Aryanization of the D. Funk Limestone Company, Regensburg

Aryanization of the D. Funk Limestone Company, Regensburg

Description

Front: Tan card with printed black writing. Top includes several handstamps, which are a circular orange Regensburg stamp, a Kalkwerk D. Funk handstamp, and a Detusche Reichspost stamp with an eagle and 45. Beneath is printed black information with filled in black ink handwriting. There are several pasted stamps: leftmost, a dark tan stamp with orange text, then a light tan stamp with the Kalkwerk D. Funk logo, and on the bottom a Steine und Erden stamp.

Established in 1937 under Hermann Goring's oversight, the Reichwerke Hermann Goering was a massive holding company utilized primarily for mobilizing economic resources for the war effort. Started as a means by which to exploit Germany's domestic iron ores, the Reichwerke Hermann Goering soon producing other industrial assets through absorbing industries in occupied countries. The Reichwerke grew into a massive organization with numerous locations and departments involving the exploitation of forced laborers, prisoners of war, deportees and concentration camp prisoners. The D. Funk company was founded and owned by Jews. In an effort to supply the ironworks companies in Linz, Austria, Goring was interested in Funk's limewstone quarries. As part of the Aryanization process, the Funk company was forced to sell the plant for well beneath its market value. The agreed upon purchase price was in fact never paid to the heirs of the company. This "transaction" is displayed in the December 1938 "Klichee" referring to the Hermann Goring Kalkwerk Regensburg. In 1944, the name was changed to Steine and Erden, GmbH, still part of Goring's Reichwerke.