American families in Occupied Germany - 1946

[LONDONER]

Nazi Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. For the next 12 months, the whole country was sealed from the rest of the world, except for the Russians, British, French and Americans assigned to the military occupation.

But in late April, 1946, everything changed with the arrival of the first Army dependents in the U.S. Occupation Zone. Most of the following information and photos appeared in a 190-page Army book, "An Introduction to Germany for Occupation Families," published in January 1947 by USFET (U.S. Forces European Theater).

At first, the Germans were curious, but that quickly changed to fear. There was a drastic housing shortage, caused by WW II's many bombing raids. The Army was not building new housing -- they were evicting German families to accommodate the Americans.

By late 1946, the U.S. Occupation Zone had 72 "Communities" ranging in size from only two families (Berchtesgaden) to compounds with more than a thousand families each in Munich, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Berlin. Each compound was gated and guarded by MPs or trained Polish displaced persons (DPs) wearing black-dyed U.S. uniforms.

The Army provided each family with free domestic help. An enlisted man's family was entitled to one German maid plus a gardener (shared with another E.M. family), while a company-grade officer got a maid and his own gardener. Special circumstances, such as a large family, might require a larger house and more servants. Field-grade officers and generals were each assigned two maids and a gardener with appropriate housing, perhaps even a mansion with all its furnishings.

The German economy paid for all that. Extra civilian help could be hired for extremely low wages (by American standards). A full-time cook could cost a family as little as $20 a month, paid to the German Labor Office.

Food and other items were purchased in a Commissary or the Post Exchange (PX) in the compound, but supplies were limited at the time. Friction developed when some dependents rudely broke into crowded PX lines, so restricted days were designated. Cigarettes were rationed to limit black-marketeering, but a carton cost only 85 cents (no federal or state taxes). Families were allowed to eat free in the Officers or Enlisted Men's messes if they chose to. Red Cross facilities also were open to dependent families.

Because the Army frowned on "fraternizing" with German or DPs during the early Occupation period, the compounds barred them from their facilities, such as schools, playgrounds, swimming pools, tennis courts, libraries, snack bars, theaters, night clubs, bus routes, etc.

Guided tours in the U.S. Occupation Zone were provided to various historical sites and scenic areas, and dependents could spend vacations in the same resorts used by the military. Nominal fees were charged.

Overall, the Occupation "Communities" or compounds strongly resembled the British colonial-rule model, in my opinion. The language barrier was one reason, as well as the "victor" mentality. The German resentment over the evictions simmered for years. In some cases, after the American families returned home, the German owners reclaimed their houses or mansions only to find their furnishings had been "liberated" and shipped to the USA.