Overview

• The DRK Search Service continues to handle approximately 7,000 inquiries annually, primarily from descendants seeking to resolve WWII-related family mysteries.
• Its archives hold information on over 20 million search requests, resolving 43% of cases thanks to expanded access to Soviet records since the 1990s.
• Established in 1945, the service has clarified the fates of 8.8 million individuals from 14 million inquiries made between 1945 and 1950.
• The Munich site, central to the service's operations and home to extensive digitization efforts, is only funded through 2028, with future support under negotiation.
• Beyond WWII cases, the service applies its expertise to locate missing persons in modern conflicts, including those in Ukraine and Syria.