The US National Archives has made millions of NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) membership cards available online. This data includes information on 6.6 million Germans who were party members until 1945, stored on over 5,000 digitized microfilm reels. Now, anyone can search for the names of their grandparents and great-grandparents, though the records are incomplete: according to the German Historical Museum, in 1945, one in five adult Germans was among 8.5 million party members, meaning they ostensibly supported the fascist regime on paper.
Historian Johannes Spohr points out that these sources have been accessible at the German Federal Archives since 1994, where one can obtain more information than just memberships. However, in Germany, statutory restriction periods apply: individual data is released only 100 years after birth or 10 years after death, and it is not available online, requiring written requests. Moreover, unlike the US National Archives, private individuals can only access files when searching for relatives, not neighbors or others. Spohr states: "To this day, there is much more public awareness of the persecuted, the victims. When it comes to the perpetrators, things are still rather vague."
Spohr has been assisting people in researching their family histories during the Nazi era for about 11 years through his service "present past." He notes that those who come to him range from ages 20 to 90, representing all generations. He believes the current period marks a transition between communicative and cultural memory, where oral transmission is rarer, making archive research more relevant.
According to one study, over two-thirds of Germans believe their ancestors were not Nazi perpetrators; nearly 36% say their relatives were also victims, and more than 30% think their ancestors helped potential Nazi victims, such as by hiding Jews. Spohr remarks: "These answers stem partly from feelings rather than concrete knowledge." After the war, the crimes of the Nazi era went undiscussed in many families. Spohr adds: "The culture of remembrance always becomes complicated when it gets specific, concerning certain individuals. And I think remembrance must also take place where it hurts."
Searching the archives can provide more clarity: the index cards contain names, dates and places of birth, membership start dates, and membership numbers. In some cases, addresses and photographs of registered NSDAP members are included, but the archives do not reveal whether someone was a fanatic, opportunist, or mere follower. Additionally, only about 80% of these cards have survived, so even if a name does not appear, it is not entirely possible to confirm if a relative was a self-professed Nazi.
Spohr explains that actual research begins here: "Of course, there are NSDAP members who did not commit many offences outside their membership, and there are just as many non-members who were involved in cruel acts." One could check, for example, if someone joined the party before 1933 or held offices. Descendants may know life stages but not the motivations or feelings behind actions.
The focus of research often revolves around whether ancestors were violent; it also involves questions like whether forced laborers were exploited on family farms or if items stolen from Jews are owned. Spohr notes: "It may be that you find little, and gaps remain, leaving room for imagination. And you may come across terrible things that contradict family narratives." He attributes recent interest growth partly to the war in Ukraine: people want to know if a grandfather was a Wehrmacht soldier in Crimea who just drove a truck or committed war crimes.
The rise of the far right, particularly the AfD, is also a concern for many: they want to investigate potential links between the party's rise and an unaddressed Nazi past, suggesting that silence around ideologies may still have an effect. The index cards were earmarked for destruction at the war's end, but Hanns Huber, a Munich paper mill director, hid them under wastepaper. In autumn 1945, the US military stored them at the Berlin Document Center for the Nuremberg trials.
Spohr mentions that the US tried to hand over the files to Germany in 1967, but they were not accepted until 1994, as it was believed making them accessible would be too sensitive and risky due to many Nazis still active in professional life. The US National Archives' online release is primarily an administrative measure, with gradual digitization. The German Federal Archives will likely make their files available online in 2028, after all data protection periods expire.
Source: www.dw.com