STEG and the occupation of Germany: Demilitarization as reconstruction 1945–1953

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between demilitarization and reconstruction during the American occupation of Germany by focusing on the significance of captured enemy material. In the devastation of the post-war years, the US Military Government initially used this material to meet the needs of the Displaced Persons and German populations, but this changed as the US Military Government started concentrating on German reconstruction. This led to the formation of the STEG corporation ( Staatliche Erfassungsgesellschaft für öffentliches Gut m.b.H.) whose responsibilities included demilitarizing military depots scattered across the German landscape, recycling these materials, and making them available to the German economy.