Treatment of German POW's by the Soviets

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Klaus

As far as I know, they didn't know about his whereabouts til 1950. When he got back, my grandfather and his brother went to pick him up at the trainstation in Innsbruck(Tyrol). They were so happy that he returned that they drank loads of alcohol. When the train arrived first thing their father did: He slapped both of 'em in the face for being so drunk.

Sounds like he spoiled a heck of a

[Klaus]

You can say that again. My grandfather still laughs a lot while telling this story.

[Ingsoc]

All POW taken in Stalingrad by the Soviets were treated as war criminal and like it's was mentioned few of them saw home ever again (of course the barbaric and cruel treatment of German toward the Doviet population and POW didn't help to soften the treatment toward the German POW).

However there were some that escape that fate, "The free officers comitee" was a organisation of German anti-Nazi POW that were set by the Soviets and Frei Deutchland (the organisation of the German Communists in the USSR) it's was mostly compose of officers, they deal mostly in anti-Nazi propoganda to the German POW, the offer of it's leader, General der Artilery Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach to essemble a German anti-Nazi army of German POW was rejected by the Soviets.

Most of the officers member return to the DDR after the war and play a crucial role in the building of it's army, the NVA.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc

Most of the officers member return to the DDR after the war and play a crucial role in the building of it's army, the NVA.

Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus was released in 1953, two years before many of the rest of the Stalingrad prisoners and became a Police Inspector in East Germany.

The fact that many officers returned to the DDR no doubt had much to do with their "re-education" while in Soviet hands. Paulus had become sympathetic to the "communist cause" by the time of his release.

[Ingsoc]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus was released in 1953, two years before many of the rest of the Stalingrad prisoners and became a Police Inspector in East Germany.

The fact that many officers returned to the DDR no doubt had much to do with their "re-education" while in Soviet hands. Paulus had become sympathetic to the "communist cause" by the time of his release.

This sympathy was no doubt due to the realisation that he wouldn't be much welcomed on the west, for example after the war Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach refuse to help with the building of socialism in the DDR, he was sentenced to death, but his punishment was converted to life imprisoment, he was release and return to W. Germany in 1955, because of his actions after becoming a POW many of it's former comrades refuse to even speak with him.

[515]

I know an old German POW who was taken prisioner on the Eastern Front. ( i dont know any dates sorry.) he told me some of the horrors of the camp. Out of about 80,000 men he and 10 other guys made it back alive...barely. i dont think he was there long after the war but longer then normal. They wouldnt give them any food. maybe some bread with sawdust mixed in. and rusty water that had tons of diseases. He said he watched people try to escape and be shot up. terrible stuff there.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

There is a good movie on this, about a German POW escaping from SIberia back to Germany, named 'As far as my feet will carry me'.

K

[Klaus]

"Soweit die Füsse tragen" was a very popular miniseries in the 50ties. in Germany and Austria. I am still trying to get hold of a copy.

[Helmut Von Moltke]

"Soweit die Füsse tragen" was a very popular miniseries in the 50ties. in Germany and Austria. I am still trying to get hold of a copy.

There is a modern version, a movie, which came out in Germany several years ago, it was the one I was referrring to.

Regards,

K

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Helmut Von Moltke

There is a modern version, a movie, which came out in Germany several years ago, it was the one I was referrring to.

Regards,

K

Can you buy it with English subtitles?

Cheers,

Lancer44