Europäische Freiwillige

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Armenian Bergmann freiwillige during rest performing Berd (Fortress) the traditional Caucasian warriors' dance after celebrating victory over Russian partisans.
Armenian Bergmann freiwillige during rest performing Berd (Fortress) the traditional Caucasian warriors' dance after celebrating victory over Russian partisans.

Europäische Freiwillige is a German term meaning 'European Volunteers'. It was used to describe non-German Europeans (neither Reichsdeutsche or Volksdeutsche) who volunteered to fight for the Third Reich during World War Two. Largely from occupied countries but also from co-belligerent and neutral nations, they fought in the Waffen-SS as well as in the Wehrmacht.

Contents

[edit] Postwar activities of veterans and the propagation of their self-narrative

Following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, the former Waffen-SS vererans were persecuted in their home countries.[1] Treated as pariahs by the fellow countrymen, they often sought support from the former German comrades through membership in organisations such as HIAG.

Beginning in the 1950s, the German and non-German Waffen-SS veterans began publishing periodicals to promote their own narrative of events. HIAG's magazine Wiking-Ruf first appeared in 1951. This later became the monthly magazine Der Freiwillige (OCLC 4378250) published by Munin Verlag, a company with ties to HIAG. Recently, Patrick Agte has taken over the name "Munin Verlag" and publication of Der Freiwillige.[2]

A separate newsletter, Unser Wiking-Ruf, devoted solely to SS-Division Wiking, began appearing in the 1990s.[3]

Another apologist periodical devoted to the German and non-German units of the Waffen-SS is the American-published quarterly, Siegrunen (ISSN 0733-0367).

[edit] Other non-German personnel in German military, SS, and police service during World War II

Volunteers from Western and Northern Europe also served in the different branches of the Wehrmacht, i.e., the Kriegsmarine (navy), the Luftwaffe (air force), and the Heer (land forces). Several Heer units composed primarily of "non-Germanic" volunteers (e.g., French, Walloons, Spaniards) were eventually subordinated to the Waffen-SS in the later phases of the war.

At various times, the Wehrmacht also recruited or conscripted foreigners as:

  • Special technical officers (Sonderführer)—usually translators, local liaison officers, and the like
  • HiWis—often from prisoners of war
  • Luftwaffenhelfer—mainly teenage boys, but sometimes even girls

Other units of non-German volunteers also participated in the Holocaust and in atrocities committed against Soviet civilians during so-called anti-partisan operations. For information on these formations, see instead:

[edit] See also

[edit] Formations

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Authors, Books, Publishers

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ E.g. Norway. Cf. Legal purge in Norway after World War II.
  2. ^ Feldgrau.net :: View topic - Munin Verlag
  3. ^ Thema anzeigen - Zeitschriften zu unserem Thema - Panzer-Archiv

[edit] Books

[edit] Scholarly

[edit] Reflecting the veterans' own narrative

  • Agte, Patrick (2000). Europas Freiwillige der Waffen-SS: Biographien aller Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes, des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold, der Ehrenblattspange und der Nahkampfspange in Gold, die keine Deutschen waren; europäische Freiwillige aus den Niederlanden, Belgien, Frankreich, Dänemark, Norwegen, Schweden, Finnland, Lettland, Estland und Ungarn (in German). Pluwig: Munin Verlag. ISBN 3980721507. OCLC 56829243.  (Contains biographies of Europäische Freiwillige who were awarded the Knight's Cross, and other higher military honours.)
  • Ertel, Heinz; Schulze-Kossens, Richard [1986] (2000). Europäische Freiwillige im Bild, 3rd ed. (in German), Osnabrück: Nation Europa. ISBN 9783920677231. OCLC 51039369. 
  • Strassner, Peter (1988). European Volunteers: The 5. SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking", translated by David Johnston, 2nd ed., Winnipeg, Man.: J.J. Fedorowicz. ISBN 9780921991892. OCLC 123248703. 
  • Tieke, Wilhelm (2001). Tragedy of the Faithful: A History of the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzer-Korps, translated by Fred Steinhardt, Winnipeg, Man.: J.J. Fedorowicz. ISBN 9780921991618. OCLC 71050470. 
  • Tieke, Wilhelm (ed.) (2000?). Einsatz für Europa: Europäische Freiwillige im zweiten Weltkrieg auf deutscher Seite (in German). N.p.: Kameradenwerk Korps Steiner e.V.. 

[edit] External links