Do you want to find out more about one of your ancestors? Do you do research related to former soldiers of one of the armed forces in which Austrians served in the course of history?
In general, such questions can only be answered on the basis of the respective personnel records and other historic documents. However, these kinds of records are, unfortunately, not kept at the Museum of Military History/Military History Institute in Vienna. Therefore, if you want to make an inquiry related to individual soldiers and their military service, you should turn to those institutions that keep the relevant files and documents.
In order to support you in your research we have compiled a list of institutions that would probably be a good starting point for your research. The further procedure will depend on the armed forces to which the person in question belonged, because the relevant archival sources is stored in several locations. Generally, you will need at least the exact name as well as the place and date of birth in order to find the desired information.
Soldiers of the armed forces of the Habsburg Monarchy until 1918
Registers of officers (“Militärschematismen”)
If the person you are interested in was an officer, you may find out some basic information on the officer’s military career even before you start your research in the archives. The so-called “Schematismen” are detailed registers of officers that inform you on the deployment and the rank of all career and reserve officers. For the years 1916 to 1918 only so-called “Ranglisten” were published which do not include any information on battle orders and the assignment of officers to higher commands, staffs and the ministry. In general, officer candidates were only included if they had the ranks of ensigns or cadets. “Einjährig-Freiwillige” (reserve officer candidates below the rank of cadet) are not listed there.
For the registers of officers of the common army (k. [u.] k. Heer) of Austria-Hungary see the following website:
https://library.hungaricana.hu/en/collection/austrian_state_archives_MilitarAlmanachSchematismus/.
For 1916 – 1918: https://library.hungaricana.hu/en/collection/austrian_state_archives_RanglistenHeeres/.
For the registers of officers of the k. k. Landwehr see the following website:
https://library.hungaricana.hu/en/collection/austrian_state_archives_Landwehr/.
For registers of officers of the k. u. Landwehr (Honvéd) see the following website:
https://militaria.hu/rang/.
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Abteilung Kriegsarchiv (Austrian State Archives/Section War Archives)
For soldiers serving in the Habsburg Monarchy the “Österreichisches Staatsarchiv” (Austrian State Archives)/ “Kriegsarchiv” (War Archives) is the competent authority. The majority of the still existing official records of the armed forces of the Habsburg Monarchy is stored there:
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Kriegsarchiv
Nottendorfer Gasse 2
A-1030 Wien
Telephone: +43 1 795 40-640452
Fax: +43 1 795 40-640109
Email: ka@oesta.gv.at
https://www.statearchives.gv.at/tasks-and-organisation/kriegsarchiv-information-in-brief/kriegsarchiv-contact.html
You can find further information on research on individuals in the “Kriegsarchiv” (War Archives) here:
https://www.statearchives.gv.at/family-research/kriegsarchiv.html
Landesarchive (archives of the Austrian states)
Records referring to individual soldiers from Salzburg, the Tyrol or Vorarlberg are predominantly stored in the respective “Landesarchiv” (with the exception of records of officers and military clerks)
Salzburg
Salzburger Landesarchiv
Michael-Pacher-Straße 40
A-5010 Salzburg
https://www.salzburg.gv.at/themen/salzburg/archive
Tyrol
Tiroler Landesarchiv
Michael-Gaismair-Straße 1
A-6010 Innsbruck
https://www.tirol.gv.at/kunst-kultur/landesarchiv/
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberger Landesarchiv
Kirchstraße 28
A-6900 Bregenz
https://vorarlberg.at/onlinelesesaal
Successor states of the Habsburg Monarchy
Records of the “königlich ungarische Landwehr” (Honvéd) and its soldiers from 1867 to 1918 have never been stored in the “Kriegsarchiv” in Vienna. For these documents, you will have to turn to the Military Historical Archive in Budapest. Furthermore, all personnel records that referred to individuals who lived in territories that after 1918 belonged to a state other than the Republic of Austria, had to be handed over to the respective countries. These files and documents are therefore stored in the following archives:
Italy
Archivio di Stato di Bolzano
Armando-Diaz-Straße 8
I-39100 Bozen
http://www.archiviodistatobolzano.beniculturali.it/index.php?de/1/home
Archivio di Stato di Trieste
Via Lamarmora 17
I-34139 Trieste
https://archiviodistatotrieste.it/
Hungary
Hadtörténelmi Levéltár
Kapisztrán tér 2-4
H-1014 Budapest
https://militaria.hu/adatb/leveltariuj/
Czech Republic
Vojenský Ustředni Archiv v Praze/Vojenský Historický Archiv
Pilotů 217 / 12
CZ-161 00 Praha 6 – Ruzyně
http://www.vuapraha.cz/
Slovakia
Vojenský Historický Archiv v Trnave
Univerzitné námestie 1
SK-91700 Trnava
http://www.vhu.sk/vojensky-archiv-centralna-registratura-trnava/
Poland
Centralne Archiwum Wojskowe
PL-00910 Warszawa-Rembertów
https://wbh.wp.mil.pl/pl/pages/centralne-archiwum-wojskowe-2018-08-10-4/
Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina
Hrvatski Državni Arhiv
Marulićev trg 21
HR-10000 Zagreb
http://zagreb.arhiv.hr/
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the First Austrian Republic (Volkswehr and Bundesheer)
Registers of officers (“Militärschematismen”)
If the person you are interested in was an officer, you find some basic information on his assignments and military career in the officers’ registers, the so-called “Schematismus für das österreichische Bundesheer und die Bundesheeresverwaltung“. They were published from 1928 to 1938. You find them among others in the Austrian National Library and the library of the Austrian State Archives.
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Abteilung Archiv der Republik (Austrian State Archives/Section “Archiv der Republik”)
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Archiv der Republik
Nottendorfer Gasse 2
A-1030 Wien
Telephone: +43 1 795 40-640251
Fax: +43 1 795 40-640109
Email: adr@oesta.gv.at
https://www.statearchives.gv.at/tasks-and-organisation/archiv-der-republik/archiv-der-republik-contact.html
Soldiers of the German Wehrmacht
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Abteilung Archiv der Republik (Austrian State Archives/Section “Archiv der Republik”)
Personnel records concerning former soldiers of the Wehrmacht are partly stored in the “Archiv der Republik” of the Austrian State Archives.
Österreichisches Staatsarchiv/Archiv der Republik
Nottendorfer Gasse 2
A-1030 Wien
Telephone: +43 1 795 40-640251
Fax: +43 1 795 40-640109
Email: adr@oesta.gv.at
https://www.statearchives.gv.at/tasks-and-organisation/archiv-der-republik/archiv-der-republik-contact.html
Landesarchiv (archives of the Austrian states)
For documents referring to former members of the Wehrmacht from the Tyrol or Vorarlberg, see the following archives:
Tyrol
Tiroler Landesarchiv
Michael-Gaismair-Straße 1
A-6010 Innsbruck
https://www.tirol.gv.at/kunst-kultur/landesarchiv/
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberger Landesarchiv
Kirchstraße 28
A-6900 Bregenz
https://vorarlberg.at/onlinelesesaal
German Federal Archives
The German Federal Archive is the most important place to go if you are researching the military service of former members of the Wehrmacht as well as civil servants, employees and workers of the Wehrmacht. Here two departments are relevant points of contact.
Department Information on Personal Data related to World Wars I and II
General inquiries on all categories of members of all ranks of the Wehrmacht.
Bundesarchiv
Abteilung PA
Eichborndamm 179
D-13403 Berlin
Telephone: 030 41904 440
Fax: 030 41904 100
Email: poststelle-pa@bundesarchiv.de
Department Military Archives
The department Military Archives keeps personnel records of officers and military clerks, files on the awarding of orders and decorations as well as Wehrmacht court documents.
Bundesarchiv
Abteilung Militärarchiv
Wiesentalstraße 10
D-79115 Freiburg
Telephone: 0761 47817 0
Fax: 0761 47817 900
Email: militaerarchiv@bundesarchiv.de
For further information on former members of the Wehrmacht in the German Federal Archives, see:
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/EN/Content/Artikel/Artikel-ausserhalb-der-Navigation/Hinweise-milit-Unterlagen-persbez/benutzen-hinweise-militaerische-unterlagen-persbezogen-en.html
We wish you all the best for your research!