2. “Simple party member, indispensable, reinstated.” - Denazification at the mdw*

[Detailed catalog text in german]

The “List of politically compromised teachers” created in early February 1946 for the Allied Denazification Office provides valuable insights into the denazification measures carried out at the mdw*.

Redactions and amendments made to the document indicate that there were ambiguities regarding the NSDAP memberships. Additionally, the cited indispensability of certain individuals reveals the mdw*’s intention to retain these teachers, regardless of their party affiliations.

When determining party affiliation, they relied on the self-declarations of the individuals involved without further questioning. Based on what we know today, 17 of the 32 listed teachers would have been classified differently: seven individuals who were declared at the time as having potential party affiliation would now be classified as full party members. A further individual identified as a potential party affiliate, as well as nine individuals identified as “ordinary party members”, would now be classified as illegal party members.

Examples of self-declarations from the time of the house’s Nazification, together with the insights and findings of the special commission, can help illustrate these assessments that, from today’s perspective, are difficult to understand.