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US-Nationalarchiv stellt NSDAP-Mitgliedsdaten online und erleichtert Ahnenforschung - Zeit - derStandard.at › Wissenschaft US-Nationalarchiv stellt NSDAP-Mitgliedsdaten online und erleichtert Ahnenforschung
US National Archives puts NSDAP membership data online – genealogy becomes easier
The U.S. National Archives (NARA) has made millions of records relating to members of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) available online, opening new possibilities for historical research and genealogy.
The collection includes millions of index cards containing personal data such as names, dates of birth, membership numbers, and dates of joining the Nazi Party. In some cases, even photographs are included. �
Polonia Institute
Overall, the archive consists of more than 16 million digitized records, making it one of the most extensive datasets on NSDAP membership ever made publicly accessible. �
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By 1945, around 8.5 million people had joined the NSDAP, and these files provide direct insight into that membership. �
Polonia Institute
Historical background
The documents were originally intended to be destroyed at the end of World War II, but a large portion survived thanks to individuals who hid or preserved them. After the war, they were seized by the U.S. Army and later stored in the Berlin Document Center, where they were used during denazification proceedings. �
Polonia Institute
In the 1990s, the records were returned to Germany, while the U.S. retained microfilm copies. These copies have now been digitized and published online.
Why this matters
In Germany, strict privacy laws have so far limited full online access to these records. However, the U.S. archives are not bound by the same restrictions, meaning that:
Individuals can now research whether their relatives were NSDAP members
Historians gain unprecedented access to primary source material
The dataset provides new insight into the social structure of Nazi Germany
Final note
While the archive is a powerful research tool, it is also sensitive material. Membership alone does not automatically explain an individual’s actions, beliefs, or level of involvement in the regime.
US National Archives puts NSDAP membership data online – genealogy becomes easier
The U.S. National Archives (NARA) has made millions of records relating to members of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) available online, opening new possibilities for historical research and genealogy.
The collection includes millions of index cards containing personal data such as names, dates of birth, membership numbers, and dates of joining the Nazi Party. In some cases, even photographs are included. �
Polonia Institute
Overall, the archive consists of more than 16 million digitized records, making it one of the most extensive datasets on NSDAP membership ever made publicly accessible. �
blue News +1
By 1945, around 8.5 million people had joined the NSDAP, and these files provide direct insight into that membership. �
Polonia Institute
Historical backgroundThe documents were originally intended to be destroyed at the end of World War II, but a large portion survived thanks to individuals who hid or preserved them. After the war, they were seized by the U.S. Army and later stored in the Berlin Document Center, where they were used during denazification proceedings. �
Polonia Institute
In the 1990s, the records were returned to Germany, while the U.S. retained microfilm copies. These copies have now been digitized and published online.
Why this mattersIn Germany, strict privacy laws have so far limited full online access to these records. However, the U.S. archives are not bound by the same restrictions, meaning that:
Individuals can now research whether their relatives were NSDAP members
Historians gain unprecedented access to primary source material
The dataset provides new insight into the social structure of Nazi Germany
Final noteWhile the archive is a powerful research tool, it is also sensitive material. Membership alone does not automatically explain an individual’s actions, beliefs, or level of involvement in the regime.
