Files from Moscow

After intense negotiations a new phase of co-operation has started between the German Red Cross Tracing Service Munich and the Russian archives.

Round two million scanned personal files of German prisoners of war and civilian internees will be released by the Russian State Military Archives within the next six years in order to clarify fates. It is presently the biggest project ever between the Russian archives and the German Red Cross Tracing Service.

Since the beginning of the nineties the German Red Cross Tracing Service has gained step by step access to the formerly Soviet archives and obtained new information about prisoners of war and civilians unaccounted for. With the help of these original files the deceased were given back their authentic names and family members were relieved from their burden of uncertainty. The tracing work requires meticulous research in the Cyrillic documents in order to verify behind many different spellings of a name the correct person.

With the help of digital personal files containing such documents as death certificates and discharge papers, records about diseases, personal records of the prisoners, paybooks, family photos and other personal documents, it is now possible to provide to surviving family members definite and complete clarification concerning the dates of death and grave locations.