DAI Questions and Answers

 

by Allen Konrad

 

 

  • What does DAI stand for?

  • What are the DAI indexes?

  • What time period do the DAI indexes cover?

  • What language are the DAI films written in?

  • How will the DAI indexes help me with my research?

  • How do I order a copy of a file that I am interested in?

  • What is the difference between an EWZ file and a DAI file?

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    What does DAI stand for?

    Deutsches Ausland- Institut [DAI=German Foreign Country Institute], Stuttgart.  

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    What are the DAI indexes?

    The DAI indexes deal with records of the Deutsches Ausland- Institut, Stuttgart. (Part I)—Records on 1940 Resettlement—(rolls 264-330); and records of the Deutsches Ausland-Institut, Stuttgart. (Part II)—The General Records—(rolls 331-637).

     

    These are microfilmed documents of every kind captured by the Allied Forces from the Nazi regime. The index indicates, in English, the title of each document and how many pages included in the document. The index indicates if the document was anything other than in German, whether it was hand-written script, typed, or printed in newspaper or book format, a photo, or a sketch. The index may indicate the date it was produced. The index gives researchers the opportunity to examine the index to find out if there is anything of interest for family research.  If there is, the details of the microfilm is provided so the person can view it personally, or have specific pages copied.  The translation of the document would be the responsibility of the researcher. 

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    What time period do the DAI indexes cover?

    They cover a period of a few years before WWII and into the time that the resettled Germans were returned to Germany in the early 1940s.   

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    What language are the DAI films written in?

    The microfilms are primarily in German.  

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    How will the indexes help me with my research?

    As you will see in the indexes, they sometimes include family trees, birth and death information, where a specific family was living, etc. It is possible the information in these films will help you solve some genealogy puzzles.

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    How do I order a copy of a file that I am interested in?

    The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has all of these films. The Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) has many of the files included in our indexes in their library. You would need visit their library (Bismarck, North Dakota) to view it personally, or call them to have specific pages copied. GRHS does charge a fee for their service, so check with them regarding the cost and the availability of the film.  
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    What is the difference between an EWZ file and a DAI file?

    The EWZ series covers only the era during the re-settlement. The DAI series contains records collected during the entire emigration span (late 1700’s through WWII). A large number of the DAI records were collected by Dr. Karl Stumpp during WWII.

     
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