In 1920 the Auswärtige Amt set up the Referat D/Deutschland, Innerdeutsche Angelegenheiten to deal with internal German issues. After 1933, this organisation was placed in charge of anti-Jewish legislation and hence the migration flows. In 1938 the Sonderreferat Partei (special administrative section) was set up within the Auswärtige Amt to maintain contact with the NSDAP. This section merged with Referat D in 1940 and was renamed Abteilung D (Germany Section).

The head of Abteilung D, Martin Luther, took part in the Wannsee Conference on the Final Solution to the Jewish Question in January 1942.