2021 edition Officer Careers

[Roger Gaemperle]

Larry and Doug,

many thanks for your efforts and also fir sharing your work with others. I can only imagine how many hours it took to research and compile this list. It has been a tremendous resource while I was doing research for my book.

All the best,
Roger

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks for your insights on this, Steve.

I was aware of the handful at a time policy, having been tipped off on this by a researcher in Madrid in 2008 and another in Singapore some 10 years ago. I then had "S.R.", one of the fee-for-service researchers accredited to BA-MA approach Herr Dr. M. Steidel (Leiter Bundesarchiv-Militaerarchiv) on the subject for us in December 2016, and S.R. was told that BA-MA would not honor bulk requests. A request through Selke or an accredited fee-for-service researcher for copies of 10 to 12 Karteikarten every 3 or 4 months would be the limit of what can be accepted. I'm afraid this wouldn't work out for us as I'm in my 80's and Doug is in his 70's. Additionally, the estimated cost for copies of all of them would be $203,320. At 48 cards per year, it would take 2,541 years to copy them all. So, unless BA-MA scans them and puts them up on the internet, we'll just have to do with what we have, I guess.

L.

[Steve Coates]

Larry

Thanks. It was "S.R." I used. I've also used him to access some of the PERS-1 files for a few guys who served in the Bundeswehr post-war. I totally get your perspective on this. Let's hope there is a change of heart at some point.

Steve

Steve

[ju55dk]

"Karteikarten are available to researchers. Regrettably, they are not searchable using Invenio."

They are searchable in Invenio, under Personensuche. Filed under PERS 6. And in Freiburg you can request at least 12 or more per day. And now that BA finally has allowed the use of digi cameras, it has become a lot easier.

Junker

[Steve Coates]

Jörn

I've just tried again to search for a couple of the names I have index cards for where no PERS-6 files exist and I still draw a blank, even when using 'Namensuche'. I appreciate the PERS-6 files display under 'Namensuche' but how do the index cards display? Do they have a separate reference? There are a fair number of cases for whom an index card has survived but not a Luftwaffenpersonalamt file (PERS-6) and vice versa.

Steve

[John Manrho]

I concur with Steve....I know how to find Pers 6 files in Invenio, but never saw something like Karteikarten listed. Furthermore, Invenio "sucks" as many Pers 6 files do not show up during a search, but they are still there.....not sure why.....

[Larry deZeng]

You are fortunate to be able to use Invenio at all..............it is soooo complicated to use that I've never run into anything quite like it before. I even had our member "Dan History" coach me in the mechanics of it, but to no avail.

L.

[egbert]

Welcome to the invenio diatribe Larry.
This week i researched WW1 locations connected to my GFs entrenchments. I cannot believe the typical bureaucratic German search format offered to the engaged researcher. Even with a scientific education it is too complicated for me to use the tool meaningful.
Unbelievable complicated ---even for a German. Maybe invenio is willfully made for preventing research

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by egbert

Welcome to the invenio diatribe Larry.
This week i researched WW1 locations connected to my GFs entrenchments. I cannot believe the typical bureaucratic German search format offered to the engaged researcher. Even with a scientific education it is too complicated for me to use the tool meaningful.
Unbelievable complicated ---even for a German. Maybe invenio is willfully made for preventing research

]

Thanks, Egbert, your very helpful comments made me feel better. I was beginning to think I was a total moron because I found Invenio quite difficult. Yes, your supposition about the intent behind Invenio may be on target. Comments have been made by BA-MA staff over the past 30+ years that the politicians do not want to facilitate or encourage Dritten Reich (NS) research because they do not want individuals from the period seen as heroes, e.g., Rudel, Hartmann, Barkhorn, Galland, etc., because it puts Germany in an unfavorable light by bringing up a period and individuals that the political hierarchy want the world to forget.

L.

[John Manrho]

I think it is caused by governmental bureaucratic organizations setting up IT tools by themselves or trying to take the lead. We see it also in other countries. Mostly it ends up with more and more requirements and leading up to an unworkable tool. In stead of keeping it simple.....I do not believe there is something intentional...