page_title: Heimkehrer
hierarchical_section_title: Heimkehrer
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Die Mutter eines Kriegsgefangenen dankt Bundeskanzler Dr. Konrad Adenauer nach seiner Rückkehr aus Moskau am 14. 9. 1955 auf dem Flughafen Köln/Bonn für den erfolgreichen Abschluß seiner Verhandlungen mit der sowjetischen Führung. Dr. Adenauer hatte erreicht, daß bis Ende 1955 über 15.000 Kriegsgefangene, Internierte und Zivilverschleppte in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland entlassen wurden.
context_page_description: Heimkehrer refers to the German prisoners of war and internees—Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS, Ordnungspolizei, behind-the-lines Hiwis security and civilian personnel—of World War II who were repatriated to West Germany, East Germany and Austria after the war. Some of the late returnees were convicted war criminals who were subsequently tried in West Germany.
  By 1948 the number of German internees still held in captivity was as follows:
  United Kingdom: 435,295
  United States of America: 30,976
  France: 631,483
  Soviet Union: 890,532.
context_section_description: Heimkehrer (literally "homecomer") refers to the German prisoners of war and internees—Wehrmacht (Heer), Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS, Ordnungspolizei, behind-the-lines Hiwis security and civilian personnel—of World War II who were repatriated to West Germany, East Germany and Austria after the war. Some of the late returnees were convicted war criminals who were subsequently tried in West Germany.
  By 1948 the number of German internees still held in captivity was as follows:
  United Kingdom: 435,295
  United States of America: 30,976
  France: 631,483
  Soviet Union: 890,532.
caption: The mother of a Heimkehrer thanking the chancellor Konrad Adenauer for negotiating the return of her son on 14 September 1955
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