UNRRA selected records AG-018-039 : Germany Mission
Extent and Medium
532,068 digital images, JPEG
238 microfilm reels (partially digitized), 16 mm
Creator(s)
- United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)
Biographical History
The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency representing 44 nations, but largely dominated by the United States. Founded in 1943, it became part of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, and it largely shut down operations in 1947. Its purpose was to "plan, co-ordinate, administer or arrange for the administration of measures for the relief of victims of war in any area under the control of any of the United Nations through the provision of food, fuel, clothing, shelter and other basic necessities, medical and other essential services." Its staff of civil servants included 12,000 people, with headquarters in New York. Funding came from many nations, and totaled $3.7 billion, of which the United States contributed $2.7 billion; Britain $625 million and Canada $139 million. The Administration of UNRRA at the peak of operations in mid-1946 included five types of offices and missions with a staff totaling nearly 25,000: The Headquarters Office in Washington, The European Regional Office (London), the 29 servicing offices and missions (2 area offices in Cairo and Sydney; 10 liaison offices and missions in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Trieste; 12 procurement offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and later Peru, Cuba, India, Mexico, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela; 6 offices for procurement of surplus military supplies in Caserta and later Rome, Honolulu, Manila, New Delhi, Paris, Shanghai), the sixteen missions to receiving countries (Albania, Austria, Byelorussia, China, Czechoslovakia, the Dodecanese Islands, Ethiopia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia), and the Displaced Persons Operations in Germany. UNRRA cooperated closely with dozens of volunteer charitable organizations, who sent hundreds of their own agencies to work alongside UNRRA. In operation only three years, the agency distributed about $4 billion worth of goods, food, medicine, tools, and farm implements at a time of severe global shortages and worldwide transportation difficulties. The recipient nations had been especially hard hit by starvation, dislocation, and political chaos. It played a major role in helping Displaced Persons return to their home countries in Europe in 1945-46. Its UN functions were transferred to several UN agencies, including the International Refugee Organization and the World Health Organization. As an American relief agency, it was largely replaced by the Marshall Plan, which began operations in 1948. [Source: UN Original finding aid of records of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)]
Archival History
United Nations Archives and Records Management Section
Acquisition
Source of acquisition is the United Nations Archives and Records Management Section (UN-ARMS), UNRRA records AG-018-039. The collection was initially filmed onto microfilms and copied through a cooperative agreement between the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Mémorial de la Shoah, France and the UN-ARMS. The USHMM Archives received the filmed collection via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archival Programs Division in 2015.
Scope and Content
Consists of correspondence, memoranda, bulletins, circulars, newspapers, incoming and outgoing cables, intelligence reports, and reports relating to legal matters. Subjects include but are not limited to the following: interpretations, drafts, and revisions of U.S., British, French, and military agreements; military government laws affecting displaced persons and civilians; assistance for displaced persons; voluntary agencies; legal assistance and protection for displaced persons and stateless persons; unaccompanied children; emigration and repatriation of displaced persons; supplies and transport; UNRRA personnel; individual case files of displaced persons, the Central Tracing Bureau files. Correspondents include Manfred Simon, Legal Adviser; and General Sir Frederick Morgan, Director, UNRRA Central Headquarters (Classified).
System of Arrangement
Arranged in forty series: 1. United States Zone: Department of Finance and Administration (S-0439); 2. French Zone: Field Operations of Welfare Services (S-0438); 3. United States Zone: Department of Field Operations (S-0437); 4. United States Zone: District, Team and Camp (S-0436); 5. United States Zone: Districts Area Teams. Operational and Administrative (S-0435); 6. British Zone: Schleswig-Holstein Region (S-0434); 7. French Zone: Health Division (S-0433); 8. French Zone: Employment Division (S-0432); 9. British Zone: Regional (S-043); 10. French Zone: Volunteer Agencies Division (S-0430); 11. British Zone: Area Teams: Schleswig-Holstein Region (S-0429); 12. British Zone (S-0428); 13. British Zone: Land Niedersachsen Regional Zone Headquarters (S-0427); 14. United States Zone: Maps and Finding Aids to UNRRA Installations (S-0426); 15. United States Zone: Office of the Director (S-0425); 16. United States Zone: District Operation and Administration (S-0424); 17. British Zone: Central Registry. Rhine and Westphalia (S-0423); 18. British Zone: Central Registry. Assembly Centers and Camps (S-0422); 19. French Zone: Team and Camp Files. Haslach (S-0421); 20. French Zone: Repatriation Division (S-0420); 21. French Zone: Office of the Director of Field Operations (S-0419); 22. French Zone: Reports Division (S-0418); 23. French Zone: Office of the Director (S-0417); 24. Central Headquarters: Volunteer Agencies Section (S-0416); 25. Central Headquarters: Office of the Chief of Supply and Transport (S-0415); 26. Central Headquarters: Medical Section (S-0414); 27. Central Headquarters: Central Tracing Bureau (S-0413); 28. Central Headquarters: Reports and Analysis Division. Office, Field and Administrative Orders (S-0412); 29. Central Headquarters. Office of the Chief of Field Operations (S-0411); 30. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Office of the Chief and Deputy Chief. Public Information (S-0410); 31. British Zone Headquarters: Executive Offices (S-0409); 32. British Zone Headquarters: Regional Units and Teams (S-0408); 33: British Zone Headquarters: Area Teams (S-0407); 34. British Zone Headquarters in Lemgo: Director (S-0405); 35. British Zone Headquarters (S-0406); 36. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: UNRRA Closure (S-0404); 37.Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Organization and Management Division (S-0403); 38. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Repatriation Section (S-0402); 39. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Department of Field Operations (S-0401); 40. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Legal Adviser. Classified (S-0400); 41. Central Headquarters in Arolsen: Chief and Deputy Chief of Operations. Correspondence (S-0399).
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Copyright Holder: United Nations Archives and Records Management Section
People
- Krause, Jay B.
- Cohen, Myer.
- Morgan, Frederick E.
Corporate Bodies
- International Tracing Service
- American Friends Service Committee
- United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Subjects
- Europe--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.
- Humanitarian assistance--Statistics.
- War relief--United States--History--20th century.
- War relief--Europe--History--20th century.
- Germany--Politics and government--History--20th century.
- Reconstruction (1939-1951)--Europe.
- Refugees--Germany (West)--Statistics.
- Germany--Emigration and immigration--20th century.
- Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Sources.
- Refugee -- Humanitarian assistance -- Associations, institutions, etc.
- World War, 1939-1945--Civilian relief--United States.
- Refugee camps--Germany--Administration.
- Refugees--Legal status, laws, etc.
- United States--Politics and government.
- International relief.
Genre
- Reports.
- Document
- Bulletins.
- Circulars.
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Correspondence.
Copies
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum holds copies of Holocaust-relevant archives from United Nations Archives and Records Management Section