scot47

Under what amounts to house arrest during Corona virus, I am planning trips to make after Liberation. I have visited MVP and passed through Neubrandenburg. Friends there have suggested I make that town a base during my visit in 2021. Comments ?

I have been reading up on the Contemporary History of the area.

scot47

I was alerted to one aspect of this by a writer in a Scottish paper. He highlighted that for some, May 1945 was not a liberation but a defeat - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_s...emmin#Suicides

I knew of this but had engaged in "Selective Amnesia".

In Germany the question of how to mark 8 May in the Calendar is still debated. To me it is still "Tag der Befreiung".

scrubbedexpat142

Krebs to Chuikov, May 1 '45 -

"Today is the first of May, a great holiday for our two nations"

Chuikov in reply -

"We have a great holiday today. How things are with you is less easy to say"

(Courtesy: Alan Clark, "Barbarossa")

Assanah

I think that there is a substantial difference between being liberated by the Russians or by Americans. If you are raped by 10 soldiers in front of your child you can't possibly celebrate this as liberation. Watching your child receive sweets from an American that's a totally different kind of matter. That said obviously the Russians have suffered immensely more under the German occupation than the US. So revenge and hatred was certainly more on the Russian mind.

scot47

"Wehe den Besiegten" Vae victis !

dmu

Me, too, in the sense of liberation from the Nazi Regime. It's a public holiday (at least in Berlin where DD1 lives), although of course, here in France, it's to celebrate Victory in Europe. ...

scot47

There is a current campaign in Germany to make May a 8 hoiiday in all the Laender. I started today reading "Kind, versprich mir dass du doich erschiesst" recent book by Flotrian Huber. Gripping stuff. Germany produces the best anti-war books !

Assanah

To my knowledge it is not a public holiday. This year it is an exception because of the 75 years anniversary.

I don't think that the day will become a holiday in Germany for the reason mentioned above.

dmu

Fair enough, I don't think she had the day off work last year.....

Novocastrian

If you enjoyed that I recommend "Allein in Berlin" by Hans Fallada.

scot47

German title is "Jeder stirbt fuer sich allein" i read it many years ago - befere there was an English translation. I am a member of the "Hans-fallad-Gesellschaft" and have visited the "Fallad-Hais" in Carwitz. Beat you to it Novocastrian !


the greatest anti-fa novel in the German language. There is an excellent film about Fa;l;lad made in the last years of the GDR. Will have to check the title

scot47

Sorry for typos

"Hans-Fallad-Gesellschaft" "Fallad-haus" "Fallada"

Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration !

scot47

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Man_Dies_Alone

The questions raise by the book (and the mmany film versions) afre woirth considering

Why did they do it ?
What did they achieve ?
What would you have done ?