German Red Cross Estimates
In 1964 the West German Search Service under the direction of Dr. Kurt Bährens working with the German Red Cross released figures estimating the number of German civilians deported to the USSR and the approximate number who died. The number of deported was derived by estimating the number of persons sent to the USSR, and were not based on an actual enumeration. The work of the German Search Service to trace the fates of civilians in eastern Europe was only partially successful. The figures for those deported and deaths were rough estimates and not always based on confirmed reports. The Search Service was able to confirm the deaths of only 49,542 of civilians deported, the others were reported missing and presumed dead.
The figures from the German Red Cross are cited in some English language accounts of the German civilians deported to the USSR .
Forced labor of German civilians - estimate by German Red Cross in 1964
| Description | Number deported | Death rate | Dead & reported missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. "Reparations Deportees" | 375,000 | 45% | 169,000 |
| B. Forced Labor in Kaliningrad Oblast | 110,000 | 45% | 50,000 |
| C. "Forced Repatriation" and "Resettlers" | 300,000 | 37% | 111,000 |
| D. Civilians held as POW | 45,000 | 22.2% | 10,000 |
| E. "Forced Service" | 26,000 | .4% | 100 |
| F. Klaipėda (Memel) residents | 10,500 | 9.5% | 1,000 |
| G. "Convicted POW" | 7,500 | 9% | 700 |
| Total | 874,000 | 39% | 341,800 |
Notes:
These categories in the Red Cross figures for deportees are also listed above in the Russian archive statistics.
A. Reparations Deportees ("reperationsverschlepte") Ethnic German civilians conscripted as reparations for damages caused by Germany during the war. Origin- Former eastern territories of Germany and Poland -233,000; Rumania 80,000: Hungary 35,000 and Yugoslavia 27,000. Most of the survivors were released by 1950.
E."Forced Service" ( "Zwangsverpflichte") -6,000 skilled workers and former POW accompanied by 20,000 family members were conscripted for work in the USSR under contract for five years. They were held under favorable conditions and were released by 1958.
These categories in the Red Cross figures for deportees are not listed above in the Russian archive statistics.
B. Forced Labor in Kaliningrad Oblast- German civilians interned in the former East Prussia, most of the survivors were released by 1948.
C. "Forced Repatriation" and "Resettlers" ("Zwangrepatierte"/"Vertragsumsiedler") Ethnic Germans from the USSR who had been resettled by Germany in Poland during the war. They were returned to the USSR.
D. Civilians held as POW- The Soviets classified these persons as POW and were held in POW camps, they were ethnic Germans from the Former eastern territories of Germany and Poland .
F. Klaipėda (Memel) residents- Ethnic Germans who remained in Klaipedia after the war. They were deported into the USSR,
G. "Convicted POW" (Strafgefengene) POW convicted of war crimes and held in Soviet prisons. They were released by 1955.
Read more about this topic: Forced Labor Of Germans In The Soviet Union
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