard, Professor Georg
Brauer, Max
Braunthal, Dr. AlfredFerl, Gustav
sanctity of human life, in the binding force of a pledged word,in the conscientious observation of agreements and treaties.The Fuehrer legend shall be destroyed by bringing to lightthe appalling facts of the Hitler terror.
IV. Economic Democracy
The groups and classes which provided the strongholds forpan- German militarism and imperialism will be permanentlyreduced to impotence. To break their power, they will bedeprived of their economic basis( heavy industry, other indus-trial monopolies- for instance, IG Farben - Industrie- and largeagricultural estates).
The national socialist policy of autarchy, which served thepurpose of war and brought starvation upon the German people,will be abolished. Within the future economic organization ofthe world, the German Republic will work for a restoration ofunrestricted international exchange of goods. The German Republic will participate with all its resources in internationaleconomic planning in order to secure economic and financialstability and protect the nations from misery and from thecatastrophic effects of depression. In her domestic economicpolicy, Germany will try to realize the same aims on thenational level.
V. Return Into the Community of Nations
The German Republic will collaborate without any reserva-tion with her neighbors and all other nations in the reorganiza-tion of Europe . German economic and technical ability shallcreate works of peace, among which the reconstruction ofterritories destroyed by war or plundered by the Nazis shallhave priority. The German Republic will consider it a properand natural task to participate in this effort of reconstructionwith all available resources. The supply of goods and servicesfor this purpose must be so organized as to make all profiteer-ing by individuals or groups impossible.
In order to safeguard the common interests of Europe , theGerman Republic will fit the solution of her own economic andtransportation problems into a plan for the whole continent.The Republic will make sure that Germany 's production andtransportation system will never again serve purposes ofaggression.
The German Republic will carry out the complete disarma-ment and demilitarization of the German people, as the primarycondition for the establishment and protection of peace whichall nations desire.
The new German Republic shall take its place in the familyof nations as a state based on law and shall participate in themeasures to safeguard the peace, for the good of the German people and all mankind.
The Members of the Association of Free Germans, Inc.
Forell, Rev. Frederick J.Geyer, Anna
Glaser, Dr. Kurt S.
Grzesinski, Albert C.
Hansen, Richard
Hirschfeld, Dr. KurtJungnitsch, Siegfried
Katz, Dr. RudolfKesten, HermannKrueger, Dr. ErichMarck, Dr. SiegfriedMisch, Dr. CarlPeiser, Dr. WernerSeger, Gerhart H.
This Declaration has been signed furthermore by:
Biermann, Berthold( Cleveland , Ohio )Borchardt, Dr. Hermann( New York City )Gassner, Joe( New York City )Hirsch, Dr. Leopold( New Orleans , La .)Jacobson, Dr. Walter( New York City )Juliusburger, Dr. Otto( New York City )Karsen, Dr. Fritz ( New York City )Kempner, Dr. Robert( Philadelphia , Pa.)
Kleemann, Dr. Erich( New York City )Landauer, Dr. Karl( Berkeley, Cal.)Leeb, Rudolph( New York City )Lorch, Dr. Alexander( New York City )Naumann, Dr. Robert( Baltimore , Md .)Polgar, Alfred( Beverly Hills , Cal.)Reach, William( New York City )Reisner, Else( Wilmington, Del.)