suggested by such exasperated outbursts as that of Governor-
General Hans Frank at a Cracow conference on December ,
: “I have started negotiations with the aim of sweeping them
[further] to the east. In January there is to be a big conference
in Berlin on this problem... under SS Obergruppenführer
Heydrich [the “Wannsee Conference” of January , ]. At
any rate a big Jewish exodus will begin.... But what’s to become
of the Jews? Do you imagine they’re going to be housed in neat
estates in the Baltic provinces? In Berlin they tell us: What’s
bugging you we’ve got no use for them either, liquidate them
yourselves!”
It is doubtful that “Berlin” meant Hitler, let alone Göring:
The Führer was at the Wolf’s Lair, directing the historic rear-
guard action against the Russian winter offensive, while the
Reichsmarschall’s presence in the capital was equally rare. His
attention was already focused on a two-week jaunt to Italy at the
end of January. No, “Berlin” more likely meant the party or
Himmler, Heydrich, and the SS.
On the last day of July Göring had signed that relatively
innocuous Auftrag (instruction) at Heydrich’s request. In full, it
read:
Amplifying the task assigned to you by [my] de-
cree of January , , of solving the Jewish problem
as rapidly and as conveniently as possible by emigra-
tion or evacuation, I herewith instruct you to make all
necessary preparations in an organizational, logistical,
and material context for an overall unraveling
(Lösung) of the Jewish problem within Germany’s
sphere of influence in Europe.
Where this will impinge upon the purviews of
other government departments, these are to be con-
sulted.