Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

Gerd Friedrich Nüske

gelegentlich auch französischer Quellen, ohne allerdings allzuviel von diesen zu halten552. Nur
recht selten bediente man sich französischer Information, oder zumindest zitierte man solche
unverhüllt. Merkwürdigerweise geschah dies aber gerade im Zusammenhang mit der Südweststaatfrage553
. Noch seltener gaben die amerikanischen Frankreichspezialisten zu erkennen,
woher sie im einzelnen ihre Nachrichten bezogen. Es war wohl eine besondere Notlage (Owing
to being tied down to the Office by enquiries, Interviews, and absence of my secretary on leave, I
was unable to go to the French Zone last week and consequently have more questions than
answers on band. 1 plan to remedy the Situation this week), die den French Adviser in Stuttgart
veranlaßte, in seinem Wochenbericht vom 7. März 1949 als Quelle ohne Umschweife die
französische Sürete Nationale anzugeben und - unter der Uberschrift South Baden Intrigues -
aus deren Bericht längere Passagen unverändert zu zitieren554. Vielleicht gerade deshalb war das
so verwendete Material dann um so bemerkenswerter, als hier von einem von Freiburg
inaugurierten Sonderreferendum für Hohenzollern berichtet wurde. Die südbadischen Überlegungen
gingen angeblich sogar dahin, das katholische Oberschwaben an Baden anzuschließen,
um sich so dem nordwürttembergisch-protestantischen Einfluß entziehen zu können! Die
Franzosen aber, so zumindest der Bericht der Sürete, hätten diesem Plan eines hohenzolleri-
schen Sonderwegs kaum Chancen eingeräumt. Dies obwohl angeblich Hohenzollern keinerlei
Autonomie besäße. Hinter alle dem vermuteten die Franzosen irgendwie den Erzbischof von
Freiburg!

Im gleichen Bericht trug der French Adviser auftragsgemäß auch bemerkenswert genaue
Zahlen über den Holzeinschlag der Franzosen in Südwürttemberg und Südbaden vor. Bei der

552 Report for Quarter ending 31 December 1948, from French Adviser OMGWB in: RG 260 OMGWB
3/408-1/21: As regards thepoliticalparties, information from French circles is to the effect that the CDU in
South Baden is against fusion with Wuerttemberg as they feel they would loose their dominant position in a
fusion of the three Laender. However, it would seem that the CDU party of South Wuerttemberg and
Hohenzollern would, on the contary, welcome the fusion because it would permit to join with the CDU of
South Badenwhich represents their cultural and political affinities. The SPD in both Laender is of course, for
the merger.

553 Report for Quarter ending 30 September 1948 from French Adviser OMGWB, in: RG 260 OMGWB
3/408-1/21: A French Military Government report states: A Session of the Landtag, September Ith, was
devoted to delimitation offrontiers permitted President Wohleb again to define bis position on the problem of
fusion. A socialist motion in favor of the fusion was rejected by a small majority of 25 against 21 with 3
abstentions... The most important fact of the Bebenhausen Conference, in the course of which it was revealed
impossible to reconcile the two violently opposedpoints of view (Maierand Wohleb), supportedso stubbomly
on either side, was the personal success of President Wohleb insisting on a vote on the former states of Baden
and Wuerttemberg and succeeding in winning over to his point of view Dr. Mueller, Minister-President of
Wuerttemberg-Hohenzollem.

554 Weekly report (7 march 1949) from French Adviser OMGWB, in: RG 260 OMGWB 12/64-1 /2Q:The
intrigues of South Baden aim that afuture plebiscite on the Southwest State include a special referendum for
Hohenzollern. Does this former State wish to be attached to Baden or Wuerttemberg t Certain Hohenzollern
elements areperhaps, not unhappy about these intrigues, because, in bargaining with their adherence either
to Baden or Wuerttemberg they hope to get some advantages, but the majority of Hohenzollern is none the
less in favor of maintaining the Status quo, i.e. confirmation of Hohenzollern in Wuerttemberg... The
intrigues of South Baden even seem to wanttogo further. They would attempt to attract Oberschwaben (the
catholic Kreise of the Southeast of Wuerttemberg) towards Baden, in arguing that they would thus escape
Protestant predominance of Stuttgart. A few big landed aristoristocrats of Oberschwaben would perhaps
view this combination favorably, but the mass of the inhabitants of Oberschwaben cannot conceive of being
detached from South Wuerttemberg... The former prussian State of Hohenzollern has two Kreis - that of
Sigmaringen and that of Hechingen - totalling only 70000 inhabitants. Hohenzollern has practically no
autonomy and is included in Wuerttemberg-Sued of which the name is >Wuerttemberg-Hohenzollern<. It is
to be noted, nevertheless that Hohenzollern is attached from the ecclesiasticalpoint of view to the archbishop
of Freiburg and not the bishop of Wuerttemberg, which has caused to a certain extent recent intrigues.

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