If there are any Jews who were professional German soldiers prior to Hitler who want to serve in the cadre of the new German army, the Bundestag has made it possible for them to be considered.
The original government draft of the “Volunteers Law” prescribed that officers or NCO’s accepted by the incipient German army would be taken over at the “last rank” held by them, which in practice means the last rank awarded by the Nazi regime. No provision was made for those who, on racial or political grounds, were dismissed from the service or reduced in rank during the Hitler era.
When this deficiency was pointed out, the West German Parliament added a clause to the law that permits Nazi victims to volunteer at the rank they would have attained “in the normal course of events.” They must be physically fit, as well as otherwise “satisfactory” to the recruiting officers.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
