**Nazi Ancestry Database: Millions Search Family Links to Hitler's Party**

A newly public digital archive is allowing people worldwide to instantly check if their ancestors were formal members of the Nazi party. The database contains records of approximately 13.5 million members of the NSDAP, Adolf Hitler's political party. It was recently published online by the German Federal Archives and the Holocaust museum Arolsen Archives. One user, Christian Rainer, told the BBC he found his grandfather's name within seconds. The tool also helped confirm that other family members were not listed. Researchers compiled the records from index cards stored in the German Federal Archives. The cards include each member's name, birth date, party rank, and membership number. Historians describe the database as a crucial resource for understanding the Nazi era. It shows the party's vast scale beyond its core leadership. The archive is free to access online. Officials state its purpose is historical education and academic research, not public shaming.