Abbreviations

A
AEL: Arbeitserziehungslager - Approved Camp, by work.
AJC: American Jewish Committee.
AK: Armia Krajowa - Polish Home Army in the occupied Poland. Autumn 1939 - January 1945.
ARC: Aktion Reinhard Camps.
AZ: Aktenzeichen - Reference Number.

B
BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation.
BdO: Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei - Commander of the Order Police (Orpo).
BdS: Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD - Commander of the Security Police (Sipo) and SD (Security Service).
BdW: Befehlshaber der Waffen-SS - Commander of the Waffen-SS.
Betr.: Betrifft - with Reference to.. .
BGH: Bundesgerichtshof - 2nd highest German Court (modern Germany).
Brigaf: SS-Brigadeführer
BUND: Jewish Socialist Party - Founded in 1897 in Vilnius.
BDM: Bund Deutscher Mädel - Nazi organization for 10 - 18 years old girls. Part of the Hitlerjugend (HJ).

C
cm: Centimetres - 1 cm = 0.4 inches
CIA: Central Intelligence Agency, a U.S. Secret Service.
CO: Carbon Monoxide - Poison Gas, used in the Nazi Euthanasia and Aktion Reinhard Gas Chambers.

D
DAW: Deutsche Ausrüstungswerke - The biggest SS enterprise. May 1939 - 1945.
DDR: Deutsche Demokratische Republik - German Democratic Republic.
DG IV: Durchgangsstraße IV - Through Road IV.
Div: Division - Military Division.
DRG: Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft - German Railways Company.
Dulag: Durchgangslager - Transit Camp.

E
eds.: Editors.
einschl.: Einschließlich - including.. .
EK: Einsatzkommando - German Task force. The Einsatzgruppen A - D had several Einsatzkommandos each.
EK1 / EK2 (EK I / EK II): Eisernes Kreuz 1 / 2 - Former German War Decoration. EK1 was more valuable than EK2.

F
Fs.: Fernschreiben - Telex

G
GDR - German Democratic Republic
geb. - geboren - born in..
Gedob: Generaldirektion der Ostbahnen - General Management of the Eastern Railways. German Railways in the occupied East.
Gekrat: Gemeinnützige Krankentransport GmbH - Aktion T4 (Euthanasia) Transport organization.
Gestapo: Geheime Staatspolizei - Secret State Police in the "Third Reich". 1933 - 1945. Most important oppression instrument.
GFH: Ghetto Fighters House - Holocaust and Jewish Resistance Heritage Museum, Research and Documentation Center, Israel.
GFP: Geheime Feldpolizei - Secret Field Police.
GG: Generalgouvernement - "General Gouvernment". Polish districts, annexed by Germany on 26 October 1939.
GmbH: Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung - Limited liability company.
GPK: Grenzpolizeikommissariat - Frontier Police Authority.
Gruf: SS-Gruppenführer
Gulag: Glawnoje Uprawlenije Lagerej - Russ: "Head Office of the Camps". Name for the Soviet forced labour camps during the Stalin aera. Approximately 20 million people perished in these camps between 1928 and 1953.

H
HASAG: Hugo Schneider Aktiengesellschaft Metallwarenfabrik Leipzig - Defence company. 1899 - 1945. Employed thousands of forced labourers in Germany and Poland.
Hstuf: SS-Hauptsturmführer
Hiwi: Hilfswilliger - People who are willing to help.
HJ: - Hitlerjugend. Nazi organisation for 10 - 18 years old boys and girls. 1926 - 1945.
Hscharf: SS-Hauptscharführer
HSSPF: Höherer SS- und Polizeiführer - Himmler's elite leaders, established to combine the SS and police forces.
Hstuf: SS-Hauptsturmführer

I
IG: Interessengemeinschaft: - Association of interested persons / groups. IG Farbenindustrie means "Association of the German Colours Industries", the largest German Industrial complex in the 40ies, launched in 1925.

K
Kapo: Prisoners who acted as leaders of a work command in a camp.
KdF: Kanzlei des Führers. Established 1934, for applications. From 1939 more and more involved in the euthanasia programme and the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question".
Kdo.: Kommando - Commando unit.
KdO: Kommandeur der Ordnungspolizei - Commander of the Order Police.
KdS: Kommandeur der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD - Commander of the Security Police and SD.
kg: Kilogramm - Kilo Grammes. 1 kg = 2.2 pounds (avoirdupois) / 2.7 pounds (troy).
KL: Konzentrationslager - Official Nazi expression for concentration camps.
km / kms: Kilometres - 1 km = 1.093 yards = 0.62 miles
KTI: Kriminaltechnisches Institut - Institute for Criminal Technology.
KZ: Konzentrationslager - Usual expression for concentration camp, usually used by the population but then also by officials because it has a sharper sound.
Kripo: Kriminalpolizei - Criminal Police.

L
LKW: Lastkraftwagen - Lorry.
Lt.: Lieutenant.

M
m: Metre - 1 m = 1.1 yards = 3.3 feet = 39.4 inches.
m²: Square metre - 1 m² = 1.2 square yards = 10.76 square feet.
mm: Millimetres - 1 mm = 0.04 inches.
MStGB: Militärstrafgesetzbuch - Military penal code.

N
NCO: Non-commissioned officer.
Nr.: Nummer - Number.
NS: Nationalsozialismus - Political movement, lead by Hitler.
NSDAP: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei. Hitler's Party. 1920 - 1945.
NKVD: Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del - Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs. Soviet Secret Police.

O
Oberf: SS-Oberführer
Ogruf: SS-Obergruppenführer
OKW: Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - German Armed Forces High Command.
Orpo: Ordnungspolizei - Nazi Order Police.
Oscharf: SS-Oberscharführer
OSS: Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner of the U.S. Secret Service CIA.
Ostubaf: SS-Obersturmbannführer
Oberstgruf: SS-Oberstgruppenführer
Ortsgr.: Ortsgruppe - Location Group.
Osti: Ostindustrie GmbH - SS enterprise with many forced labour camps in the Generalgouvernement.
Ostubaf: SS-Obersturmbannführer
Ostuf: SS-Obersturmführer
OT: Organisation Todt - Nazi organisation for mainly military construction works. 1938-1945.

P
p.: Page.
PKW: Personenkraftwagen - Car.
Pol.: Polizei - Police.
POW: Prisoner of War.
PZ: Panzer - Tank.

R
RAD: Reichsarbeitsdienst - Work organization for all men, after their military service.
RAG: Reichsarbeitsgemeinschaft Heil- und Pflegeanstalten - Aktion T4 (Euthanasia) Organization.
RFSS: Reichsführer-SS (Himmler).
RKF: Reichskommissar für die Festigung deutschen Volkstums - Reich Commissioner for the consolidation of German traditional folklore.
RM: Reichsmark - German currency from 1924 - 1945.
RSHA: Central office for security affairs, persecution and mass murder. Lead by Reinhard Heydrich. 27 September 1939 - 1945.
RuSHA / RuS: Rasse- und Siedlungshauptamt - SS office for racial affairs. 1931 - 1945.

S
SA: Sturmabteilung - Storm Division. Paramilitary troops of Hitler's NSDAP. 1923 - 1945.
Scharf: SS-Scharführer
Schupo: Schutzpolizei - Protecting Police.
SD: Sicherheitsdienst - Security Service of the SS. 1931 - 1945.
Sipo: Sicherheitspolizei - Nazi Security Police.
SK: Sonderkommando - Special Command.
SS: Schutzstaffel - Hitler's personal guards. Ruled the KZs. SS elite troops were also brought into WW2 battles. 1923 - 1945.
SSPF: SS- und Polizeiführer. Leaders of regional SS and police forces.
StA: Staatsanwaltschaft - The public prosecutors.
Staf: SS-Standartenführer
Stalag: Stammlager - POW Camp.
Str.: Straße - Street
Stubaf: SS-Sturmbannführer
Stuka: Sturzkampfbomber - Famous German bomber whose siren became louder when diving.

T
T4: "Aktion T4" - Code name for the Nazi euthanasia.

U
UdSSR: Union der Sozialistischen Sowjetrepubliken - USSR.
Ul.: Ulica - Polish: Street.
U.S.: United States of America.
Uscharf: SS-Unterscharführer
USHMM: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, USA.
USAAF: United States Army Airforce.
Ustuf: SS-Untersturmführer

V
Vomi: Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle - Contact office for Volksdeutsche, people of German origin outside Germany. Belonged to the SS.

W
WVHA: Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt. Main office of the SS enterprises. 1942 - 1945.
WW2: World War II.

Z
ZAL: Zwangsarbeitslager - Forced labour camp.
z.B.: zum Beispiel - for example.
z.b.V: zur besonderen Verfügung - for special disposal.
ZIH: Zydowski Instytut Historyczny - Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw.
ZOB: Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa - Jewish armed resistance organization for defence in the Warsaw Ghetto.
z.Z.: zur Zeit - At the Time of.

© ARC 2005