1947 German POW Returnee Quarantine Certificate Camp 29 Hermsdorf Thüringen

Original 1947 German post-WWII quarantine certificate (Quarantäne-Bescheinigung) issued by Quarantänelager Nr. 29, Hermsdorf, Kreis Stadtroda, Thüringen to a returning former German prisoner of war.

This is a particularly interesting early postwar document because it records the processing of a named “Heimkehrer / ehemaliger Kriegsgefangener” — returnee / former prisoner of war as he returned to Thuringia. Archival/historical material confirms that Camp No. 29 at Hermsdorf was processing returning POWs during 1947; another surviving certificate from the same camp records essentially the same procedure and form.

Recipient: Gerhard Nicolai
Born: 8 February 1921
Birthplace: Brüheim
Registration card: No. 1956 E VIII
Arrival in Thuringia: 18 July 1947
Quarantine: 19 July – 1 August 1947
Certificate valid until: 15 August 1947
Released/destination: Großenbehringen

The form originally provided three classifications: Heimkehrer (returnee), Umsiedler (resettler) and ehemaliger Kriegsgefangener (former prisoner of war). The markings indicate Nicolai was being processed as a returning former POW.

Interesting Medical & Camp Details

The certificate contains multiple official stamps, handwritten entries and signatures documenting his quarantine and medical processing.

Among the markings are:

“Frei von ansteckenden u. Geschlechtskrankheiten”
Free from infectious and venereal diseases

“frei von Krätze u. Läusen”
Free from scabies and lice

There are also entries relating to vaccination and delousing (Entlaust). These details illustrate the public-health procedures imposed on people moving through postwar reception and quarantine camps. Fourteen-day quarantine periods were commonly used to control infectious disease among the enormous numbers of displaced people and returnees moving through Germany after the war.

Reverse

The reverse is especially worthwhile and should definitely be shown in the listing. It contains additional regulations and several stamps, including the large:

“Quarantänelager 29 – Hermsdorf (Thür.)”

camp stamp, dated 1 August 1947, together with signatures for the Lagerarzt (camp doctor) and Lagerleiter (camp director).

It states that during the certificate’s validity there were no further epidemic-control objections to the holder being accepted into a Thuringian municipality, receiving food ration cards, or using public transportation.

It further warns that if a permanent residence had not been established by that point, the holder would have to undergo another 14-day quarantine and receive a second certificate.

The reverse records:

“Entlassen nach Großenbehringen” — Released to Großenbehringen

and indicates provisions/rations through 3 August 1947.

Of particular interest are the additional Cyrillic/Russian occupation markings, reflecting the fact that Thuringia was within the Soviet occupation zone during this period.

Historical Significance

This is much more than a generic health certificate. It documents one individual’s transition from wartime captivity back into German civilian life, including registration, quarantine, medical examination, delousing, rationing and final release.

A surviving account independently documents another former POW passing through Quarantänelager 29 in 1947, while another published example reproduces a Camp 29 quarantine certificate for a different returning POW. That makes the identification of the camp and its function particularly solid.

Condition: Good original used condition for its age with period folds, punched filing holes, stamps, handwritten entries and normal handling/age wear. Please see all photographs for exact condition.

An excellent piece of 1947 German POW returnee, Soviet occupation zone, Thuringia and immediate postwar history.

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