Josef Spacil
Encyclopedia
Josef Spacil was a Nazi SS
-Standartenführer
(Colonel), a Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD Niederlande (Commander of the Security Police and Security Service Netherlands), an SS-Wirtschafter beim Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer Russland-Süd (SS economist at the Higher SS and Police Leader office for southern Russia) and the Chef der Amtsgruppe II (Chief of Section II) in RSHA
. In 1945 he was involved with the disposal of Nazi gold
in the Bavarian Alps.
According to the American authors Kenneth Alford and Theodore Savas SS Standartenführer
Josef Spacil was promoted to SS Oberführer
on 20 April 1945 but there is no independent confirmation of this.
on 3 January 1907 to a family of Slav heritage (Spáčil is a colourful and distinctly Czech
surname meaning 'sleeper'). He was raised in Bavaria
by his mother and a stefather surnamed "Aue". In his youh Spacil trained to become a professional wages accountant. Spacil joined the NSDAP before 1933 and was member number 1,200,941. He joined the SS on 10 April 1931 (membership number # 6797) and on 1 October 1932 he was awarded the officer rank of SS Untersturmführer
. The promotion to SS Obersturmführer
took place on 23 August 1933, to SS Hauptsturmführer
(captain) on 9 November 1933 and SS Sturmbannführer
on 9 November 1934.
From 1934 SS Sturmbannführer
Josef Spacil was used on the staff of the Reichsführer-SS
. A year later he transferred to the SS Main Office (SS-Hauptamt). On the staff of the SS-Danube office (Oberabschnittes Donau), he was an SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungsführer or economic and administrative leader used in 1938. Between 12 December 1939 and 28 February 1940 he was assigned to the 1. SS-Totenkopf-Reiterstandarte (the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
cavalry regiment).
On 23 December 1937 he married the Mannheim
-born Marianne Behrens. Over 1943 to 1945 he is alleged to have maintained a mistress named Gretl Biesecker.
From 31 March 1940 his duties were as a staff officer of the Chief of the SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamtes (WVHA) or SS Economic and Administration Main Office under SS Obergruppenführer
Oswald Pohl
. He also served in the SS-Verwaltungsschule or SS Administration School at Dachau
between 1 April to 21 June 1940.
After the Western campaign Spacil served for nine months between 22 June 1940 to 12 March 1941 as a Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD or Commander of the Security Police and SD
in the occupied Netherlands
. On 1 May 1941 he returned to the staff of the Reichsführer-SS
where he remained until 1 August 1941.
At some point during the war Spacil was also awarded the Kriegsverdienstkreuz (War Merit Cross
) 1.Klasse mit Schwertern (First Class with Swords). The award had two variants : mit Schwertern was given only to soldiers for exceptional service in battle above and beyond the call of duty (but not worthy of an Iron Cross
which was more a bravery award).
After the start of the war against the USSR Spacil was attached to the Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer (HSSPF) Russland-Nord or Higher SS and Police Leader for northern Russia
in Riga
, Latvia
, until 15 October 1941. As an economist he was transferred on 26 October 1941 to the parallel off for southern Russia
. From 1 March 1944 Spacil took over as the last Chef die Amtsgruppe II (Organisation, Verwaltung und Recht) des Reichssicherheitshauptamtes or Chief of Section II (organization, administration and law) of the Reich Main Security Office. On 20 April 1944 was promoted to SS Standartenführer
(Colonel
) and in January 1945 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (German Cross
in silver) for distinguished service to the state.
"Spacil's RSHA Bureau II had administered the assets everyone knew had been stolen from those shipped off to slave labor and death camps. Spacil had issued a flurry of decrees aimed at extricating wealth from overrun cities and territories in the East."
As the affective heads of accounts inside RSHA
Spacil was involved in or aware of Operation Bernhard
, although to what degree is still disputed. After the war SS Gruppenführer
Dr. Otto Ohlendorf
(1907–1951, head of the interior division of SD
) alleged that Spacil “...spent considerable effort placing forged British banknotes into circulation for the purchase of black market items in southern Europe.”
Dr. Ernst Kaltenbrunner
, Spacil entered the new Reichsbank building in Berlin
on 22 April 1945 "removing at gunpoint jewels, securities and the last remaining foreign exchange assets held in the vault, valued altogether at 23 million gold marks." The foreign currency was later valued at approximately US$9,131,000.
SS Standartenführer
Spacil and a small RSHA
staff (and their immediate families) travelled to Salzburg
by aeroplane whilst the Reichsbank
loot was driven south. Spacil ensured that his wife got away safely from Berlin
to Bad Ischl
and his personal secretary (and mistress) got away to Munich
.
On 4 May 1945 Spacil met with several leading SS officers, Nazi party functionaries and Gustav Adolf Scheel
, the Gauleiter
of Salzburg
. He was informed of the Russia
n army occupation of Vienna
and the approach of US soldiers in nearby Berchtesgaden
. The following day Spacil met up with SS Hauptsturmführer
Franz Konrad
at the village of Mittensill near Taxenbach
and gave him a substantial sum of Reichsbank
currency.
Some of the cash was apparently distributed loosely to senior Gestapo
and SS officers in the vicinity to pay German
soldiers their wages. In view of the rapidly advancing US soldiers Spacil was obliged to discreetly hide the loot. He gave orders and supervised the burial of much of treasure along the road between Taxenbach
and Rauris
in the Bavarian Alps. On 7 May Spacil encountered SS Brigadeführer
Erich Naumann
(a member of the SD
and a former commanding officer of Einstazgruppe
B) and together they drove to Radstadt
to met SS Obersturmbannführer
Otto Skorzeny
. Spacil arranged to deliver some currency and other ‘liquid assets’ to help Skorzeny pay his men. On 8 May Spacil drove to Fishhorn castle near Zell am See
and met up with SS Hauptsturmführer
Franz Konrad
for the last time.
On 8 May 1945 Spacil changed into an ordinary Wehrmacht
uniform and joined a group of retreating soldiers of the 352 Volksgrenadier Division (352nd Infantry Division (Germany) surrendering to US troops. Spacil gave his name and rank as "Sergeant Aue". However his real identity was soon revealed and after interrogation he was persuaded to show American
Counter Intelligence Corps
(CIC
) officers the location of the buried treasure. Following their interrogation the CIC
described Spacil as "a fanatical Nazi and suspected the former SS officer of having secreted some of the cash to another location but were unable to prove anything.
, Chief of the Security Police. This testimony was later used at the Nuremberg trials
.
After the war Spacil was employed as a clerk in Munich
. An investigation of the prosecution against him in Hamburg
on 8 June 1967 (after his death) was terminated since the investigation revealed no sufficient reason to bring an indictment.
According to the American authors Kenneth Alford and Theodore Savas SS Oberführer
Josef Spacil "established a chain of supermarkets" but there is no independent confirmation of this.
und Chef der Amtsgruppe II (Chief of Section II) in RSHA
SS-Positions: Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD Niederlande (Commander of the Security Police and Security Service Netherlands, 1940–41), an SS-Wirtschafter beim Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer Russland-Süd (SS economist at the Higher SS and Police Leader office for southern Russia, 1941–44)
Dates of Rank
: 1932 SS Obersturmführer
: 1933 SS Hauptsturmführer
: 1933 SS Sturmbannführer
: 1934 SS Obersturmbannführer
: 1936 SS Standartenführer
: 1938 Chef der Amtsgruppe II: 1944
SS Standartenführer der Reserve Waffen SS : 1944
Awards
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
-Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
(Colonel), a Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD Niederlande (Commander of the Security Police and Security Service Netherlands), an SS-Wirtschafter beim Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer Russland-Süd (SS economist at the Higher SS and Police Leader office for southern Russia) and the Chef der Amtsgruppe II (Chief of Section II) in RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
. In 1945 he was involved with the disposal of Nazi gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
in the Bavarian Alps.
According to the American authors Kenneth Alford and Theodore Savas SS Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Josef Spacil was promoted to SS Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
on 20 April 1945 but there is no independent confirmation of this.
Life
Josef Spacil was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
on 3 January 1907 to a family of Slav heritage (Spáčil is a colourful and distinctly Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
surname meaning 'sleeper'). He was raised in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
by his mother and a stefather surnamed "Aue". In his youh Spacil trained to become a professional wages accountant. Spacil joined the NSDAP before 1933 and was member number 1,200,941. He joined the SS on 10 April 1931 (membership number # 6797) and on 1 October 1932 he was awarded the officer rank of SS Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
. The promotion to SS Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
took place on 23 August 1933, to SS Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(captain) on 9 November 1933 and SS Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
on 9 November 1934.
From 1934 SS Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
Josef Spacil was used on the staff of the Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
. A year later he transferred to the SS Main Office (SS-Hauptamt). On the staff of the SS-Danube office (Oberabschnittes Donau), he was an SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungsführer or economic and administrative leader used in 1938. Between 12 December 1939 and 28 February 1940 he was assigned to the 1. SS-Totenkopf-Reiterstandarte (the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
3rd SS Division Totenkopf
The SS Division Totenkopf , also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke...
cavalry regiment).
On 23 December 1937 he married the Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
-born Marianne Behrens. Over 1943 to 1945 he is alleged to have maintained a mistress named Gretl Biesecker.
From 31 March 1940 his duties were as a staff officer of the Chief of the SS-Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamtes (WVHA) or SS Economic and Administration Main Office under SS Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Oswald Pohl
Oswald Pohl
Oswald Pohl was a Nazi official and member of the SS , involved in the mass murders of Jews in concentration camps, the so-called Final Solution.-Early years:...
. He also served in the SS-Verwaltungsschule or SS Administration School at Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
between 1 April to 21 June 1940.
After the Western campaign Spacil served for nine months between 22 June 1940 to 12 March 1941 as a Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD or Commander of the Security Police and SD
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
in the occupied Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. On 1 May 1941 he returned to the staff of the Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
where he remained until 1 August 1941.
At some point during the war Spacil was also awarded the Kriegsverdienstkreuz (War Merit Cross
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
) 1.Klasse mit Schwertern (First Class with Swords). The award had two variants : mit Schwertern was given only to soldiers for exceptional service in battle above and beyond the call of duty (but not worthy of an Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
which was more a bravery award).
After the start of the war against the USSR Spacil was attached to the Höheren SS- und Polizeiführer (HSSPF) Russland-Nord or Higher SS and Police Leader for northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, until 15 October 1941. As an economist he was transferred on 26 October 1941 to the parallel off for southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. From 1 March 1944 Spacil took over as the last Chef die Amtsgruppe II (Organisation, Verwaltung und Recht) des Reichssicherheitshauptamtes or Chief of Section II (organization, administration and law) of the Reich Main Security Office. On 20 April 1944 was promoted to SS Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
(Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) and in January 1945 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in silver) for distinguished service to the state.
As the affective heads of accounts inside RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
Spacil was involved in or aware of Operation Bernhard
Operation Bernhard
Operation Bernhard was the codename of a secret Nazi plan devised during the Second World War by the RSHA and the SS to destabilise the British economy by flooding the country with forged Bank of England £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes...
, although to what degree is still disputed. After the war SS Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
Dr. Otto Ohlendorf
Otto Ohlendorf
Otto Ohlendorf was a German SS-Gruppenführer and head of the Inland-SD , a section of the SD. Ohlendorf was the commanding officer of Einsatzgruppe D, which conducted mass murder in Moldova, south Ukraine, the Crimea, and, during 1942, the north Caucasus...
(1907–1951, head of the interior division of SD
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
) alleged that Spacil “...spent considerable effort placing forged British banknotes into circulation for the purchase of black market items in southern Europe.”
Nazi Gold
Under instructions from his senior officer SS ObergruppenführerObergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Dr. Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
, Spacil entered the new Reichsbank building in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 22 April 1945 "removing at gunpoint jewels, securities and the last remaining foreign exchange assets held in the vault, valued altogether at 23 million gold marks." The foreign currency was later valued at approximately US$9,131,000.
SS Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Spacil and a small RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
staff (and their immediate families) travelled to Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
by aeroplane whilst the Reichsbank
Reichsbank
The Reichsbank was the central bank of Germany from 1876 until 1945. It was founded on 1 January 1876 . The Reichsbank was a privately owned central bank of Prussia, under close control by the Reich government. Its first president was Hermann von Dechend...
loot was driven south. Spacil ensured that his wife got away safely from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
to Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
and his personal secretary (and mistress) got away to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
On 4 May 1945 Spacil met with several leading SS officers, Nazi party functionaries and Gustav Adolf Scheel
Gustav Adolf Scheel
Gustav Adolf Scheel was a German physician and "multifunctionary" in the time of the Third Reich...
, the Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
of Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. He was informed of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n army occupation of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and the approach of US soldiers in nearby Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
. The following day Spacil met up with SS Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
Franz Konrad
Franz Konrad (SS officer)
Franz Konrad was an Austrian SS Hauptsturmführer and as an administrative officer responsible for the Werteerfassung or "valued acquisitions" in the Warsaw Ghetto...
at the village of Mittensill near Taxenbach
Taxenbach
Taxenbach is a market town in the district of Zell am See , in the state of Salzburg in Austria. The population is 2918....
and gave him a substantial sum of Reichsbank
Reichsbank
The Reichsbank was the central bank of Germany from 1876 until 1945. It was founded on 1 January 1876 . The Reichsbank was a privately owned central bank of Prussia, under close control by the Reich government. Its first president was Hermann von Dechend...
currency.
Some of the cash was apparently distributed loosely to senior Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and SS officers in the vicinity to pay German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
soldiers their wages. In view of the rapidly advancing US soldiers Spacil was obliged to discreetly hide the loot. He gave orders and supervised the burial of much of treasure along the road between Taxenbach
Taxenbach
Taxenbach is a market town in the district of Zell am See , in the state of Salzburg in Austria. The population is 2918....
and Rauris
Rauris
Rauris is a municipality in Salzburg in the area of Pinzgau in Austria. There are about 3,150 inhabitants living in Rauris.- Geography :...
in the Bavarian Alps. On 7 May Spacil encountered SS Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Erich Naumann
Erich Naumann
Erich Naumann was an SS-Brigadeführer, member of the SD. Naumann was responsible for genocide in eastern Europe as commander of Einsatzgruppe B and considered a war criminal.-Early life and career:...
(a member of the SD
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
and a former commanding officer of Einstazgruppe
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
B) and together they drove to Radstadt
Radstadt
Radstadt is a historic town in the district of St. Johann im Pongau in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It is located at the confluence of the Taurach stream and the Enns river, at the foot of Roßbrand mountain, part of the Salzburg Slate Alps.-History:...
to met SS Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny was an SS-Obersturmbannführer in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he was chosen as the field commander to carry out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from captivity...
. Spacil arranged to deliver some currency and other ‘liquid assets’ to help Skorzeny pay his men. On 8 May Spacil drove to Fishhorn castle near Zell am See
Zell am See
Zell am See is the capital city of the Zell am See district in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The city has about 10,000 inhabitants.Zell am See is a tourist destination and a transportation hub for the region...
and met up with SS Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
Franz Konrad
Franz Konrad (SS officer)
Franz Konrad was an Austrian SS Hauptsturmführer and as an administrative officer responsible for the Werteerfassung or "valued acquisitions" in the Warsaw Ghetto...
for the last time.
On 8 May 1945 Spacil changed into an ordinary Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
uniform and joined a group of retreating soldiers of the 352 Volksgrenadier Division (352nd Infantry Division (Germany) surrendering to US troops. Spacil gave his name and rank as "Sergeant Aue". However his real identity was soon revealed and after interrogation he was persuaded to show American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Counter Intelligence Corps
Counter Intelligence Corps
The Counter Intelligence Corps was a World War II and early Cold War intelligence agency within the United States Army. Its role was taken over by the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in 1961 and, in 1967, by the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency...
(CIC
CIC
- Organizations :* Chelsea Independent College* Central Information Commission* Cable in the Classroom* Cadet Instructors Cadre, or le Cadre des instructeurs de cadets in French, sub-element of the Canadian Reserve Force* Canadian International Council...
) officers the location of the buried treasure. Following their interrogation the CIC
CIC
- Organizations :* Chelsea Independent College* Central Information Commission* Cable in the Classroom* Cadet Instructors Cadre, or le Cadre des instructeurs de cadets in French, sub-element of the Canadian Reserve Force* Canadian International Council...
described Spacil as "a fanatical Nazi and suspected the former SS officer of having secreted some of the cash to another location but were unable to prove anything.
Postwar
On 9 November 1945 Spacil formally testified against his former boss Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS Ernst KaltenbrunnerErnst Kaltenbrunner
Ernst Kaltenbrunner was an Austrian-born senior official of Nazi Germany during World War II. Between January 1943 and May 1945, he held the offices of Chief of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , President of Interpol and, as a Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS, he was the...
, Chief of the Security Police. This testimony was later used at the Nuremberg trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
.
After the war Spacil was employed as a clerk in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. An investigation of the prosecution against him in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
on 8 June 1967 (after his death) was terminated since the investigation revealed no sufficient reason to bring an indictment.
According to the American authors Kenneth Alford and Theodore Savas SS Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
Josef Spacil "established a chain of supermarkets" but there is no independent confirmation of this.
Summary of SS career
- SS number: 6797
- Nazi Party Number: 1,200,941
- Primary Position:
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
und Chef der Amtsgruppe II (Chief of Section II) in RSHA
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
Dates of Rank
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
: 1932
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
: 1933
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
: 1933
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
: 1934
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
: 1936
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
: 1938
Awards
- Kriegsverdienstkreuz (War Merit CrossWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
) (First Class with Swords) - Deutsches Kreuz in Silber (German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in silver) (31 January 1945)
Literature
- Ian Sayer & Douglas Botting, Nazi Gold (Granada Publishing, 1984)
- Höhne, Heinz. Der Orden unter dem Totenkopf, (English translation entitled The Order of the Death's Head, The Story of Hitler's SS) London: Pan Books Ltd. (1969)
- Koehl, Robert Lewis. The Black Corps University of Wisconsin Press, (1983)
- Reitlinger, Gerald. The SS: Alibi of a Nation 1922-1945. Viking (Da Capo reprint), New York (1957). ISBN 0-306-80351-8
- Shirer, William L.. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Gramercy (1960). ISBN 0-517-10294-3
- SS Officer Personnel Files, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland
- History of the Counter Intelligence Corps: vol. XXV, Occupation of Austria and Italy (Fort Holabird, Baltimore, 1959).
- Kenneth A. Alford & Theodore P. Savas, Nazi Millionaires: The Allied Search for Hidden SS Gold (Casemate; 2002) ISBN 0-9711709-6-7
- Mark C. Yerger, German Cross in Silver-Holder of the SS and Police (R James Bender Publishing, 2002), ISBN 0-912138-87-4