Research German Military Records (WW2 German Soldier Databases)
The following listing is of a number of important contacts for information on WWII German soldiers, various units, matters of importance to family members or relatives, and details on MIAs and KIAs. It consists of the main organization, archives, groups, museums, governmental offices, etc, that should be contacted if you are searching for any of the above types of information. Included are archival contact addresses as well as addresses for individual unit organizations and veterans groups.
Whomever you contact, the process will not likely be a quick one, and waits of a number of months are often common. Certain contacts also require proof of family relation when seeking information on a specific person, as kinship or family relation is a requirement for some organizations.
It is best to attempt to write the contact first and gauge if they are able to process your request for help before jumping head-long into a detailed query. Written request can be made in English if needed, although keep in mind, your sending mail to another country, and people across the planet don’t always speak your first language. Depending on the contact, replies will often not be in English.
When you contact any of these various groups and organizations, please take the time to mention this web site!
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ADDRESSES FOR INFORMATION AND RESEARCH
| Name | Contacts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Bundesarchiv - Militärarchiv | Bundesarchiv Phone: +49 (0761) 47817 0 Archive specialist service: Telephone: +49 (0761) 47817 911 Library: | ||
Bundesarchiv - Zentralnachweisstelle | Bundesarchiv-Zentralnachweisstelle Phone: +49 024 081470 | Website | |
| Mission: The offical Institution which houses documents and information of historical importance to the German Federal Republic. A great deal of information it holds relates to WWII, and is available for use by researchers and authors. As per the Bundesarchiv: "Everybody shall upon application have the right to use Federal archival documents more than 30 years old unless legal stipulations provide otherwise..." | |||
Bundesarchiv - Personenbezogene Auskünfte - PA | Bundesarchiv Phone: +49 (030) 41904 440 | ||
| Mission: As a branch of the German Federal Archive system, this office is a contact point for information on specific personnel questions relating to those who survived WWII. For information on German veterans MIA or KIA during WWII, please see WASt below. | |||
Bundesministerium der Verteidigung | Bundesministerium der Verteidigung Phone: +49 (30) 1824-24242 | ||
Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) | Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) Phone: +49 (030) 41904-100 | Website | |
| Mission: For the notification of next-of-kin of members of the former German Wehrmacht who were killed in action. The WASt can help with the following:
Please note that in accordance with the German Data Protection Law the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) is only allowed to provide information to the persons concerned, their relatives or their legal heirs, or to Authorities in the carrying out of their legal duties. History of the WASt:Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the National Information Office was opened in Berlin W 30, in accordance with Article 77 of the Geneva Convention of 27.07.29 dealing with the treatment of prisoners-of-war. It took up its duties on 26.08.39 as Office of the Wehrmacht High Command with the title "Wehrmacht Information Office for War Losses and P.o.W.s" or WASt. In addition to providing information about foreign prisoners-of-war its main tasks were the registration of German Wehrmacht casualties (wounds, illness, deaths, MIAs), the processing of these cases including personal status control and official grave service. In August 1943 the Wehrmacht Information Office was moved to Thuringia, part of it being stored in Saalfeld and part in Meiningen. After the occupation of Thuringia, from the 12.04.45 onwards, the WASt worked under the supervision of the American Military Commission. On the 01.07.1945, immediately before Soviet troops took over in Thuringia, the Americans moved the WASt to Fürstenhagen near Kassel. At the end of January 1946 the WASt returned to Berlin and received its present name, which is a literal translation of the American designation. On the 14.06.46 the Allied Control Commission decreed that the WASt was to continue its work created by national and international commitments. At the same time the French section of the Control Commission took over the administration of the WASt. During the early post-war years the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) received many comprehensive records of other military and para-military organisations. In addition, in December 1990, it took over a large amount of records of the one-time Wehrmacht for evaluation. These records had been stored in the Military Archives Potsdam and the State Archives of the one-time GDR substation Dornburg near Zerbst/Anhalt. Owing to post-war laws the original task of the WASt has increased considerably. Because of its unique material the Information Office is approached by private individuals as well as authorities dealing with cases which concern Wehrmacht service and its effect in numerous areas. After an Administration Agreement on the 09.01.51 between the Federal Government and the Land Berlin the Information Office (WASt) became an Authority of the Land Berlin. It is part of the Senate Adminstration of Health and Social Security subordinate to the President of Department of Health and Social Security Berlin. | |||
Deutsches Rotes Kreuz | Deutsches Rotes Kreuz | Website | |
| Mission: The German branch of the international Red Cross, the world-wide emergency relief organization. The DRK was active during WWII, and also maintains a great deal of documents and information pertaining to WWII. | |||
Institut für Vertriebenenforschung | Website | ||
| Mission: The Institute for Research of Expelled Germans is an academic organisation that documents the largely unknown story of more than 10,000,000 ethnic German civilians who were subjected to deportation, compulsory labour, and in many cases starvation and ethnic violence after World War II. | |||
Internationaler Suchdienst Arolsen | Große Allee 5 - 9 | Website | |
| Mission: The Arolsen Archives carrys out research for survivors and relatives, they provide information for people involved in education and research and organize exhibitions, lectures and more. | |||
Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge | Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräbefürsorge | Website | |
| Mission: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. is a humanitarian organisation charged by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany with recording, maintaining and caring for the graves of German war casualties abroad. | |||
Gemeinshaft der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger | Gemeinshaft der Jagdflieger Phone: +49 (02246) 3037375 | Website | |
| Mission: The community is an amalgamation of members and former members of the flying units of the German armed forces, including the support staff and members of their families. The community wants to preserve the traditions of the aviator generations and critically examine the eventful history of the German armed forces. In the interests of international understanding, they connect with the relatives and former members of foreign aviation associations. | |||