What does RKF mean?

The abbreviation RKF or RKFV stands for "Reichskommissar für die Festigung Deutschen Volkstums". This is an office that was established on 07.10.1939. The office holder was Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945). Together with the Immigration Central Office and the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle, the RKF organised resettlement. This included the resettlement of German minorities from abroad as well as their settlement in the occupied territories. Regional party or state functionaries were appointed as RKF representatives to carry out these tasks. For example, higher SS and police leaders and Gauleiters were responsible for resettlement, as were chief presidents and heads of civil administrations. From August 1944 onwards, the activities were considerably restricted.

What does the file on the Reich Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationalism say?

The almost 12,000 files in fonds R 49 contain both personal documents and subject files. Just as in the fonds R 69 to the Immigrant Central Office and R 59 to the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle In fonds R 49, lists of names are sometimes preserved. However, most of the files are administrative processes, for example reports, orders, documentation on the relocation or general correspondence.

Which areas are covered by the R 49 stock?

The R 49 collection comprises the following areas of origin:

➢ Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

➢ Bessarabia, Buchenland (Bukovina), Dobruja

➢ Generalgouvernement, Galicia, Volhynia, Narew region

➢ Soviet Union

➢ Bosnia, Dalamatia, Gottschee, Ljubljana

➢ France, Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg

➢ South Tyrol

What other files are there?

In terms of content, Bestamd R 49 has a great deal of overlap with the above-mentioned holdings of the Immigration Centre and the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle. In addition, the NS 19 Personal Staff of the Reichsführer-SS contains documents that document the work of the RKF. These are, on the one hand, decisions on individual cases and, on the other hand, correspondence between Himmler and the representatives of the RKF at the regional level.

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What does EWZ stand for?

The abbreviation EWZ stands for "Immigrant Central Office". In the context of its history of origin, the EWZ is a collection service of the Reich Security Main Officewhich was responsible for the registration and naturalisation of "ethnic Germans". It was founded in October 1939 and had its first headquarters in Gotenhafen. As early as November 1939, the office was moved to Posen, and in the spring of 1940 it was temporarily moved to Berlin. Finally, in autumn 1940, the main office was moved to Lodz (later Litzmannstadt).

With "flying commissions", the EWZ registered the people on the spot and then, together with the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle, organised the movement of people, animals and material. Either the Mernschen had to walk with their luggage and livestock in the trek to certain assembly points, or they were brought to these points by bus and train. In addition to the logistics, the EWZ also took over the process of naturalisation and settled the people in the "Old Kingdom" or in the "East" with so-called settlement decisions. During the resettlement, the people also went through a selection process carried out by SS doctors. They decided according to "racial" criteria whether a family was allowed to resettle or not.

What is in the files of the Litzmannstadt Immigrant Central Office?

The "Immigrant Central Office Litzmannstadt" has its own fonds in the Federal Archives Berlin-Lichterfelde with the call number R 69 and comprises more than 9,380 files (as of 2009). It mainly contains information on the planning, organisation and implementation of the resettlement. These include administrative documents such as gazetteers, reports on the historical and current settlement history, transport lists for individual resettlement areas and lists of assets. 

For which areas are there documents from the Immigrant Central Office EWZ?

The records of the Immigration Central Office cover the following areas, among others:

➢ Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Baltic States)

Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Soviet Union (Bessarabia, Bukovina, Dobruja, Galicia, Narew region, Transnistria, Volhynia)

Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia (Gotschee, Ljubljana)

➢ Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia

➢ Italy (South Tyrol)

➢ France, Alsace, Lorraine, Luxembourg

➢ Switzerland

➢Greece

What files still exist on the resettlement 1939-1945?

Simultaneously with the founding of the EWZ, Heinrich Himmler (1900 - 1945) was charged with its implementation by "Führer decree" on 7 October 1939 and appointed "Reich Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationality" (RKF). Hitler also entrusted Himmler with the tasks of the "Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle", which had been responsible for the political and financial support of the "Volksdeutsche" (VoMi) since 1936. Both the RKF and the VoMi have their own holdings in the Federal Archives. Facts about the RKF can be found here, Facts about Vomi here.

The personal documents of the Immigration Central Office, such as copies of naturalisation certificates or so-called "master sheets" of the EWZ, are not included in fonds R 69. These documents are assigned to fonds R 9361-IV.

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What was the VoMi?

The abbreviation VoMi stands for "Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle", which emerged from the "Volkstumsbüro" in 1936. The head of this office was Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Heß. Originally, the office's task was to provide political and financial support to Germans living abroad. By 1939, however, its tasks had changed, eventually becoming an instrument of human displacement. On 7 October 1939, Hitler transferred the tasks associated with the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle to Heinrich Himmler, whom he simultaneously appointed "Reich Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationality" (RKF). 

The "Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle" was merged into an independent SS Main Office in 1941. SS-Obergruppenführer Werner Lorenz (1891-1974) headed the office on Himmler's orders.

What is in the files of the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle?

The "Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle" has its own fonds in the Federal Archives (Berlin-Lichterfelde) with the call number R 59. There is no characterisation of the contents of the fonds so far. However, it can be noted from practical experience that in addition to administrative procedures, transport lists and resettlement lists have also been preserved. These lists contain the persons who agreed to resettlement. In addition to personal status data, other things were also recorded in these lists, such as livestock. Sometimes it is also recorded whether the persons were to walk to certain assembly points or were transported.

For which areas are there documents of the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle? 

The Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle's holdings include the following areas:

➢ Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Baltic States)

Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Soviet Union (Bessarabia, Bukovina, Dobruja, Galicia, Narew region, Transnistria, Volhynia)

Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia (Gotschee, Ljubljana)

➢ Bosnia

➢ Greece

What other files are there?

The files of the "Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle" are closely linked to the holdings of the Immigration Central Office EWZ (R 59) and of the "Reich Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationality"(R 49) connected. Information on the EWZ can be found here, information on the "Reich Commissioner for the Consolidation of German Nationalism" can be found here.

Furthermore, there are not only personnel files on Werner Lorenz, but also files on his activities as head of the RKF. So far, there has been no well-founded scholarly examination of this main SS office.

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