DP Camps in Germany - BE

1/9/05 I went to the cemetery in Bechhofen and took photos. There used to be a wooden synagogue according to interior photos I found on the internet from 1938. I percieve the syagogue was burned down. There are no markers or signs to reach the location so I spent an hour with my dog hunting around. There are supposedly 8,000 Jewish people buried in the cemetary. There is no indication of any Jewish populaltion in the area at all. The cemetery is surrounded by a wall and has locks on it so one can not enter. The pics I took are over the wall, and If I can't get in officially, I'll just hop the fence and take pics of the names on the tombs that are legible. I found out that there was a DP camp in Ansbach with many Zionist children. Were their parents killed and buried in the cemetary? So many questions have come up. I am really shocked as there is complete denial in the area. There is beautiful landscape with attrocities under the surface. I am Italian/Dutch American and just moved here from Hawaii. I am a professional artist/photographer and teacher at a school in Ansbach. I hope I can find more history, as the people in the town will not even talk to me about it, though they have been very nice and cordial. I don't speak German, only a few words, but if I talk about my dog in English, they understand, but once I politely ask questions about the cemetary, they don't understand. Please send anyone my way who has any more information, as I am writing a story. I've been put in contact with a historian and I hope to meet with him in the next few months. As a literature teacher, I am also looking for selections for my high school students, fiction or nonfiction, that would be informative. Ciao, Jo Anne Giubilato / Germany

Bedburg, #3189, #41/189; L. Niedersachsen (British zone), 3/4 Poles, Balts

The German name of this town is Bedburg-Hau (Kreis Kleve). In Bedburg, there was a DP Transit Centre at least from August 1945 to April 1950 for DPs about to emigrate. Its Assembly Centre Number was 189 in October 1945, 41189 or 41/189 from Januay 1946 to June 1947 and 3180 from July 1947 to July 1949. The Displaced Persons Assembly Centre Staff number was 45 until June 1947, and 32 from July 1947 to April 1950. At least in autumn 1947, there existed a Brazilian Section for DPs about to emigrate to Brazil. Wolfgang Strobel, author of Post der befreiten Zwangsarbeiter - Displaced Persons Mail Paid in Deutschland 1945 - 1949.

The following is taken from forced labor in Bedburg: http://www.wisoveg.de/bedburg/zwangsarbeit/otb2.html

1. Camp Zuckerfabrik Bedburg (French, Russian and Polish Kriegsgefangene during the Rübenkampagne).
2. Civil workers camp in Bedburg Bez. Köln (Ukrainian for Aufräum- and Instandsetzungsarbeiten; Camp halter Adolf Müller; Friedhofstrasse)
3. War prisoner camp in Frauweiler; later Rath (insgesamt ca. 90 Polish, Russian and French).
4. Foreigner workers camp of civilian workers, Bedburg Bez. Köln the Reichsbahn Bedburg (1943 - 1945 ca. 400 persons; workers from the East, Polish, Holländer; bewacht through Bahnschutz Düren; verteilt auf the Fabrikgebäude the Rheinischen Linoleumindustrie, der Bedburger Wollindustrie, der Gaststätte Fikentscher (Neusserstrasse), the School Kirdorf and the Barracks Camp House Nr. 67; Leiter war Reichsbahninspektor Klinkhammer and Rechnungsführer Wilhelm Nussbaum, der near a Fliegerangriff ums survive kam.
5. OT-Lager Bedburg (approximately 2000 persons; Hollanders, French, Belgias, Italians, Ukrainians and Polish; the preference followed through the OT).
6. War prisoner camp Bedburg Broich (all together about 50 French and Polish
7. Civilian workers camps Bedburger Wollindustrie (bis zu 100 persons; vorwiegend Ukrainians. 15)

10/13/04
In May 1945 approximately 90 British Medical Students went to alieviate the suffering of the inmates at Belsen. I am trying to find anyone who remembers them and can tell me anything that they remember about them. Rowan MacAuslan / UK

Bensheim site in German, Jews

Berchtesgaden, "Orlyk", Ukrainians; Visit Shevchenko Scientific Society Library for records 1945-50.

Bergen-Belsen (Hohne) (British zone), Jews, Dutch,

Angelika Brossig contributed the following research:

Bergen-Belsen lies between three cities: Bergen, Winsen and Celle (Kreisstadt) Home page of Bergen-Belsen: http://www.bergenbelsen.de/de/karte/anfahrt/

City Archives : Stadtarchiv Bergen
Am Museum 2
29303 Bergen  
Stadtarchivar: Kurt-Werner Seebo Email: Kurt-Werner.Seebo@bergen-online.de Tel.: 05051/911 107
The city link : http://www.bergen-online.de/index1024.htm

Homepage of city Winsen: http://www.winsen.de/internet/ -- There is no archive but this contact is:

Buergerservice:
Christian Riech http://www.winsen.de/internet/page.php?site=29&id=2000124
http://www.winsen.de/inhalt/vcard.php?person=2000124&kommune=2&medium=1
Rathaus Stadt Winsen (Luhe), Zimmer 2.10
Schlossplatz 1
21423 Winsen (Luhe)
Telefon: 04171 657-129
Fax: 04171 657-168
E-Mail: riech@stadt-winsen.de

Homepage of the bigger "Kreisstadt (county town) Celle": http://www.landkreis-celle.de/ -- there should be archives

http://www.landkreis-celle.de/index.php?id=42&hi=0,1
contact under Kreisverwaltung - Kreisarchiv: the Kreisarchiv-archiver: Rainer.Voss@lkcelle.de

Kreisarchiv
Street address:Landkreis Celle
Kreisarchiv
Trift 26, Gebäude 6
D-29221 Celle Landkreis Celle
Postal address: Kreisarchiv
Postfach 1105
D-29201 Celle

Tel: 05141 / 916 353 Fax: 05141 / 916 474

memorial http://www.scrapbookpages.com/BergenBelsen/MemorialSite.html

City Archives Bergisch Gladbach - Stadtarchiv
http://www.bergischgladbach.de/do/de/stadtarchiv.asp

History with photos http://www.ddr-bilder.de/Fotos/Sektoren/Sek_Ein-e.htm and more photos of east and west Berlin http://www.ddr-bilder.de/Fotos/Sektoren/1_Sek-e.htm by Hans-Joachim Helwig-Wilson

Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin (German Historical Museum, Berlin)
searchable archives data bank http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/bildarchiv.html

Berlin Airlift Humanitarian relief Operation Chowhound / Operation Vittles http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/docs/humanops.htm

Berlin Archives: http://www.bgr.de/dbberlin/zb/e_a_benutz.htm
Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 369 93 119
Fax: +49 (0)30 / 369 93 300
E-mail: thorsten.bernhard@bgr.de

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preussischer Kulturbesitz
Handschriftenabteilung
Potsdamer Str. 33
10785 Berlin
Tel.: 030.266 - 2841
E-mail: handschriftenabt@sbb.spk-berlin.de

Bundesarchiv Berlin
Postfach 450569
12175 Berlin
Tel.: 01888.7770-0
Fax.: 01888.7770-111
E-mail: berlin@barch.bund.de
http://www.bundesarchiv.de

Jewish Museum in Berlin
English: http://www.jmberlin.de/home_english.htm
Deutsch: http://www.jmberlin.de/tp1130111.htm
e-mail: archive@jmberlin.de

3/20/05 Hallo, liebe Olga Kaczmar,
RE: From New York Times August 14, 1947, Genf :
http://www.deutsche-zeitung.com/Vorhof/Redaktion_1/Terror_in_Palastina/Israels_Geburt/body_israels_geburt.html:

(Computer translated from German) "The UN Special Committee for Palestine returned after a seven active inspection of DP camps in Austria, Germany and Geneva. The route led the group to Munich, Vienna, Berlin and Hamburg. In Berlin in 13 August reports of General Lucius D Clay, the US military governor, Clay indicated that in the numbers of the military units in the US zones of Austria and Germany of AntiSemitism due to the violent, antisocial and criminal behaviour of the Eastern European DPs (which are all Jewish) strongly increases. It was recommended that these DPs be permitted to enter Palestine, before any incident with American soldiers (who were struck, monies robbed and killed by Jewish DPs) leads to more serious spontaneous reactions on the part of other soldiers. Sir Brian Robertson, the envoy of the British military governor, pflichtete its views decided." Kind regards, freundliche Grüsse, Egon-Karl Ullrich /Germany

---

We visited Berlin and saw the holocaust monument (wasn't fully complete yet - opened this past May 2005) about 3 city blocks from the Brandenburg Gate. The Reistag is right down the road from here and is where the German government is centered.

We found two document centers in Berlin. (1) many people go here - looks like its working - this is in Berlin by the Document Wall Exhibit area by the old 3rd Reich Justice building where the People's Court was centered (part of East Berlin). There are a couple of trailers on the site and still need to construct buildings. (2) The second is next to Check Point Charlie where a couple of hundred people or more passed away trying to escape the Berlin Wall or East Germany in areas outside of Berlin. What a sad place this was - as there are black crosses about eight feet high and in the center of the cross on a metal card was the person's name, if identified, where they came from and what happened. Each cross represents person who died escaping from GDR (East Germany) - looked like there were 200 of them. The document center needs contributions to build.

It was fascinating to visit Berlin, beautiful city. I hope to return and visit more. You should see how developed when there was East and West Berlin - there's 2 train stations and a 3rd is being built as none of the 2 can handle all the bullet trains effectively. In places, Berlin looks like the Bronx, NYC or cities in the Northeast USA - very spread out but not many skyscrapers like Frankfurt (has tallest buildings in Germany) that looks like Chicago.

I still think about this trip, and have a better understanding of what your family went through. A. Sucharew.

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Archives Record Group: PAG 4 Box 23: Area Team: 717: Bettenhausen UNRRA Team 717:
Y. Tabard
C. Fustier
C. Van Ackere
A. Mougnot
L. Portmann
J. Duesberg
P. Duffreysseix
A. Levert
J. Bion
M. Rots - Dr. E. Vinot

Biberach archives:
http://www.biberach.de/include/baum.htm?http://www.biberach.de/de/landratsamt/kultur-archivamt/archivamt-1.htm

Main Building: Hauptgebäude
Rollinstrasse 9, 88400 Biberach Tel.:0 73 51 / 52-0 Fax: 0 73 51 / 525-350

Office of Information: Amt für Information und Kommunikation
Riedlinger Strasse 88, 88400 Biberach Tel.0 73 51 / 55-1616 Fax: 0 73 51 / 52-50016

Hello Olga, Seeking: Helena, niece of Dmytro & ? (Urbanowski) LUCH, who came to Canada from a camp at Biberach am Ries, Germany in the late 1940's. Helena was born about 1946 at Biberach. Please contact me at: bimiwat@otvcablelan.net. Thank you in advance. Bill Watamaniuk

Camp Lindele at Biberach:
Dear Ms Kaczmar,
perhaps you are interested in these pages on Lindele Camp at Biberach in which mostly deportees form the Channel Islands were interned during WW II:

http://www.weberberg.de/infoport/lindele.html

Exerpts from the book on Lager Lindele:
http://www.weberberg.de/prolog/lindelebuchtausch.html
http://www.weberberg.de/prolog/lindelebuch1.html

keep up the good work! Dierk Andresen Organization: http://freemail.web.de/

Hello Olga,
My quest to find out more information about my mother and father has led me to your site on displaced persons camps in Germany. The first thing that struck me is the number of camps listed... we cannot imagine...

So I am now in need of some guidance. I have found from my mother's records that she was in a DP camp in Biberach. How can I confirm that this is the case?

What records can I search to determine that this is the case and will there be any information on how she possibly got there from Lithuania? Are there listings held in archives that could be a source for me...

Any suggestions would be most welcome...kindest regards, Ellen Osman / Australia

City archive: Stadtarchiv Bielefeld
Rohrteichstrasse 19
33602 Bielefeld
Tel: 05 21 - 51 24 71
Fax: 05 21 - 51 68 44

http://www.bielefeld.de/de/rv/ds_stadtverwaltung/arch/

Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen Landeskirchliches Archiv
Postfach 10 10 51
33510 Bielefeld
Phone: (0521) 594-0
Fax: (0521) 594-267
E-mail: archiv@lka.ekvw.de
Web site: http://www.archive.nrw.de

Hello:
I found your contact on the web. We are looking for information on : Franz PANTEL We presume that he died during the invasion of Russia in 1945. He was a soldier with the German army during WW2. His brother eventually settled in Bielefeld (near Dortmund) after the war. Have you any information on a list of German soldiers who were killed or went missing in Russia in 1945? Thank you in advance for your assistance. Sincerely, Richard J. Pantel

4/11/05 Dear Olga, My mother is alive and tells me the camp was in Bielefeld. It was a big school house with a hospital across the road. They slept in classrooms with blankets dividing the rooms into smaller living quarters for the different families. She says it was a beautiful place, at least on the outside. The place looked like a park. When they were brought to Germany from Ukraine, they were picked by a man named "Hamms" who had a furniture factory that was changed into a place where they supplied wooden crates for bombs and grenades and other such munitions for the soldiers of Hitler. She says it was near Hanover and the town was called "Banandorf, or something like that. I have searched towns in and around Hanover and cannot find it. I am trying to research all the things my partents have told me and try to write a life story book for my 82 yr. old mother. It will be something her great grandchildren can read and see where they came from. If you have any other info on what I have asked. Please let me know. I would be very appreciative. Thank You, Martha Bakeman

Reply: place Banandorf does not exist in Germany, so no doubt it is misspelling. I have no idea which place that could be, but I think probably today forms part of Bielefeld. I even consulted the list of street names of Bielefeld, but I don't find any that could match. Senne I and Senne II were two places and two communities, both form today part of the town of Bielefeld. Wolfgang Strobel, author of Post der befreiten Zwangsarbeiter - Displaced Persons Mail Paid in Deutschland 1945 - 1949.

Bissingen / Teck

Bleckede (British zone)

Bleidorn, Ansbach, Bavaria

10/11/04 Dear Olga,
Fantastic web site. I was born at Bleidorn, my mother was Latvian and my father was a captain in the German army. Everything has been more or less hush hush or half truths. Would there be any records of my birth and information on my father? My name is Maris Silarajs, mother's 1st name is Elza, father's Raimonds. Where would be the best place to start to reconfigure my past? Thank you, Maris Silarais

See Ansbach for archives

US Army barracks at Bleidorn

4/14/08 Hello Olga, My name is Allison Sieczka, I found your website in the hopes of finding out more about my grandfather. He was a displaced person.  All I was told by my mother was he was a cook for the German army while there. He passed away when she was very young. Please let me know if you could help me. Thank you, Allison Sieczka asieczka@sbcglobal.net

 

http://www.blomberg-lippe.de/

Stadt Blomberg
Der Bürgermeister
Marktplatz 1
32825 Blomberg

Stadt Blomberg
Der Bürgermeister
Postfach 1452
32820 Blomberg

Tel: 0 52 35 / 50 40
Fax: 0 52 35 / 50 46 10