Main Version | Raw XML File (33k)
Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A & M University

Archive of 60 World War II Collections of German Soldiers’ Correspondences and Diaries:

1923-1945


Descriptive Summary and Abstract

Title Archive of 60 World War II Collections of German Soldiers’ Correspondences and Diaries:
Dates 1923-1945
Abstract The Archive of 60 World War II Collections of German Soldiers is composed of correspondences including handwritten and typed letters with envelopes, post cards from different places in Europe, diaries, brochures, and photographs including photographic albums, newspaper clippings, and drawings. The collection is written in German from German soldiers all around Europe during the war, writing primarily to their families, and it includes a collection of letters from the Women’s Luftwaffe Auxiliary. Throughout the collection there are photographs and correspondence with Nazi SS insignia, drawings, and newspaper clippings of Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders.
Identification MIL MSS 00169
Extent 18 linear ft.
Language English.
Repository Cushing Memorial Library College Station, TX 77843-5000

Biographical Note

No biographical information included. Majority of correspondents are German soldiers during WWII.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains over 12,000 letters and post cards from German soldiers writing to family and friends. Many of the photographs are of German soldiers with their family, in uniform, and landscape images. There are 210 letters, located in box 11 folders 1-5 from a German actor named Ralph Lothar, who entertained German soldiers during the war. The Women’s Luftwaffe Auxiliary Services, a German aide group, is also represented in this collection with 190 letters in box 17 folders 16-18. News paper clippings of German soldiers in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1920s, can be found in Herbert Sonnenfeld's collection of photographs in box 15 folder 12. Some soldiers, Hermann Feldmann, Herbert Sonnenfeld, Karl Standar, and K. Volditz and G. Samuel, for example include their personal drawings in this collection. Karl Standar has a diary that contains newspaper clippings of Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, and other Nazi officials. He also has many drawings in box 16 folder 1. Hermann Feldmann has a book titled "Germany over All" (translation) I box 4. NCO Fritz Heuser has religious newsletters from October 8, 1939 to July 7, 1940 in box 8 folders 4-7.

 

Organization of the Papers

This collection is organized into 1 series:
Series 1. Correspondence, 1923-1945.

Restrictions

Access

No restrictions.

Usage Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Online Catalog Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog of Cushing Memorial Library. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog under these index terms.
Names
Bergmann
Brunkhorst, Martin
Feldmann, Hermann
Forman, Otto
Forman, Fritz
Geyer, Paul
Göring, Hermann, 1893- 1946
Heuser, Fritz
Hitler, Adolf , 1889- 1945
Jacks, Heinz
Lothar, Ralph, 1910-1981
Muller, Karl
Roth, Heinrich
Sonnenfeld, Herbert
Standar, Karl
Volditz, K.
Wagener, Alfred
Woman Luftwaffe Auxiliary (1939-1945)
Zimmer Brothers
Zunder, Helmut
Subjects
Correspondence
German Navy
Nazi
Newspaper Clippings
Post Cards
POW
Soldiers
World War II
Places
Belgium
Bulgaria
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Poland
Russia

Administrative Information

Provenance

Purchased from Charles Apfelbaum, 2004.

Processing Information

Processed by Nafisah Hankins in 2004.

Detailed Description of the Collection:

 

Series 1. Correspondence, 1923-1945.

box-folder
1/1-1/4 Andre, Heinz, 1941-1943.
125 letters, 1941-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
1/5-1/10 Arnold, Horst, 1941-1945.
250 cards and letters, 1941-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
1/11-1/15 Battmer, Karl, 1941-1943.
190 cards and letters, 1941-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
2/1-2/3 Bergmann, 1940-1944.
90 letters, 1940-1944, newspaper articles, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
2/4-2/6 Beyer, Harold and Family, 1941-1945.
175 letters, 1941-1945, photo of Adolf Hitler.
box-folder
2/7-2/11 Bommer, Karl A., 1935-1943.
280 cards and letters, 1935-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
2/12-2/14 Brauss, Erich, 1942-1944.
130 letters, 1942-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
2/15-2/17 Lt. Brunkhorst, Martin, 1942-1944.
215 cards and letters, 1942-1944, newspaper clippings..
box-folder
3/1-3/11 Dreher, Heinz, 1940-1945.
1050 letters, 1940-1945.
box-folder
3/12-3/17 Famaily, Alaze, 1939-1944.
235 letters, 235 letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
4/1 Feldmann, Hermann 1942.
54 pg. mss diary, 1942, drawings.
book titled "Germany Over All"(translation).
box-folder
4/2-4/12 Formann, Otto and Frits, 1940-1943.
330 letters and cards, 1940-1943, mss notebooks, 23 photographs, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
4/13 NCO Garntner, 1940.
110 pg. mss diary, 1940.
box-folder
4/14 German soldier, 1940-1944.
32 pg. mss diary, 1940-1944.
box-folder
4/15 German soldier, 1943-1945.
120 pg. mss diary, 1943-1945.
box-folder
4/16-4/17 Geyer, Paul, 1941-1943.
11 photos and IDs, 2mss diaries, 1941-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
5/1-5/6 Giese, Fritz, 1942-1945.
300 cards and letters, 1942-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
5/7-5/13 Grimm, Rudi, 1940-1945.
390 cards and letters, 1940-1945.
box-folder
5/14-5/21 Golucke, Fritz, 1939-1942.
300 letters, 1939-1942, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
6/1-6/10 Hahn, Anton, 1939-1944.
295 letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
6/11-6/13 Heck, August, 1941-1944.
95 letters, 1941-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
7/1-7/10 Heine, Adolf, 1940-1944.
300 letters, 1940-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
7/11-7/18 Herz, Dien, 1940-1943.
340 letters, 1940-1943.
box-folder
8/1-8/8 NCO Heuser, Fritz, 1936-1941.
320 letters, 1936-1941, Newsletters from 10/8/39- 7/7740.
box-folder
8/9-8/14 Captain Jacks, Heinz, 1939-1941.
3 mss diaries, 61 photos in an album, 100 letters, 1939-1941, newspaper clippings from New Orleans, Louisiana.
box-folder
9/1-9/6 Lt. Kannenberg, Kurt, 1940-1945.
200 cards and letters, 1940-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
9/7-9/12 Kerker, Franz, 1941-1944.
160 letters, 1941-1944, misc. newspaper clippings, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
9/13-9/16 Kirnerer, Hans, 1942-1943.
162 letters1942-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
10/1 Leukner, Wolfgang, 1943-1945.
90 letters, 1943-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
10/2-10/18 Listl, Georg, 1941-1944.
400 cards and letters, 1941-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
11/1-11/5 Lothar, Ralph, 1940-1943.
210 letters, 1940-1943, German actor.
box-folder
11/6-11/8 Mingram, Heinz, 1943-1944.
125 letters, 1943-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
11/9-11/13 Minnemann, Max, 1939-1944.
135 letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
12/1-12/8 Sgt. Major Muller, Karl, 1939-1942.
300 cards and letters, 1939-1942, recruitment news clipping with "Our Army"(translation) on it, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
12/9-12/11 Tank Lt. Niederer, Josef, 1941-1943.
200 letters, 1941-1943.
box-folder
12/12-12/15 Pollar, Franz, 1941-1944.
280 letters, 1941-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
12/16-12/19 Proft, Mati, 1939-1944.
170 letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
13/1-13/3 Raab, 1940-1944.
92 letters, 1940-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
13/4-13/8 Reule, Rudolf, 1939-1944.
160 letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
13/9-13/21 Officer Rohwedder,
370 cards and letters, 1937-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
14/1 Capt. Roth, Heinrich, 1942.
204 pg. diary, 1942 and 3 photos.
box-folder
14/2-14/9 Ruter, Hans, 1943-1945.
250 cards and letters, 1943-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
14/10-14/12 3 soldiers, Sanders, 1939-1944.
2 planners, 105 letters, 1939-1944, Sanders 45 letters, 1940-1944 Nazi insignia.
box-folder
14/13-14/15 Schick, Robert, 1942-1943.
108 letters, 1942-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
14/16-14/19 NCO Schneider, Kurt, 1939-1944.
180 cards and letters, 1939-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
14/20 Simon, August, 1942-1943.
117 pg. diary, 1942-1943.
box-folder
15/1-15/11 Sonnenburg, Walter, 1940-1944.
520 letters, 1940-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
15/12 Sonnenfeld, Herbert, undated.
109 pg. diary, clippings, drawings.
box-folder
16/1 Standar, Karl, 1945.
22 pg. mss diary, 1945, drawings and newspaper clippings with pics of Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring.
box-folder
16/2-16/4 Steinart, Alfred, 1940-1943.
115 cards and letters, 1940-1943, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
16/5-16/6 Streng Family, 1941-1944.
120 letters, 1941-1944.
box-folder
16/7-16/9 Gef. Trimborn, 1941-1942.
105 letters, 1941-1942, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
16/10-16/17 Uhlhorn, H., 1940-1944.
300 letters, 1940-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
17/1-17/7 Vogler, Karl, 1940-1945.
255 letters, 1940-1945, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
17/8 Volditz and Samuel G.,
2 manuscripts, 65 pgs, 1940; 65 pgs, 1945, one with drawings the other titled "La Normandie."
box-folder
17/9 Wagener, Alfred, 1941-1942.
116 photos and diary, 1941-1942, Nazi insignia on cover.
box-folder
17/10-17/14 Walbaum, Karl, 1941-1944.
210 cards and letters, 1941-1944, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
17/15 Wemilius, Adolf, 1940-1941.
2 mss diaries, 50 and 100 pgs, 1940-1941.
box-folder
17/16-17/18 Woman Luftwaffe Auxilliary, 1941-1944.
190 cards and letters, 1941-1944.
box-folder
18/1-18/10 Two Zimmer Brothers, 1940-1945.
350 cards and letters, 1940-1945, newspaper clippings, Nazi insignia.
box-folder
18/11-18/13 Zunder, Helmut, 1940-1945.
120 letters, 1940-1945.
box-folder
no folder Zunder, Helmut, undated.
hand stitched photo album with pic of him in uniform with wife; scripture inside.