The 'Blockwart' - Lower Party functionaries in the National-Socialist apparatus of terror and surveillance

The "Blockwart" functioning as an intermediate between the NSDAP leadership and the society, are still neglected in research, although the recollectio ns of eyewitnesses often described them as important in law enforcement in everyday life. These "little Hitlers" who numbered about two million during World War II, acted not only as ideological propagandists for numerous Nat ional Socialist organisations, but also as effective instruments of widespr ead information gathering in the neighborhoods. Examples show they also use d their detailed knowledge of local conditions to track down Jewish citizen s and so called "Judenfreunde", who were later persecuted by other institut ions. During the years of war the "Blockwart" became increasingly important to organizing the "inner front". They were in charge of food supplies for the civilian population, responsible for maintaining public order and keepi ng morale high. Overall it becomes clear that those who worked for the NSDA P in neighborhoods, were nothing spectacular, they were constitutive elemen ts of the National Socialist persecution machine. They were the informers a nd abettors of NS terror.