Who were the SS Helferinnen shown in the famous Hoecker album?

[Mary Jane]

Actually, what color is the Helferins' uniform here?

I assume this, an original:



I see that the cap is distinctively black.

And do you know if the SS Helferins ever worn brown uniforms, like this: https://colorcodes.io/wp-content/upload ... b1/notWebP, and if so, what group of helferins they were?...

Uniforms, insignia, the ranks, it's sort of new to me and I am trying to make sense of the picture (pun not intended )

I understand that different groups of Helferins had uniforms in different colors, I am trying to establish whether the same group (such as the communication assistants seen here) had any kind of variety in their uniforms (including but not limited to color) or was that pretty much a fixed thing?

[Geoff Walden]

Mary Jane, this is a great line of research, and I encourage you to continue your impressive work, in spite of the naysayers here who have tried to belittle it. I have some interest in the topic, having stood where those photos were taken.

[Mary Jane]

Mary Jane, this is a great line of research, and I encourage you to continue your impressive work, in spite of the naysayers here who have tried to belittle it. I have some interest in the topic, having stood where those photos were taken.

Thank you so much Geoff. It wouldn't be possible without especially Oscar's help, since I myself didn't have access to a key source (Jutta Mühlenberg's book) and accessing the Bundesarchiv files of women bumped into an obstacle as they requested a fee. I am yet to try my chance with Bundesarchiv Ludwigsburg however, as suggested by Steve. The files are not in digitized form, anywhere yet, including the NARA. And I actually wonder why this is so...

I am still so curious about the identity of some women. Namely the number 7 in the source photo and the laughing one in blueberries, a key figure, whom we don't have the details of. Without a *name* I can't request a file...

The matching so far is not %100 confirmed since I personally don't have the files of women; but it is %90-95 right with only a little room for mistake and I am satisfied with it.

I find myself theorizing and hypothesizing about what happened to no 7's files; but without any proof, it's hard to know where to look for, even if I tried indirect methods and did a lot of guesswork; such as what if she was married to an SS man, as they were encouraged indeed, and I tried to find if there were any SS officers whose probable age, rank, and service dates at Auschwitz could match, and who could be married to the woman. I came up with some possible names even, but it's like shooting at the dark to go to the Bundesarchiv and say, "I need like the files of these 5 men to see if they were married to an SS Helferin"

I sometimes really wish that I was in the Bundesarchiv and in a position to have ready access into whatever I want!

Can you please tell me more about having stood where the photos are taken?...

The cafeteria at Solahütte has been demolished in 2011; an original, historical building which looked quite sturdy and well-kept. It's a loss in my opinion, and I don't know just why they opted to destroy it. (Theories again, lol, did they fear it became a Neo-Nazi shrine sort of after the surfacing of the album; or is it just that it was private property you know, and when there weren't enough profits, they do whatever they want with it, having nothing to do with history or with any other reason...)

[Geoff Walden]

Can you please tell me more about having stood where the photos are taken?...

On a visit to Auschwitz I drove down and visited the Solahütte site. As you stated, the building itself is gone. All that is left is the large concrete/asphalt patio. The blueberries railing is gone, but you can see where it had been.
The little wooden footbridge is gone, but there is a culvert where the stream used to run, so you can also tell where the bridge used to be. There are also period houses and bunkers left there.

I sometimes really wish that I was in the Bundesarchiv and in a position to have ready access into whatever I want!

I have felt the same thing at the US National Archives. What an adventure it would be to be let loose in there “behind the desk,” to search all that one would wish.

[LAstryAGAIN]

Check Wikipedia there is a good listing by name and fate of SS Helferins