The Stalingrad Madonna

[TWS]

I just finished up a little project to create more wall art for my war room. Nearly of the photos/portraits I display are originals and most in their original period frames. However, the story of the Stalingrad Madonna is so significant IMO that I decided to frame some representations related to it.
I have read several in-depth accounts over the years, but here is a short and very concise overview:
The Stalingrad Madonna is an image of the Virgin Mary drawn by Kurt Reuber, a Wehrmacht doctor in December 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad. The Virgin Mary is depicted holding the infant Jesus close to her cheek. On the right border are the words "Licht, Leben, Liebe" (Light, Life, Love) from the Gospel of John. The image was carried by a German officer on the last plane out of Stalingrad. Reuber, who was a Lutheran pastor, was captured by the Red Army. He died in captivity.
The original is now displayed in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.

[Normandy]

Thats a very strong image and makes one think...of all the humanity lost and for what?
Your second image is very haunting, four soldiers sitting in a foxhole in a frozen waist land with the 88 silent in the background. What is left?
Only ones faith.
I offend sit looking at my collection and wonder of the fate of the orignal owners.
Great images Todd.

[SOLDAT1]

Hi
Thank you for posting this a light in the futility of war visited last week in Berlin

Robert

[SOLDAT1]

2

[WalterB]

Thank you for sharing. Very touching.

[TWS]

Thats a very strong image and makes one think...of all the humanity lost and for what?
Your second image is very haunting, four soldiers sitting in a foxhole in a frozen waist land with the 88 silent in the background. What is left?
Only ones faith.
I offend sit looking at my collection and wonder of the fate of the orignal owners.
Great images Todd.

Yes, it definitely is. I should have mentioned that it's not by Reuber, however. It was done by a post-war artist who took inspiration from the Stalingrad Madonna. I thought it was haunting as well, so I made a print of it. Reuber had his work set up in his bunker and soldiers filed through to spend a few moments in front of it at Christmas time. A moment to escape the hell and suffering and find a little bit of spiritual comfort.
The image is so powerful that replicas are on display at Coventry Cathedral and at Kazan Cathedral in Volgograd as symbols of reconciliation.

I do the same. Sometimes when I handle items in my collection I wonder who the soldier was and what happened to him. I think it's natural and prevalent among us collectors. I also have a lot of items that are named and I have researched as best I can. Among the named items I often know a bit about the fate of the soldier who wore/owned something in my collection, which to me is really neat.

[TWS]

Thank-you Robert and Walter.

I have been to the Kaiser Wilhelm church, but only stood outside. Should I find myself in Berlin again I will definitely have to go in and see the original for myself.