Volksdeutsche Translators as Administrative and Judicial Intermediaries: Comparative Perspectives from Nazi-Occupied Poland and Nazi-Occupied Kyiv, Ukraine (1939–1945)

The occupation policy implemented by Nazi Germany between 1939 and 1945 relied on a comprehensive administrative, ideological, and judicial framework designed to ensure effective control and systematic Germanization of occupied territories. Essential elements of this system included special courts (Sondergerichte) and administrative-propaganda bodies, such as the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce (Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg – ERR). Central to their operations were translators and interpreters of ethnic German descent, known as Volksdeutsche, whose linguistic competencies and ideological alignment strategically positioned them within occupation administrations. This article analyzes the role of female Volksdeutsche translators employed by the ERR Central Library in Kyiv from 1941 to 1945 explicitly. Drawing on archival documents from the Bundesarchiv and employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) alongside historical methods, the study investigates how ostensibly neutral bureaucratic language masked their active involvement in Nazi administrative, ideological, and judicial activities. Furthermore, the analysis explores the intersection of gender and ethnicity, demonstrating how traditional gender roles and expectations were reinforced through official Nazi discourse. By focusing on detailed case studies of three translators – Ida Klaips, Margarethe Rösler, and Alexandra Sack – this article deepens our understanding of the complex roles occupied by Volksdeutsche women within Nazi occupation policies, making a substantive contribution to broader scholarly discussions on collaboration, memory, and historical accountability.