The Volksdeutsche Conscripted into the Selbstschutz
In the autumn of 1939, in the Polish territories annexed to the Reich, particularly Pomerelia (West Prussia) and the Wartheland, the occupiers registered the Volksdeutsche, those ethnic Germans who had been settled in Poland for generations. Many were enrolled in the Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz, a "self-protection" militia overseen by the SS and placed under the authority of .
In the towns and villages, neighbors and local notables knew the names and addresses of the Polish elites and the Jewish population. The militia hunted down, arrested, and executed people according to proscription lists, often near the homes of those who drew them up. A summoned Volksdeutsche found himself ordered to take part.
The man can present himself and serve, try to evade the duty at the risk of being suspected of disloyalty to the "German people," or attempt to leave the area — even as the Reich's internal borders are closely watched.
Should the Volksdeutsche join the Selbstschutz, refuse, or flee the region?
The vast majority of summoned Volksdeutsche joined the Selbstschutz, whether out of ideological conviction, community pressure, or opportunism. Numbering up to roughly 100,000 members, this militia took part in the mass executions of the autumn of 1939 in the annexed territories: it is estimated that the murders of Polish and Jewish elites and civilians in these regions (West Prussia/Pomerelia and the Wartheland) claimed several tens of thousands of victims, with emblematic sites such as Piaśnica and Szpęgawsk. The Selbstschutz was disbanded in the spring of 1940, its members transferred into the police, the SS, or the Wehrmacht.
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