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Temporary German Passports for Jews 1938-1940

by Peter W. Landé

January 2002

INTRODUCTION

Prior to the beginning of mass deportations, and even after war began in 1939, the German Government continued to issue passports to Jews resident in Germany, including “stateless” Jews, mostly of Polish origin. These passports were usually issued for very limited periods of time, normally one year, and were intended to facilitate the departure of recipients from Germany. At the same time, the Gestapo monitored this process, to ensure that these persons, in fact, left Germany.

A partial list of such passports, 485 names, is contained in the far larger Gestapo collection filmed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (RG 11.001M Reel 17) at the Osobyi Archives in Moscow.

The recipients of the passports varied widely by age and profession and the collection does not include information on the proposed destination of these persons. However, many were resident in Jewish training centers, designed primarily to prepare persons for emigration to Palestine. The material includes family name, maiden name, date and place of birth and residence at the time the passport was issued. Although included in the material, profession and the specific office which issued the passport, have not been transcribed. However, this information can be obtained by contacting Peter W. Landé or writing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Dates are listed in the European manner—date of month, month, year

The material does not indicate whether a passport recipient was successful in leaving Germany, but, judging by the absence of many names from the German Government’s Gedenkbuch, many appeared to have reached safety somewhere.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The information contained in this database was indexed from the files of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (RG 11.001M Reel 17). This information is accessible to you today thanks to the effort of Peter W. Landé who is responsible for the transcription of this file.