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Up for sale is an extraordinary, highly important 5-piece post-World War II Displaced Persons (DP) family archive grouping. This collection traces the complete, chronological four-year timeline of a Ukrainian refugee family—Mr. Iwan Melnyk (b. 1914) and his wife Oleksandra Melnyk (b. 1915)—from the chaotic immediate aftermath of liberation in 1945 to their camp marriage, security service, and ultimate emigration clearance in 1949.
An archive of this thematic and chronological completeness is exceptionally rare to find intact on the open market. It offers a seamless, historically significant narrative of the immediate aftermath of World War II, the Holocaust, and the global refugee resettlement crisis in Allied-occupied Germany.📂 Complete Archive Timeline Breakdown (5 Original Documents)1. 1945 U.S. Army Karlsfeld Ordnance Depot Employment Pass
* Date: October 11, 1945 (Just five months after V-E Day)
* Location: Engine Rebuild Shop / Karlsfeld Ordnance Depot (APO 350 U.S. Army)
* Details: This exceptionally early military occupation document certifies that Mr. Melnyk was employed by BMW under U.S. Army supervision.
* Historical Significance: During the war, the Karlsfeld facility operated as a prominent forced-labor subcamp of the Dachau Concentration Camp where prisoners worked on BMW aircraft engines. Post-liberation, the U.S. Army utilized the infrastructure and liberated DPs to rebuild tactical vehicles.2. 1948 Sworn Marriage Affidavit in Lieu of Original Certificate
* Date: July 2, 1948
* Location: Marktgemeinde Mittenwald (Bavaria, Germany)
* Details: Because fleeing refugees routinely lost all personal paperwork, local Allied-controlled governments allowed them to swear legal oaths to verify legal status for emigration. This document lists detailed genealogical data: the couple’s original May 13, 1940 wedding in Kolomea, Ukraine; their parents' full names; and their IRO Identity tracking numbers (697143 and 697144). It features original ink signatures by both the husband and wife in Cyrillic script.3. 1948 "Camp Polizei" Employment Document Fragment
* Date: Timeline starting April 1, 1948
* Location: Mittenwald DP Camp, Jägerkaserne (U.S. Occupation Zone)
* Details: An official employment document snippet registering Mr. Melnyk’s introduction into the Camp Polizei—the internal, self-governing security force run by refugees to maintain safety inside the camp barracks. Features an official purple “CAMP POLICE OFFICE / MITTENWALD” ink stamp and signature.4. 1949 Official "Camp Polizei" Service & Reference Certificate
* Date: May 31, 1949
* Location: Mittenwald DP Camp, Jägerkaserne
* Details: A completely intact, typed Bescheinigung (Certificate) acting as a service reference letter. It officially certifies that Mr. Melnyk served continuously as a camp police officer from April 1, 1948, until May 31, 1949. It bears his exact birthdate (June 12, 1914) and ID number (697143), alongside a vivid purple Camp Police stamp and officer signature.5. 1949 International Refugee Organization (IRO) Emigration Certificate
* Date: May 29, 1949
* Location: I.R.O. Area VI Gauting / Professional Testing Board Mittenwald
* Details: This document represents the family's final clearance to leave Europe. To qualify for resettlement in the West (US, Canada, Australia), refugees had to pass professional skill evaluations. This official paper certifies that Mr. Melnyk successfully passed his board test and was classified as a "Farmer" explicitly for emigration purposes. Features a bold, green “IRO D.P. PROFESSIONAL TESTING BOARD AREA 6” ink stamp.🔍 Condition & Collectibility
All 5 documents are in excellent, stable vintage condition considering their historical path. They exhibit natural paper toning, edge handling, and original folding creases consistent with documents carried by refugees through various camps. The ink stamps (purple and green), typewritten text, and handwritten signatures remain sharp, legible, and highly clear.
This collection is being sold strictly as a single unified lot. Separating this archive would break up a vital family timeline. It represents a premier acquisition for museums, educational institutions, genealogists, or serious collectors of WWII militaria, Holocaust history, and United Nations/IRO ephemera.
