Central Personnel Register of the former “Deutsche Dienstelle” (WASt)

This collection is the most important source for reconstructing military ‘biographies’. The Federal Archives in Berlin-Tegel (Abteilung PA) today hold basic biographical and military data, as well as information on the fates of soldiers during the war. This includes unit affiliation, rank, injuries and stays in military hospitals, information on captivity as a prisoner of war, and places of death and burial. The correspondence between the WASt and government departments, authorities and relatives can also provide valuable insights into the post-war period. In total, there are around 18 million index cards (“Z-cards”).

Other important sources

Award records (orders and decorations), military hospital and missing-in-action records, files relating to captivity as prisoners of war and Wehrmacht jurisdiction are important sources of information on Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS personnel. Collections relating to captivity may contain complete personnel files with photographs. For some combatants, personal documents such as military service records or pay books also exist.

Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe

Complete personnel files — including CVs, photographs, questionnaires, references from superiors and details of family members — can often be traced, particularly for members of the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe. In many cases, pilots’ medical fitness certificates have also been preserved, which contain valuable information.

Identification of dog tags

For many Wehrmacht units, lists of identification tags have survived, which can be used to identify the tags. These are a valuable aid in identifying and researching the identities of unknown war dead and in reconstructing specific unit affiliations.

SS military documents

Unfortunately, due to the bombing of the German Army Archive (Deutsches Heeresarchiv) in Potsdam, the records relating to identification tags and missing-in-action reports for the Waffen-SS are only fragmentary. Supplementary research in the Nazi archives (see National Socialism) is particularly helpful in this regard, as SA, SS or NSDAP personnel files often contain references to military service, such as complete military service records.