Nazi search engine shows if ancestors were in Hitler’s party

A groundbreaking German search tool enables individuals to uncover whether their forebears were part of the Nazi Party. Christian Rainer, an Austrian journalist, shared his experience with the BBC, revealing he located his grandfather’s name in mere seconds. “He joined the NSDAP shortly after the Anschluss, around April 21st, 1938,” Rainer explained. This date marks the moment Adolf Hitler annexed Austria into Germany.

The online platform allows users to explore millions of Nazi Party membership records, known as the “NSDAP-Mitgliederkartei.” Rainer, who once edited the Austrian magazine *profil*, noted that his grandfather applied for membership just five days after the party was legalized in Austria. “It’s astonishing how quickly he joined after the party’s legalization,” he said. Despite being an academic, Rainer remarked, his grandfather’s decision to align with the Nazis was unexpected.

The Tool’s Origins

Developed by the German newspaper *Die Zeit* in collaboration with archives in Germany and the United States, the tool has sparked widespread interest. Judith Busch, a spokesperson for *Die Zeit*, highlighted the response as “overwhelming.” Since its launch in early April, the database has been accessed millions of times and shared thousands of times online.

One user expressed the impact of the tool on their family history: “I’ve already found two close relatives, which destroys the myth that no one in our family was involved.” The 71-year-old added, “To have my perspective changed at this age is a bitter shock.”

Family History Revealed

Rainer’s search not only uncovered his grandfather’s past but also cleared his father of any Nazi ties. “I was relieved to find no evidence of my father’s involvement,” he said. His father was conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1941 and sustained several injuries during the war.

Historical Context

Approximately 10.2 million Germans joined the party between 1925 and 1945. The membership cards, stored in Nazi headquarters in Munich, faced destruction during the final days of World War Two. However, they were preserved by Hanns Huber, a paper mill director, who later transferred them to American authorities.

For nearly half a century, these records remained in the hands of the Americans at the Berlin Document Center. In 1994, they were handed over to the German Federal Archives, with microfilm copies sent to the US National Archives in Washington DC. Until recently, accessing the data required formal requests, but the US Archives now offers online availability.

*Die Zeit* stated it acquired the data and “backed up the documents to make them easily searchable.” Rainer emphasized the tool’s relevance, noting that prior research focused on high-ranking figures who later held political or professional roles. “Now, people are searching for family members,” he said. “This is a deeply personal journey.”

With eight decades since the war’s end, Rainer believes the search engine continues to reveal untold truths. “Even today, we can discover history that was previously hidden,” he concluded.