Luftwaffe documents in Russia

[Marius]

Hi all,

could somebody describe the situation concerning German documents in Russian archives?
I`ve heard the wildest stories about. Here some examples:

1.Even the Russians do not exactly know what they had captured in Germany. No catalogues, no signatures. (?)
2.The documents are stored in big old and wet boxes in completely remoted halls. (?!)
3.The documents can be bought for US $ what means they can be stolen from the archives for money. (?!)

What is the truth, what is a myth?

In forward many thanks for all replies,
Marius

[edwest]

Hello,


Although not exactly to your request, may I suggest this site: http://www.iisg.nl/%7Eabb/



Ed

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Marius,

I guess, they know, what kind of captured German materials they have (and according to my knowledge, it happened only shortly after the comunist block collapsed, when few documents were stolen for some USD)
BTW they have even captured Hungarian docus as well.

[Marius]

Hi,

there should be a possibility to get back the documents, even for money. But as I heard the Putin regime is working in completely another direction...

By the way, it seems that German government (with German archives as well) is not interested (!?). So it is completely easy for Russian responsibles just to say "niet" to anybody.

Marius

[Jan Bobek]

Dear Marius,

one professional historical researcher whom I know (employee of Czech government) made quite positive experience in pre-Putin period. Documents were stored well. Archive personell knew what is where (with usual buerocratical exceptions). But for private researchers the access was was very difficult.

Hope that the status has not worsened in the meantime.


regards

[Marius]

Hi Jan,

what kind of documents do you mean?

I heard the wildest things about German documents captured in 1945. Apparently nobody knows where they are. Somebody said to me they were decentralized to many less or more hidden places.

Before appr. 10 years I asked some officials in Germany what they would do to get the captured documents back. My impression was nobody was seriously interested. (!!) And indeed since then nothing happened.
The Russian politics is treatening the captured documents as their own private property. Here I see the biggest problem.

Regards,
Marius

[Pilot]

As I know there is one archive where all of this documents are placed. But in many of city archives or the war or revolution depots can be found similar documents.

[takata_1940]

Russia had captured French archives previously captured by the Germans during the occupation period. A good part (maybe everything) has been sent back to France following an agreement between both countries.
So, if Germany want them, it should be possible to get them back as well...

Regards,
Olivier Bacca

[Jan Bobek]

Dear Marius,

I just know that the person I am talking about saw selection of WW I and WW II files. Including Luftwaffe KTB. He also asked for some specific information about Soviet airman later involved in ROA Staffeln and the file was found and available for brief reading. It was some kind of official meeting between Czech and Russian historical institutes.

regards