German media outlets Der Spiegel and Die Zeit have digitised and published a searchable database drawn from NSDAP (Nazi Party) membership card files held in the US National Archives, making it easier than ever for Germans to check whether their ancestors belonged to the party. The tool has generated widespread public interest, with many families confronting — or confirming — long-held suspicions about relatives during the Third Reich era. However, commentators warn that a membership number answers only the simplest question: the harder work of understanding what values, silences, and psychological patterns were passed down through generations remains largely unaddressed by the database's viral appeal.