German Documents from the Reichssicherheitshauptamt
Translation of Document Descriptions by Hans R. Weinmann
The Holocaust Memorial Center Library has acquired copies of documents on microfiche plates from the German Federal Archives pertaining to the persecution and extermination of Jews during the Nazi period. These documents are specifically concerned about the activities of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA), The Central Security Department of Germany, on matters involving Jews and other perceived enemies of the Reich. The RSHA controlled the functions of all police agencies, the security service, the Gestapo and the SS until the end of World War II.
The documents in this collection are indexed in Findbücher zu den Beständen des Bundesarchivs [Finding Aid for the Holdings of the Federal Archives]: Band 22, Bestand R 58: Reichssicherheitshauptamt, Bearbeitet von Heinz Boberach, published by the Bundesarchiv, Koblenz 1982. The documents in our collection are primarily found in
Section 1:
- Überwachung und Verfolgung von politischen Gegnern des Nationalsozialismus, der Kirchen, Freimaurer und Juden [Surveillance and Persecutions of Political Opponents of National Socialism, Churches, Freemasons and Jews].
Section 5:
- Massnahmen gegen Ausländer und in eingegliederten und besetzten Gebieten [Measures Against Foreigners and in the Incorporated and Occupied Territories].
Among the approximately 90,000 pages of documents are communiques, circulars, specific and general orders, summaries of activities and other reports, forecasts and official correspondence of various departments and high ranking individuals. The availability of these official German documents presents an extraordinary opportunity to obtain an unadulterated insight to the internal operations of German authorities on matters pertaining to the implementation of the Final Solution, as well as measures against dissidents, counter-espionage and other security issues that concerned the Nazis.
The categories, titles and descriptions of the documents have now been translated from the German to English and indexed here on our website.
Please note that the actual documents are not in the database and that the documents themselves are, for the most part, in German and not translated.
To Browse/Search this collection, see the pages for each section below:
Section 0: Dienststellenverwaltung [Administration of Government Agencies]