In Germany, the public opening of a database on members of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) rekindles the debate on the memory of Nazism. As reported by Le Point on Monday, the weekly Die Zeit has launched a search engine providing access to 8.2 million membership cards, which can be consulted in a few seconds.
These archives cover the period 1925-1945, during which around 10.2 million Germans joined the party. Historians point out that these memberships were a matter of individual choice. They differentiate, however, between commitments prior to 1933, often motivated by ideological affiliation, and those that occurred after Adolf Hitler came to power on January 30, 1933, which were more related to opportunistic reasons.
Des documents sauvés par les États-Unis
The release of this data is generally welcomed for its contribution to research and historical transparency. However, it raises concerns, particularly regarding privacy risks, as the search engine easily allows the identification of third parties, be they close relatives or simple acquaintances.
These documents were saved from destruction at the end of World War II before being recovered by American authorities, digitized, and preserved. Their publication marks a new phase in the process of memory work in Germany by expanding the focus not only on the victims but also on individual involvement, in a political context where issues related to the past remain sensitive.
