Reich debt administration

Former Reich debt management in Oranienstrasse in Berlin-Kreuzberg , today the headquarters of Berliner Immobilienmanagement GmbH

The Reich debt administration goes back to the Prussian main administration of the national debt , which was founded in 1820. With the establishment of the North German Confederation in 1867 and the German Empire in 1871, the authority also took on debt management for the respective federal territory. It was controlled by a Prussian debt commission or a Reich debt commission . By renaming the old head office, the Reich debt administration was established in 1900.

Prussia

In the course of the revision of the Prussian financial constitution, the main administration of the national debt was founded in 1820. This should be a separate authority from all other administrations. Christian von Rother became its first president . After Prussia received a constitution , government debt management was reorganized in 1850. The main administration remained an authority separate from the general financial administration, but was subordinated to the Prussian Ministry of Finance. It has since been controlled by a government debt commission.

German Empire

Siegelmarke Briefsiegel - Reich debt management

Loan for 10,000 marks from the German Reich dated August 1, 1922, issued by the Reich Debt Administration

With the establishment of the North German Confederation in 1867 and the German Empire in 1871, the authority also took over debt management for the federal territory under the name. The authority also took over the conversion of the bonds in the old currencies into the new market currency . In 1883 the Prussian State Debt Register was introduced to simplify administration.

In 1900 the first Reich Debt Ordinance was issued. This summarized various older laws for the taking up and administration of the Reich debt. The main administration of the national debt was renamed the Reich debt administration at the same time.

Reich Debt Commission

The nominal management lay with the Reich Chancellor . A Reich debt commission was responsible for the control. During the German Empire, this consisted of six members each from the Federal Council and the Reichstag . Then came the President of the Reich Audit Office . In addition to overseeing the administration of the Reich debt, the commission also oversees the Reich War Treasure and the Reich Disability Fund. For the last task, the commission was reinforced by another five members. The Commission also had the creation, collection and destruction of Reich banknotes by the Reichsbank to the task. A representative appointed by the emperor joined in for this task .

Weimar Republic

A second Reich debt order was passed in 1924 after the currency reform . It clarified the type of borrowing and at the same time confirmed the authority's independence. In the same year, the new building of the Reich debt administration in Berlin was moved.

Period of National Socialism and the post-war period

After the beginning of National Socialist rule, the right to approve loans was transferred from the Reichstag to the Reich government as part of the Enabling Act of 1933.

Most of the debt register files were destroyed by air raids in 1945. In 1946, debt management was placed under the Allied Military Command. In March 1948, the Reich Debt Administration was renamed "Administration Group for Archives of the Former Reich Debt Administration". In July of the same year, a United Economic Area Debt Administration was established. This resulted in the federal debt administration in 1949 . This was renamed the Federal Securities Administration in 2002. In August 2006 this was finally absorbed by the German Finance Agency .