SS Soldbuch Craotian volunteer

[AJ]

Came across this Solbuch today from a Croat volunteer in the German Polizei in Croatia. Seems to have joined the Polizei in September 1943.
Soldbuch is issued by the "Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei Kroatien" and has only a few entries

Guess he didn't had many chances after may 1945

[AJ]

#2

[AJ]

#3

[Ian Jewison]

Looks to be a German name, is he not a German in the Ordnungspolizei stationed in Croatia?

Top of page 2 should indicate where he was born.

I have one to a similar unit.

/Ian

[AJ]

a croatian volunteer

[kuratorium]

a croatian volunteer

IMHO not a Croatian but a ethnic German (Volksdeutscher) born in Croatia.

[Ian Jewison]

Here is one I have belonging to a member of:

Der Beauftragte der Reichsführers SS für Kroatien.
Der Gendarmerie-Hauptmannschaftsführer Mostar then Brčko.

[wehl]

IMHO not a Croatian but a ethnic German (Volksdeutscher) born in Croatia.

yes he was ethic German.

[Jean-Loup]

How do you guys know what he was "ethnically"?
Was HJ Marseille ethnically french or Maréchal Koenig ethnically german?

J'

[o.r.k.]

You can derive his ethnicity by his name

[Edward]

How do you guys know what he was "ethnically"?
Was HJ Marseille ethnically french or Maréchal Koenig ethnically german?

J'

In recruiting or drafting a Germanic/Austrian surname was often enough to be considered Volksdeutsche regardless of citizenship. Even if hundreds of years separated a recruit from the original paternal immigrant. In Marseille's case he was a German citizen, and came from French Huguenot stock on his paternal side who had come to Germany (likely during the 1500-1600's) and married Germans. After many generations by the time Marseille came around his family was completely German culturally, but carried the ethnicity of a French/German ancestral background. Same thing with the family background of Maréchal Koenig, and for example the Saxon family background of the Napoleonic Maréchal François Christophe de Kellermann.

[Jean-Loup]

Yes, I understand all this but I dont think anyone should consider WWII German standards of determining ethnicity as anything other than a joke.
I have known some Croatians with pure German names who I dont think considered themselves the slightest bit German; and if they did they remained first and foremost Croatians.

JL

[Edward]

Yes, I understand all this but I dont think anyone should consider WWII German standards of determining ethnicity as anything other than a joke.
I have known some Croatians with pure German names who I dont think considered themselves the slightest bit German; and if they did they remained first and foremost Croatians.

JL

It is a pretty sure thing that the individual was also ethnically Serbo-Croatian, and likely culturally...to a larger extent, more so than German as well. Looking at the document within the context of the period Wehl and o.r.k. are correct. From the passbook the individual has a German last name and from that alone very likely labeled a Volksdeutsche drafted to military duties. From an historical perspective it is another example of a TR racial policy that was implemented, and widely carried out.

[Jean-Loup]

Ethnicaly German by period standards then. But my point was to say there is no way for us to know what his actual ethnicity was from these documents.

JL

[101combatvet]

Exactly, a no brainer.

yes he was ethic German.