German and Soviet archival material from the Second World War is readily accessible online. The below guide provides instructions on how to navigate the most common online sources.

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NARA

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German WW2 records are available online at the US National Archives and Records Administration at the following links:

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Armed Forces (OKW – only partially available): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7820260

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Army High Command (OKH): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7821296

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Military Districts (Wehrkreis): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7825435

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Army Groups (only partially available): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788370

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Armies: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12007587

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Panzer Armies: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788523

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Army Corps: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12004195

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Army Divisions: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12004423

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SS Records: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788697

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Navy High Command: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7818012

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Other Navy Documents: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/315246058

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Luftwaffe High Command: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7788651

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Reich Air Ministry: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7787207

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Von Rhoden Collection (Luftwaffe): https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12004872

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Organization Todt: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7787132

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Ministry for Armaments and War Production: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7773935

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Ministry for Enlightenment and Propaganda: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7741409

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Miscellaneous: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/229630550

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Italian Military Records: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12007155

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Searching for Records

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To search for a specific record, you will need to consult one of the German Guides. The German Guides associated with each topic are listed here (look for the “GG” next to the topic): https://www.archives.gov/research/captured-german-records/foreign-records-seized.html#virginia

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Once you determine the guide you need, you can find it using this search query: https://catalog.archives.gov/search-within/176887728?q=German%20Guides – note that the German Guides are often buried in unrelated reels.

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The guide will list the roll for that record, which you can find by navigating to the identical “reel” in the link associated with that topic above.

German Guides​

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German Guide 1-5: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178381511

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German Guide 6-14: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178382475

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German Guide 15-20: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178384180

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German Guide 21-33: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178385770

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German Guide 34-37: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178387049

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German Guide 38-39: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178388315

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German Guide 40-45: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178389356

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German Guide 46-49: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178390767

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German Guide 53-55: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178393247

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German Guide 56-59: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178394449

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German Guide 60-65: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178407998

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German Guide 66-69: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178408540

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German Guide 70-72: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178409010

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German Guide 73-75: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178409477

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German Guide 76-80: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/178409980

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Bundesarchiv Militärarchiv

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The military archives in Freiburg, Germany can be searched online through Invenio at the following website:

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https://invenio.bundesarchiv.de/invenio/login.xhtml

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There is no need to register. Simply click on the top button,"Suche ohne Anmeldung":

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On the next page, you can browse the German military archives by navigating to "Norddeutscher Bund und Deutsches Reich (1866-1945)":

If you know the signature of the specific file you are looking for (e.g., "RH 2/94" for the Marcks Plan), click on the "Suche" page and enter the signature under "Signatur" and click on "Suchen". Note that you should omit "BA-MA" when entering the signature.