Operation Osoaviakhim

As part of the Ossawakim action (Operation OSOAWIACHIM ) were abducted more than 2,000 German scientists, engineers and technicians from the former Soviet zone of occupation in October 1946 and conscripted. The name of the action refers to the large Soviet OSSOAWIACHIM organization, preparation and implementation was but the Home Office NKVD.

On the night of 21 occupied on October 22, 1946 Soviet special forces in a secret operation the apartments German specialists and committed stakeholders to work over several years in the Soviet Union. Trucks and railroads were for the immediate removal of those affected and their families and household goods available. Overall, one starts from 10,000-15,000 people, most of which were taken to the Soviet Union against their will. Nevertheless, it was those in addition comparatively well. The families were given apartments, and the workers earned some cases more than their Soviet counterparts. The scientists, technicians and skilled workers were assigned to individual projects and working groups, mainly in the fields of aviation and rocket technology, nuclear research, chemistry and optics.

The Western powers protested against this action, but saw no legal basis to move forward.

In the following years, numerous companies have been removed from the field of cutting-edge technology and shipped to the Soviet Union, including Carl Zeiss in Jena, Junkers in Dessau and the Siebel works in Halle. This was part of the reparations that were agreed in the Potsdam Agreement. The Ossawakim action secured the Soviet Union in the run-up to the specialists who were needed for the operation and continuation. They wanted to thus promote the development of the defense industry and develop the nuclear and missile technology. For strategic reasons, we also wanted the military research and development not leave the Soviet occupation zone, especially since the Potsdam Agreement called for the demilitarization of Germany.

The Ossawakim action was not least a response to the American 'Project Paperclip ', a know -how - and scientists - transfer program, which ran from March 1946.

It was not until the end of 1949, the first people were able to return. Specialists who had worked on military projects, had to wait longer for some years.

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