German LDS in WWII

German Latter-day Saints in World War II

Phase 1: Compile data under the above title.

Term: 2005 to 2009.

Goal: Compose a history of each of 113 branches of the LDS Church in Germany and Austria from 1939 to 1945. Identify and compile a biography for as many as possible of the German members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who died during World War II—whether as soldiers or civilians.

Background:

Deaths of soldiers were featured on the last page of the LDS German publication Der Stern throughout World War I. The first such notice in World War II was in the Stern dated 1 Dec 1939. The last was made in mid-1943.
Gilbert Scharffs (Mormonism in Germany) estimated LDS losses at 550 soldiers and 50 civilians killed (5 percent of the 13,000 members).
Almost all LDS branches were found in cities—precisely where the bombs fell; losses among civilians may have been much higher than believed.

Nearly all LDS persons living east of the Oder-Neisse Rivers fled the invading Russian army or were expelled within months after the war. It is very likely that several of those members perished on their way west. Millions of Germans perished after evacuation or expulsion.

Theory: Substantially more than 600 members died; possibly as many as 1,000; civilian losses may have been higher than military. Our current compilation includes more than 900 members in both German missions.

Justification:

No listing of LDS casualties exists; this has been confirmed by experts at BYU and in the LDS Church Historian’s office.
No scholarly history of the LDS Church in Germany in World War II exists.
Many of the deceased persons were unmarried, thus they have no descendants to record events in their lives, they may not be the beneficiaries of temple ordinances (<1% endowed).

Phase 2: The History of the LDS Church in Germany in World War II.

Term: 2008-2010.

Goal: Using the data collected from all sources for the above project, a full-blown history of the LDS Church in Germany during World War II will be written under the above title. This would include eye-witness reports on the trials and tribulations of living in wartime Germany, as well as the problems associated with conducting church meetings and rendering church service under those conditions. The lives of soldiers and citizens will be described in detail. The history may include short descriptions of major events in Germany and Europe and the lives of the German saints will be described against this background.

Primary Sources:

LDS Church documents
- Branch and mission membership records
- Branch and mission histories
- LDS International Census of 1925, 1930, 1935 et al.
Public records in Germany
- Histories of German cities where LDS branches were situated
- Historical archives in German where LDS branches were situated
- Federal military archive in Freiburg
Other records in Germany
- War Graves Society (Kriegsgräberfürsorge)
Private records and literature
- Recollections and autobiographical records of surviving LDS members
- Biographical or autobiographical records of deceased LDS members
- Recollections and autobiographical records of surviving LDS missionaries
- Biographical or autobiographical records of deceased LDS missionaries

Secondary sources:

Familysearch.org
- Ancestral File
- International Genealogical Index and Ordinance Index
- Pedigree Resource File
Other Websites, e.g., Volksbund.de (registry of German soldiers killed in WW II)

Procedures:

Employ several student research assistants to aid in the collection of data.
Identify all branches in Germany as of 1939.
Study all available LDS church vital records and histories.
Interview or correspond with survivors and missionaries in Germany.
Interview or correspond with survivors and missionaries in the United States or other foreign counties.
Locate and study diaries, journals, autobiographies of deceased persons and survivors.
Substantiate all vital data from official German records or reliable family histories where possible.

Persons to be included in the Gedenkuch (LDS persons who did not survive WW II):

All members of the military who died from any cause.
All civilians who died from any cause.

Presentation of the data:

The book will be published in two volumes:
- Vol. 1 East German Mission
- Vol. 2 West German Mission.
One chapter will be devoted to each of the 113 branches in Germany and Austria.
Chapters will be organized by mission, district, and branch, then alphabetically.
Each person in the Gedenkbuch will be featured in an entry including all possible vital information; all data sources will be documented and available photographs reproduced.

Initial contacts:

Nearly 500 persons are already listed as eye-witnesses (including 12 missionaries).
385 interviews have been conducted to date.

Promotion:

Article in Church News (11 February 2006)
Announcement in Liahona (March 2006)
Article in Liahona (June 2006)
Letter and flyer to each current LDS ward and branch in Germany
Letter to each new survivor and missionary identified; request for referral
Website (www.germanldsinwwii.org)

Publication: Two books (one for each mission) will be published. The first (East German Mission) to appear in early 2009.