Oral History Interview with Edward Sacks

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Transcript
English
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Title

Oral History Interview with Edward Sacks

Date

February 13, 1990

Contributor

Interviewee:
Edward Sacks
Interviewer:
Philip G. Solomon

Summary

Captain Edward Sacks served with the U.S. Army Military Government in Munich Germany from May 1945 to April 1946, at the Bavarian state level. He details his duties, including his work with displaced persons as well as security measures. He was able to defuse a tense confrontation between a German farmer and Polish soldiers, and investigated several other disturbances. He describes his supervision of convoys that transferred Nazi loot, including gold teeth and eyeglasses and gold currency. He set up an office to determine which officers, banks or insurance companies should be classified as Nazi war criminals and recommended dismissal of approximately 3000. He speculates on why the project was disbanded while he was on leave. In Munich headquarters he saw Nazi Party magazines with full-page advertisements for American products. He talks about conditions in Munich under the American Military Government.

He found two lists dated November 1941 and February 1942 in the Bavarian police headquarters, giving the names of almost 2000 Jews deported from Munich. He donated this material to the Gratz College Oral History Archive.

He was able to help an American bring his nephew, who had been in Sachsenhausen concentration camp to the United States, and mentions his input on how to govern post-war Germany. He returned to the United States in 1946.

SACKS, Edward February 13, 1990

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Publisher:
Gratz College
Number of Tapes:
2
Language:
English
Identifier:
HOHAGC00451
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Copyright date:
2010
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