Seeking information about Piotr Breus

Dear Mr. Breus,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series Central Subject Files, 1948-1952 in the Records of the Displaced Persons Commission (Record Group 278) that includes 2 files related to Poland and and 7 files related to Polish displaced persons (DPs) and immigration that may contain some relevant information. The series Commissioner Harry N. Rosenfield's Subject Files, 1948-1952 in Record Group 278 includes 2 files related to Polish DPs, and the series Commissioner Edward M. O'Connor's Subject Files, 1948-1952 in Record Group 278 contains 1 file related to Polish DPs as well. Please note that these records consist primarily of policy and administrative files; they do not include files relating to individual displaced persons or lists of names of displaced persons. Individual case files have been destroyed. These records have not been digitized. Please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) at archives2reference@nara.gov for assistance with these records.

Next, we located the series Records Relating to Poland, covering 1941-1952, the series Program Files, covering 1951-1957, and the series Correspondence Regarding Immigration, 1910-1949 in the General Records of the Department of State (Record Group 59) that contain information about Polish DPs. We also located the series Records Relating to Voluntary Foreign Relief Agencies, 1943-1955 in the Records of U.S. Foreign Assistance Agencies (Record Group 469) that contains 6 files related to Polish DPs and immigration that might be useful for your research. These records have not been digitized. You may contact RDT2 at archives2reference@nara.gov for access to these records.

In addition, we located 52 files related to Polish displaced persons and 75 files related to Polish refugees in various series in the Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II (Record Groupo 260) that might be of interest to you. Plus, we located 1 series and 16 file units related to Boeblingen and 237 files related to DP camps in Record Group 260. These records generally do not include information about individual displaced persons; rather, they contain administrative, organizational, and similar records. Some of these records have been digitized and may be viewed online using the Catalog. Please contact RDT2 at archives2reference@nara.gov for more information about the non-digitized records.

Due to the continued impact of COVID-19, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2.  We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience as we balance mission-critical work and the safety of our staff during the pandemic. Please check NARA’s web page about COVID-19 updates for the latest information.

If Piotr Breus immigrated the the United States after the war, immigrant visas, both quota and non-quota (and supporting documentation), issued by the Department of State to aliens at U.S. embassies, legations, and consulates overseas are surrendered to U.S. immigration officials upon admission to the United States. The immigrant visas and associated documentation accumulated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) between July 1, 1924, and March 31, 1944, were maintained by the central office in Washington, DC in the Visa Files.  Subsequent immigrant visas were filed in the Alien Files (“A-Files”) or the Certificate Files (“C-Files”). Those records are preserved, but remain in the custody of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For more information on the different types of files and how to request access to them, please see that agency’s “History and Genealogy” website located at: History Office and Library | USCIS.

Further, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) assisted with the repatriation of refugees and displaced persons after World War II. In 1945, UNRRA became part of the United Nations, its records are located at the United Nations Archives. Some information about the Repatriation of Polish Nationals - UNARMS and about the Repatriation of Poles from Germany - UNARMS is available on their website. We suggest that you contact them directly for additional assistance.

Finally, the Arolsen Archives International Center on Nazi Persecution (formerly the International Tracing Service (ITS)) has some information about WG 228 in Boeblingen on their website. We suggest that you contact them directly for more information and use the Search feature.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!