for a rifleman born in 1926, issued on July 21, 1943 by Ortskommandantur 936, in addition to personal data, entries include issued clothing and equipment items, and authorized allowances which he received as pay in July 1943; bilingual form, used condition.

Ortskommandantur 936 (OK 936) was established on November 11, 1940 in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The staff was established as an army unit under the Wehrmacht Commander Bohemia-Moravia. After establishment, the staff was transferred to the General Government. There the staff was subordinated to the Military Commander in the General Government. The staff was stationed by them in Kozienice and Radomsko. In summer 1941, the staff was transferred further east. There in June 1941 the staff was subordinated to Army Group Center. By them the staff was deployed in the area of the 286th Security Division. The staff was stationed in 1941 in Belynitschi and Malojaroslawez. In 1943 the staff was subordinated to the 3rd Panzer Army. In 1943 the staff was stationed in Demidow. In 1944 the staff was dissolved.

208058

€ 280,00

Identity Book of a Russian Volunteer in the German Wehrmacht

The identification book of a Russian volunteer in the German Wehrmacht represents a significant historical document that provides insight into one of the most complex and controversial aspects of World War II: the collaboration of Soviet citizens with German occupation forces in the East.

This particular identification book was issued on July 21, 1943 by Ortskommandantur 936 (Local Headquarters 936) for a rifleman born in 1926. It is a bilingual form, written in both German and Russian, reflecting the practical necessity of communication with the so-called Osttruppen (Eastern troops) or Hilfswillige (Hiwis - voluntary helpers).

Ortskommandantur 936 had an eventful history. It was established on November 11, 1940, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, initially subordinated to the Wehrmacht Commander Bohemia-Moravia. After being transferred to the General Government and later to the East, it was assigned to Army Group Center in June 1941. In 1943, the year this identification book was issued, the unit was stationed in Demidov and subordinated to the 3rd Panzer Army. This region was located in occupied western Russia, an area characterized by intense partisan warfare and German security operations.

The identification book documents not only the bearer's personal data but also the clothing and equipment items issued to him, as well as his entitled allowances, including the pay he received in July 1943. These entries are of particular historical significance as they document the material supply and compensation of volunteers.

The historical context of these documents is complex. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, millions of Soviet soldiers fell into German captivity. Under catastrophic conditions in the camps, where hundreds of thousands starved to death, many prisoners volunteered as Hilfswillige for the Wehrmacht. Their motivations were diverse: escape from certain death by hunger and disease, anti-communist convictions, ethnic conflicts within the Soviet Union, or the desire to fight against Stalin's regime on the German side.

From 1942 onwards, the Wehrmacht systematized the use of these Eastern volunteers. They were employed in various functions: as auxiliary personnel with combat units, in security units for anti-partisan operations, or in separate Eastern battalions and Eastern legions. Estimates of their total numbers vary, but historians estimate at least 600,000 to one million Soviet citizens served the German Wehrmacht in various capacities.

The year 1943, when this identification book was issued, marked a turning point in the war. After the defeat at Stalingrad and retreats on several fronts, the Wehrmacht intensified its efforts to recruit Eastern volunteers. The Ortskommandanturen played a central role in administering, registering, and supplying these units.

The bilingual format of the identification book illustrates the practical challenges of this policy. German authorities had to ensure that volunteers understood their rights and obligations while maintaining bureaucratic control over them. These documents also served as a form of protection for their bearers, documenting their status as legal auxiliaries of the Wehrmacht and theoretically protecting them from arbitrary treatment.

After the war, these volunteers usually faced a tragic fate. The Soviet government regarded any form of collaboration as treason. Many were arrested upon repatriation, deported to labor camps, or executed. Only a few managed to escape to the West and start new lives there.

From today's perspective, such identification books are important historical sources that enable a nuanced picture of this complex historical reality. They document individual fates in a time of extreme violence and moral dilemmas, and remind us of the difficult decisions people faced in totalitarian systems and total war.