Now I know what this has to say but does anyone have experence dealing with these people that work there I don't understand what I have to do to get his information do I have to have Hans write a letter to them? Or do I have to approach them differently, on the internet filing I just wrote I was a friend. Thanks for any help you guys can give. Here is what they sent me, I can't read everything but I get the just of it.

quote:

Hans Keiling, geb. 13.04.1919

Ihre Internet-Anfrange vom 13.12.2005

Sehr geehrter Herr Kirchen

nach den Bestimmungen des Berliner Datenschutzgesetzes (BinDSG) vom 29.03.1994
is die übermittlung personenbezogener Daten an Stellen ausserhalb des öffentlichen Bereichs nur dann zulässig, wenn der Betroffene oder seine Hinterbliebenen eingewilligt haben.

Ich bedaure, Ihnen nicht behilflich sein zu können

Hans Keiling, born 13.04.1919
Your request via internet from 13.12.2005
Dear Mr. Kirchen
Due to Berlin data protection law (BinDSG) from 29.03.1994
transmitting of person related dates to non puplic agencies are only
allowed if the certain person or his surviving dependants did agree.
I regret for not being able to help you

Adam,
Depending on the arm of service and what you are looking for there ARE other sources.Dienstelle are difficult to extract info from
If NOT SS or Party The Bundesarchiv in Koblenz or Aachen can be helpfull.I personally have been assisted by both with copies of
personal files.National Archives in Washington DC also.
Seiler (Yank in UK)

Adam,
if Hans is still alive that is the only way to get this information (or a close relative). They have tightened the data protection laws up over here in the past years. A good friend of mine who works in a Government agency in Landau told me that they have been destroying Wehrpäße and Soldbücher with extremely interesting entries due to these laws. The former soldiers turned these in as evidence for pensions etc. and either forgot to get them back or died before this was possible.