Legal Aspects of Filtering and Determining the Status of German Refugees Evacuated from the USSR by German Authorities in 1943-1944

Abstract

During autumn 1943 – spring 1944, a planned evacuation of the German population was carried out from the occupied Soviet regions. This contingent was temporarily housed in special camps inGermany, the General Government and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Following the established procedure, all evacuated Germans from the USSR were subjected to mandatory checks bythe Central Immigration Office. According to its results, the decision about naturalization was made. Camp filtration was a complex procedure based on the doctrinal principles of Nazi ideology. Itallowed to determine both the level of ethnocultural identity and the racial characteristics of each refugee. The legal basis of filtration was different orders, disposals, and prescriptions of severalauthorities that were part of the SS apparatus. Although the German authorities tried not to deviate from the basic principles of this procedure, it was still forced to take into account that the contingentwho came from the USSR had certain socio-cultural characteristics: first, the national identity of many Germans was at a rather low level and secondly, among evacuees (mainly through mixed marriages)there was a significant percentage of people that belonged to other nationalities.