Rare WWII German EWZ Rückkehrerausweis – Riga, Latvia – Posen 1943 – Heim ins Reich

An original and uncommon German WWII Rückkehrerausweis (Returnee Identity Card), issued to Eugen Priķis, born 21 April 1907 in Riga, Latvia (then recorded as Russia). The document was issued in Posen (Poznań) on 17 March 1943 by the Einwandererzentralstelle (EWZ) – Ausweisstelle Posen, the authority responsible for processing and documenting ethnic Germans and other approved returnees into the German Reich.

The identity card retains its original passport photograph bearing official ink and violet authority stamps. Personal details list Eugen Priķis as a Textilmustermeister (Textile Pattern Master), of Latvian nationality, with his previous residence recorded as Riga. His daughter Irmela, born 4 March 1934 in Riga, is also entered in the document.

The front cover records an entry dated 20 March 1940 relating to the Umsiedler-Hilfsfürsorge (Resettler Welfare Office), adding further period authenticity.

Rückkehrerausweise are considerably less encountered than Wehrpässe or Soldbücher and represent an interesting field of collecting connected to the wartime resettlement of Baltic Germans and other populations into the Third Reich. The combination of a portrait photograph, official stamps, complete personal information, and Latvian origin makes this an attractive historical document.

A genuine and uncommon German WWII identity document in good original condition, showing expected age, handling wear and period folding. A desirable addition for collectors of German WWII documents, Baltic German history, or EWZ-related material.