image sourced from original article at The United States National Archives has made public 11 million files detailing the records of about 8.5 million German citizens who formally joined the Nazi Party. The release means that nearly one in five Germans living at the time can now be researched through these historical documents.
The records were compiled shortly after World War Two, when Allied forces interviewed German citizens to determine their roles and actions under Nazi rule. The effort aimed to remove individuals who held significant or influential positions in the Nazi Party from public life and institutions.
With the files now accessible, Germans and researchers around the world have a new opportunity to investigate family histories and better understand personal connections to the Nazi era.
