Our  REICHSFILMKAMMER "Leitz" binder

 

 

 

FACHGRUPPE FILMAUSSENHANDEL ––REICHSFILMKAMMER

We acquired some years ago a thick Leitz ring-binder with hundreds of pages of RFK-related documents. Many of the documents, internal memos and directives are on stationary of the “Reichsfilmkammer –  Fachgruppe Filmaussenhandel,” or the “Deutsche Filmexport GmbH;” both located at Meinekestrasse 21, Berlin W15.

Some documents and internal memos originate from Dr. Günther Schwarz's office, but are not signed by him. Some letters etc are signed by Dr. Müller–Goerne and many have "Dr.MG" in their reference code. There is carbon-copy correspondence file copies from Dr. Max Winkler’s office, RFK correspondence sent to Dr. Goebbels or to the Propaganda Ministry generally, etc.

As Dr. Müller-Goerne worked alongside Dr. Schwarz, these documents probably originated in his office. There are documents from the RFK, from the International Filmkammer  (such as Board minutes), film studio correspondence both German and foreign, some foreign studio brochures with German films listed in an annual season; etc. Also, various film studio correspondence about German films distributed in various European countries such as Belgium,  Denmark, The Netherlands, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Böhmen & Mähren, and Greece.

 

 

Leitz ring-binder documents index

(in order of placement in the binder, non-paginated.)

 

RFK – 9. Mai 1941 – Generalgouvernment regulations

        –25 April 1941 – Jüdische Vermögens

Norsk Kinoblatt – Oslo, 30 April 1941

Yugoslavia – German film listings 1942/43, 1943/44 (incl. Besatzung Dora).

Filmtheaters in Europa – cinema capacity, # of cinemas, etc. in each European country,

Charts from Jason Alexander.

Promi – 29.5.1941 Kriegsacheschäden (damage to cinemas in war zones)

RFK – 3 Juni 1941 – Rundschreiben – Film Aussenhandel

          7. März 1941 – ditto

Promi – 1 April 1941 – Aktivierung des deutschen Filmexports – 25 page report

Filmassenhandel – Nov.1937 – Allegemeines Ausführrung über den Vertrieb dt. Filme im Auslandes – 16 page report

Filmaussenhandel – Rundschreiben 9. Dez. 1940 – 6 pages

RFK – Rundschreiben – Dez. 1940 (Filmsteuer), April 1941 (Filmsteuer)

Filmaussenhandel – Rundschreiben 12. Okt. 1920. -2 pages

RFK – Rundschreiben – 16 Juni 1941 – 3 pages

Lothringen – Verordnungsblatt – 19 Mai 1941

Super-Film, Bulgaria – 1941/42 film catalogue German films

IFK – Nov. 1941  Tagung – München Teilnehmer attendeee list

April 1942 Tagung  – Berlin Protokoll

Romania – 1941 – 3 documents / agreement between the Reich and Romania regarding German film distribution, film censorship, costings etc.

France :       – 25 Feb. 1941 – Vermögens Rückgabe

–Propaganda Abteilung, Paris – Jan.1942 Wochenbericht, Filmzensur list of German, Continental, Film and US  feature and short films approved or forbidden to be shown.

–RFK – 23 Sept. 1941 – Schmalfilmverbot in France

–L’Ecran article translation – Juni 1939 – foreign films in France

–Dr. Winkler ltr. -24 Mai 1938 – Dt. UA Theaters in France designated.

–RFK- 11-7-1939 – German-France Filmaustauschabkommen – 6 pages.

–RFK – 5.7.1939 – ditto, Protokoll – 11 pages

 

Greece – Dr.Müller–Goerne trip -7.9.1940 – report on Greek film situation – 9 pages

The Netherlands – 20.August 1941 – Verordnung – 7 pages

Elektrafilm cinema blank sample invitation card – Prag

Croatia – Super-Film 9 Dez.1939  - 1939/40 German film catalogue

Ostmark – 2.6.1939 Anordnung – Dr. Goebbels –  Anschluß film integration 4 pages

Reichskulturkammer          -– 4 Juni 1939 – carbon letter copy

 RFK – 24 Mai 1941 – paper shortage restrictions on lobby cards (AHFs), press photos, posters, Werberstschläge. (strictly confidential)

  Promi – 18.7.1940 – Verbot USA Hetzfilme cover ltr.

                              –12.7.1940 – Böhmen & Mähren Verbot USA Filme

 

                 RFK – Abkommen mit RPL, Amt. Film – 7.2.1940 – 9 pages

                 RFK – Auslandsbesprechung – 11.9.1939 – 8 pages

 

Filmaussenhandel       – 7 März 1940 – Rundschreiben

                                    –5 Sept. 1940 – Mitgliedsrundschrieben – Dr. Hippler article on film producers/directors blaming the Promi or even Dr. Goebbels personally for decisions made that affected artists, film productiions,metc. Rather than taking responsibility themselves. Future cases of blaming therPromi/Dr.G. will be severely dealt with.

 

RFK – Rundschreiben Auszug -20.1.1941 – USA Film Verbot

Bavaria Filmkunst – pay rates for studio personnel, overtime, work hours [no date]

                             – postal regulations about the handling of post to/from the studio – 3 pages

Romania – Information sheet – 15.7.1940 – Bucharest – German films in distribution

 

Continetal Films – memo to Dr. Müller-Goerne on 20.12.1944 from Greven about film export opportunities in Spain and Portugal.

            – Richtlinien für Export Franz. Filme -24.1.1941 worldwide, 5 pages

 

WHW 1939 memo regarding film studio support needed

RFK – Kinderarbeit, 14 Juni 1939 – 3 pages + Reichsgesetzblatt

RKK – strictly confidential! – 13. Feb. 1942 – Raw film stock and film print developing chemicals export rules for European countries –  no raw film or chemicals can be used to copy US “Hetzfilme” and no films must be replicated from countries at war with Germany or any other IFK member countries for the duration of the war.

 

NSDAP memo – 27.5.1942 – Böhmen & Mähren film releases approved for Carl Peters, Feinde, Kameraden.

 Reichskolonialbund letter – 8 Mai 1941 – asking Bavaria Film to allow premiere of Carl Peters as a RKB gala opening.

NSDAP memo – 10 Juni 1942 – further memo on film releases of Carl Peters etc.

 Filmverkauf ins Ausland – various letters/memos/reports

Filmaussenhandel – Rundschrieben  12 Juli 1938, and 11 Aug. 1938

RFK – various – Export film titles 1.3.1940, Film export Verbot  29.7. 1940 and 2 Okt.1940

 Wehrmacht screening problems – heated complaints about Wehrmacht Fronttheater film prints of films such as Jud Süß being screened in occupied countries before the film’s commercial release in local cinemas, thus severely reducing subsequent box office for those cinemas.

Dt. Filme in der Balkanstaaten – 17 Juni 1940 – Foreign Ministry report

Filmaussenhandel – Auslandsbesprechung:  6 Feb.1940, 19 März 1940   2 April 1940 16 April 1940 21 Mai 1940

Züruck Interna-Film AG 22 August 1939 film distribution contract for 78 films

Finanzamt – Foreign exchange issues in Böhmen & Mähren exporting 20 Dez.1941, and as regards Prag film copying costs.

Institut LUCE – 11.3. 1942 ltr.

Germania Film S.A. – Bavaria Film Export, Scalera Film

BALKAN Film S.A. 15-3-1941 – 5 page ltr. suggesting that German films are not meeting the requiremnts of Balkan audiences, who want musicals and romance films, not serious/propaganda films.

Dt. Filmexport GmbH  -– Bavaria Filmkunst Regulations – August 1939

                                    – Dr. Gunter Schwarz – Aufbau memorandum -  6. Nov. 1941

Brazil – report 28.11.1941 – state of play for German films market there

RFK – Slovakia – extension of film distribution contract with the RFK -13 Mai 1941

Copenhagen – Ufa Okt. 1941 – German films in Denmark report

Belgium – Ufa – 3.5.1940 – list of approved films for Belgium

Film export – various scattered correspondence

Arische Verbindung ins Ausland – caron copy ltrs reporting to Dr. Max Winkler in 1938 as to the Jewish ownership of cinemas across European countries.