Displaced Persons -

Solingen

German DP camp


Solingen, #3179, #41/179, Land N. Rhine-Westphalia, (British zone), 2,400 Poles, some Balts & Yugoslavs;

    City archives:
    http://www.solingen.de/stadtarchiv/
    http://www2.solingen.de/kommunen/solingen/www-solingen.nsf/index?readform&content=8712871EBEEE58FCC1256C8C00341D37
    Gasstrasse 22b
    42657 Solingen
    Tel: 02 12 - 2 90 36 30
    Fax: 02 12 - 2 90 36 48

    My dad is a survivor of Solingen. I would love to see war time pictures. Eric

    Dear Olga
    You have a most interesting website. I am trying to find a friend I had in Solingen, Germany, a Polish DP camp. Her name was Zofia Murawska, Her Father's name Wladyslaw and her mother Maria. She would be about 60-ish. How would I go about finding her whereabouts? Or for that matter any of the friends I had while living in that dp camp? Thanks. Lydia Caine

    2/18/06 Dear Olga,
    I have been hunting for more info about DP camp Solingen. I have papers such as IRO processing cards, wage papers, and immunization records for my parents that state Soligen, North Rhine Westphalia, Land Niedersachsen, and Schleswig-Holstein, also Wentorf (resettlement processing center). I can not find any sites online in English where I can look into further info about this dp camp in Soligen. If possible, could you be of any assistance in this search for more info.. Thank you,

    Julianna Francowiak (nee Kopczynski)


May 15, 2013 Hi Olga,

I am researching my late grandmother, Nanna (Bronislawa Stepniak) of her time in Poland/ Germany and to obtain information regarding remaining family.

I have in my collection from my mother and Aunt various papers and photographs:

  • an IRO document issued at Fallingbostel (this would have been prior to her immigrating to Australia on the Liguria to Bonegilla). On the back it's stamped with 'Seen by Immigration Fremantle ' & 'Department of Immigration Melbourne, Vic ;
  • an AD CARD stamped with Fallingbostel listing RC as religion; Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate) for her son born in Wermelskirchen, listing Polin Bronislawa Stepniak as "wohnhaft in Solingen, Polenlager (polish camp)";
  • an IRO (British Zone) document dated for Bocholt;
  • Certificate from Bocholt stating 'has been a resident of this camp for past 24 months..she has not been working,' ;
  • two International Certificate of Inoculation and Vaccination books for her and her son;
  • Two Personal-Ausweis booklets for her and her son (British Zone) stating Wiener-Allee/Lager, Bocholt;
  • Meldekarte (registration card) stating Lager Sengwarden, stamped Wilhelmshaven;
  • Medical Card for her son, 87 DPACS Bocholt.

I am attaching photographas and am hopeful others may recognize individuals to help further my search.

I have also recently contacted the Polish Central Military Archive http://www.caw.wp.mil.pl/en/ 89.html regarding two photos she has of one of her two brothers, to which I do not know a name/s.

I have also included a document, Bron's Story,(in Word doc format) which was written by her brother-in-law, for an assignment he completed for Deakin University, unfortunately it does not mention areas/names.

If you have any information/links I would be extremely grateful. Refer to the photo number if you recognize any person so that we can caption it. Many thanks and kind regards, Tanya Lester tanyalester@hotmail.com


*Bron 4 photo....

1946.m. XI (something)
Reine
Tolgam (something) (something) savo fot?grafija siwo(?) (something scrubbed out) (something scrubbed out).
Stasys(?) (something).
Sietugon(?) (something) (something).
And another sentence which I don't know.
Once back from holiday will get to a professional photographer to hopefully enhance words.
Question marks are there as unsure if interpreted letters correctly.

Click photos to enlarge

1. Nanna 2. nanna 2 3. Bron portrait.   4.*900a 5. Gals on tank
Bronoslawa (Nanna) in first three photos   Nanna in the center; .......Nanna standing on top of tank.
6. 3 women   7. 3 women

Nanna on far right.

 

Nanna is on far right. First two ladies unknown

8. 3 women 9. Bron & Lady

 

10. 4 women

Nanna is far right, hit in mouth with butt of rifle, got infected.............Nanna is on left.  

Nanna is 2nd from right.

11. Unsure of whether Bron 12. mother or grandmother   13. 900b

Unsure whether this is Bron..............Mother or Grandmother?

 

Nanna at far right.

14. American on Motorcyle   15. American & Bron

American soldier

 

Nanna and American

16. Nanna & Italian   17.
Nanna with Italian man.   unknown lady & Nanna
18. nanna in chair   19. Nanna on right

Nanna sitting in chair.

 

Nanna on right

     
20. Army Brother 21. Blond women   22. Army Group

Missing Army brother..................Unknown woman

 

Army group - Nanna's brother seated far right. Bocholt camp. Verified by mariuslange@gmx-topmail.de

     
23. Camp

Bocholt camp. Verified by mariuslange@gmx-topmail.de

 

24. Group a   25. group b

Nanna standing far right; Jozia kneeling left

 

Nanna standing second from right

26. Group 2a   27. group 3a

Nanna third from left standing

 

Nanna sitting, second from right, man's arm on her shoulder

28. group 3b   29. group pic

Nanna second row with male's arm around her.

   
30. group 4
 
31. unkown boy 32. teens   33. christening party unknown1.

Unknown boy...................................Unknown teens

 

In Bochult, unknown christening party....Nanna behind small boy

34. group 52b   35. labour group 00. man & child

Nanna second from right, head touching mans'; note: workers in uniforms

 

labour group: Nanna standing second from left

36. Group eating corn   37.Nanna with car

Group eating corn

 

Unknown people

38. Lady on bike 39. sol Lady   40. Woman front 41. writing on back
Unknown lady on bike..............Unknown lady walking on steps.  

Jozia - "For long & unforgetable memory, I give my photo to beloved and pleaanat Broni. Stay in exil, Jozia. "

42. Two children on sofa; 1-7-1949 in Greven

Email from Marissa Rinius: One of the photos of "2 sitting on a sofa" seems to be of my sister (on the right) who was also born in Germany in 1947, slightly younger than her cousin Kazimir. Maybe it's the two of them in that photo."

Two boys on couch
 

43. Still

Boy beside still for liquor brewing.

44. Child in Bucholt

 

 

 

45. wedding
Wedding
46. wedding 3   47. wedding 2

Unknown wedding couple

 

Unkwown wedding couple; Nanna at back on the right.

48. k g 49. k g   50. koz front 51. Koz back
Krystyna (Christina) Gonorwiska? Goworska?  

Kazimierz Tadeusz in Sengwarden - Who can translate the back of photo?

52. 889 53. 2 men 2 children   54. Pramback of Pram

Email from Marissa Rinius:
One photo in particular was arresting, photo 52, because it is a picture of my father, who is your grandmothers son's uncle. My father was Stasys Rinius, and his brother, Kazyk (or Charlie) Rinius; Kazyk is Kazimir's father. Photo 53 - the man in the hat closely resembles Kazyk. my uncle.

 

  Nanna with son, Tadeusz?
55. Madonna & child   56. Train
Icon of Madonna and Jesus  

Arriving in Australian camp Bonegilla.

     
     
 

Various Documents

 

Personal Id card Bron   personal Id card Bron2personal ID card Tad

Personal Identification documents: outside cover

  Inside: Bronislawa's on left; Tadeusz's on right in Camp Bocholt
   

Read about Bocholt: http://stalag-vi-f.beepworld.de/

Bocholt camp no longer exists; it is now a forrest.

  Proof of residency2

Proof of residency in Camp Bocholt

 

Proof of residency in Camp Bocholt

 

Registration card   CU of Meldekarte

Meldekarte (registration card) full view

 

Meldekarte Close Up

 

Rieker newspaper head   Rieker Shoe Ad

Rieker newspaper

 

Shoe ad in Rieker newspaper

 

letter   list of residents
letter  

List of residents

 

Who vaccination bookletdate stamp   Eligiblity Certificate

World Health Organization vaccination booklet & date stamps

 

  IRO Certificate of Eligibility from Bocholt says Bronislawa is forced labor
    note
   

Note needs to be translated.

 

journal   letter

letter

 

letter or journal

 

vaccination doc   vaccination certificate
Date stamps vaccinations  

Vaccination against smallpox certificate from Bocholt

 

stamp Wermelskirchen   Wilshemshaven
Verification of birth by registrar in Wermelskirchen  

and stamp from Wilshemshaven