A simply excellent piece of history!
Treasure it!!!
Kevin
Treasure it!!!
Kevin
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One thing that always impresses me of writing from those times is the immaculate penmanship. Not a single mistake and perfectly uniform.
RichComment
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Firstly, an outstanding item, of what I have read so far. Thick question I am afraid here Seba, second from right, is that back row or second from right, front row working from the leftOriginally posted by Sebastian Bianchi
as second from right front row is AH
Regards
Si
SWS Collection 01-14 Images Copyright.Comment
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One from the family...
"Haraldshofen, den 25. 8. 42.
Lieber Herr Madert!
Sie werden denken, wir hätten Sie vergesssen. Entschuldigen Sie bitte, weil wir noch nichts von uns hören ließen. Das Umsiedeln, die viele Arbeit dauernd ließen uns nicht eher zum Schreiben kommen.
Vor allem ist Ihen unser Dank gewiß für die Erziehung unseres lieben Hermanns an der Adolf Hitler-Schule. Hermann steht nun schon in der Front. Anfangs dieser Woche erhielten wir Grüße von ihm aus dem hohen Norden. Stolz ist er, für die Heimat dem grimmigen Feind zu bekämpfen helfen dürfen. Wir hoffen, daß er uns wiederkehrendarf.
In Wildflecken besuchten wir ihn noch einmal, bevor er ins Feld kam.
Von uns können wir sagen, daß wir gesundheitlich noch auf der Höhe sind. Hoffentlich geht es Ihnen mit Ihrer Familie auch noch gut.
Mit herzlichem Gruß
u. Heil Hitler!
Ihre Familie Rhein
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Haraldshofen, August 25, 1942
Dear Mr. Madert!
You probably think that we forgot you. Please accept our apologies that we have not written for such a long time. The moving, lots of work did not leave us time to write.
In particular, we are grateful to you for the education of our dear Hermann at the Adolf Hitler-School. By now, Hermann is already at the front. At the beginning of this week we received greetings from him at the High North. He is proud that he is able to help in the battle for the homeland against the evil enemy. We hope that he will be able to come back to us.
We went to visit him once again in Wildflecken before he went off into the field.
As far as we are concerned, we are still enjoying good health and are doing fine. We hope that you and your family are also well.
With kind regards
and Heil Hitler!
Sincerely yours,
Family Rhein"Comment
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Next letter -
10. 11. 42.
Lieber Jupp!
Für Deinen Breif vom 25. Okt. Nimm meinen herzlichsten Dank! Besonders erfreut war ich über die Zeilen Deiner lieben Frau. Ich spreche ihr meinen Dank aus und werde ihr in den nächsten Tagen schreiben. Die beiden Broschüren habe ich noch an demselben Abend gelesen.
Das Wetter hier ist sehr ….seitig. Wir haben Tage mit strenger Kälte und Tage, an denen es ….warm ist, was seine Nachteile hat, denn dann läuft das Wasser nur so ………………unseres Kampfstandes durch und du kannst Dir denken, wie wir uns freuen, wenn wir mit nassen Socken am hellen Tage raus müssen. Heute z.B. ist draußen alles vereist, auf Meldegang rutscht man mehr und fällt andauernd. Aber wir müssen diese Schwierigkeiten, so wie wir alle anderen mit Soldatenhumor nicht machen.
Ich freue mich auf Dein Rundschreiben!
Grüß Deine Lieben und alle Kameraden vielmals!
Heil Hitler!
Dein Hermann
November 10, 1942
Dear Jupp,
Please accept my heartfelt thanks for our letter dated October 25th. I was particularly delighted about the lines from your dear wife. I want to thank her and will write to her during the next few days. On the same evening, I read both brochures.
The weather here is very many-sided. We have days with harsh cold weather and days when it is again warm, which has its disadvantages because then the water runs …….. under our battle stand and you can imagine how delighted we are when we have to get out in the middle of the day with cold socks. For instance, today everything is iced up, and on messenger runs you slide around and fall constantly. But we have to take these difficulties in stride, like everything, with a dose of soldier’s humor.
I am looking forward to the bulletin!
Many greetings to your loved ones and all comrades!
Heil Hitler!
Sincerely,
HermannComment
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I skipped this long letter from the field, sorry, here it is,
"In the field, October 5, 1042
Dear Jupp,
How much I enjoyed receiving your letter of September 9th! I waited for it more than for a letter from my parents because they are writing to their son and I am looking for mail from comrades with whom I was together for many years. You yourself were in the World War and also in that great battle with the enemy, and I am sure you know how much a soldier is waiting for mail. Formerly I did not believe it myself that all of a sudden I am asking every day whether mail for me has arrived. When the food carriers come to us at the northernmost line, the first question is: did you bring mail along? If there is a letter, it is a joy, if there is none, you look forward to the next day. Because every line is a greeting from our German homeland, a greeting from our beloved and a greeting from comrades. Then we here know: the people at home think and feel with their soldiers, they are deeply connected to their fighting troops. Dear Jupp! From day to day, I feel more how beautiful and uplifting the togetherness of comrades at the A.H.S. [=Adolf Hitler-Schule] was. I can only see that now when I am among comrades who did not undergo such an intensive selection. Quite often at the school we were arguing, because everyone wanted to be right and always about trivia, but we remained comrades! Therefore, I am sad that only Richard Mootz[?-sp] thinks of me. I am writing to all whose address I have. I am not worried about my life, but I am worried about that of my comrades. I cannot envision that suddenly one of ours should meet a hard destiny. Please write to them once again because it is possible that my letters did not reach them.
I would write to you more often, but the insufficient light does not allow it. During the day I am mostly on messenger service and in-between help with the building of the fighting post. The shooting window only allows little light to come through. We don’t have glass so I have used the cellophane paper which my mother wraps baked goods in to create a “window pane.” The days are dark, only on rare occasions there is nice weather and then the sun is far to the south and its beams have no heat. But the sun is shining! In the evening, most of the time there is time for letter writing; I have been en route during dark nights up to 1 o’clock at night, but that does not happen very often. Then, when we have time, we don’t have light! We must be frugal because night comes early and we only have a minimum of petroleum. While I am writing this now, a sad little flame is burning so that I can hardly see the lines. But the main thing is: we have light! Our little stove which was made from a hand grenade box beams out a comfortable warmth, some comrades are snoring and are sawing the wood for the next day, the others are eating or enjoy smoking their cigarettes. The Russians are very quiet this evening. Here and again, a grenade is speeding along, away from us and later cracks up further back. During the mornings and particularly at noon, things get livelier, then the sounding and banging of the artillery grenade throwers gets started. We do not let it disturb us, we continue to work on the fighting post or transmit an order as usual. When there is some cracking close to us, one of us sounds a swear word, we all laugh and the work goes on. Around us there is a forest, a forest as far as you can see, and in-between ….and tricky swamps. We are not only fighting against a persistent enemy, but also against nature which confronts us with difficult obstacles in its rough constitution. At the same time it rains without stopping and at the same time, it is cold. We do have half-boots made from rubber. They are excellent for the swamp, but in the forest they are a pain for the feet because your foot feels every branch. The forest in the immediate neighborhood has been shot up, blackened tree stems are lying on the ground all over the place and through that our horses must find their way to the trains. Then at night you fall around like a drunkard, I always run instinctively or stumble to the drenches and stay there until the orders were received. But it gives me pleasure because now I can make things comfortable for myself. I would rather be in the south, in the Caucasus or near Stalingrad, where my comrades victoriously march forward, but here I am and I will also fulfill my duty to the last breath as Adolf Hitler-Student and soldier. I have never worried about my life because I have made my promise to Hitler to sacrifice it wherever it is necessary for the glory of Germany. I feel a great future for our people is close and we all, you at home and we out here are contributing in the construction of a great building. We are only small bricks which have to be hammered and placed together for a lasting portion to form the foundation of the great building. All the things which the school gave me along as to idealism, love of fatherland and spirit of comraderie are irreplaceable. I do not know how I can thank you and all teachers for this. I also can only prove that your work on us boys fell on fruitful soil, that it has transformed us and compels us to work for the Führer. Believe me, Jupp, not one of us will disappoint you! If one or the other should be among us who for selfish reasons falls out, then it is not hard for him, but it is hard for the precious time which you and the others have spent on him. Hard life has pulled us out of the rows of comrades and confronts us with obstacles which we must solve with great initiative. Now nobody can run to Jupp and have a talk with him; now it is the time to bite ones’s teeth together or go to the dogs. I do not believe that one of us fifteen has been lost for the task which awaits us. Even if one or the other fell out of line at the school, he became better. Now each of us sees how silly it was to attempt to go one’s separate way without the help of the comrades. I also wanted this during the first two years because I felt too strange and because I came from the loneliness of a small place right into the center of life. Until I found out that I was among comrades who all had to do the same as I. At that time I decided to become a better person to stand as a comrade in line and I believe I have succeeded in it. I have worked on myself and I am still doing it today. The words by Goethe: “two souls are living in my chest…” is applicable for everybody, but the soldier says: the inner “Schweinshund” [no translation, because literal translation as “pig hound” does not mean a thing]. Once that has been conquered, the most beautiful victory has been attained, the victory over oneself! You have very often talked to me about this and for most of us your words must have fallen on fruitful soil. I would hope that the comeraderie which bound us for five years will only increase in the future. The nicest thing for me would be that all of us would get together after the victory as men who have conquered life. Even if the war demands one or the other from among us, the rest will be that much stronger because we have lost comrades. It would be sad to lose any of the comrades because when you have lived many years in such a community together, every one knows the other. But no sacrifice for Germany is too large. If my life is demanded, I will give it willingly because I know that it was not in vain.
Dear Jupp! As you write, you were badly hurt during an attack by the British on the train. I am very worried. I hope that soon you will be in the old shape. I wish you all the beset in your recovery, also the other teachers who got hurt. I am always particularly pleased when you write to me about the work at the school and the success reached. I know that work is continuing. The younger comrades can learn from our work and also from our mistakes and I am convinced that the Führer is pleased with his students.
Dear Jupp! I want to ask you a great favor. I am lacking all intellectual stimulation. From time to time I do receive from the Kriegsbetreuungsdienst [War Service Organization] of Reichsleiter von Schirach mailings which are very interesting for me because the concern work with the Hitler Youth. However, I would very much like to stick my nose once again into subjects of history, geography, race science, history of literature and art, but I have nothing here except for the two parts of Goethe’s “Faust” which have faithfully been with me. If you could get some pamphlets regarding these subjects I would be very grateful to you! I have also written to my parents to send me some Reclamhefte [=pocketbooks by a certain German publisher]. I am missing this material because I also need something which keeps me spiritually alive. The only readable things are newspapers and magazines which are pursued by everybody like a cat is after a mouse. A crossword puzzle is something precious for me and also for some other comrades. We spend hours on them until everything is solved. But it cannot give me anything of value, it is only a diversion and drives off boredom if we ever have any which occurs seldom. I ask you for this as it would be a great favor for me and my comrades. We don’t know how we can thank you for it.
My mother writes to me quite often. I am delighted that she is not complaining because I am so far away. Particularly in the most recent letter she wrote that she is exceedingly proud of me and I should always do my duty as a good soldier. That lifts you up, Jupp! Having such a mother who does not cry and complain, but who thinks and feels with her child! I am grateful to her for every word she writes. I know that she does not show anything but rather reminds me of my duties and I honor her twice as much for it. Above all, everybody thinks about me and unfortunately I don’t have the time to thank all of them for it.
I want to close for today. Greetings to your family. Tell all comrades that I am thinking of them and that I would be delighted to get a line from any of them.
To you and all comrades best greetings from the front
And lots of success in your work!
Heil Hitler!
Sincerely yours,
Hermann Rhein"
Attached is one of the pages of the letter.Comment
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Black Edelweisse
Is Hermann not the same division and battalion that Johann Voss was in from the book Black Edelweisse? (memoir and conscience of a Waffen SS soldier)Comment
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I don't know, I didn't read that book - what division was Voss in?Originally posted by JaimeHComment
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Fascinating! Where did you get all those letters? Looking forward to more.
Best, SalComment
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First off, Black Edelweisse is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the Waffen SS and the fighting in the artic. I lent the book to someone but as I recall he was a machinegunner the 3rd battalion of the mountain forces.Comment
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This is a new research area for me so thanks for the heads up on the book. I'll get it, it would be very interesting if he was in the same unit!Originally posted by JaimeH
Sal, I got the letters from an old man at the local show. I have a whole binder, may be 10 soldiers, with each one having between 15 and 30 letters. Some really string the story together. Most also have pictures attached, I have more pictures to this particular group as well and I'll be posting them as I scan them.Comment
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I do think they may have been in the same unit. Johann was at the MAX show last year, signing copies of his book. What is interesting is how their writing styles are very similiar. But Johann did not go to AH school. Actually he was not a nazi, not anti semetic etc. The book is from a journal he kept during the war and as a POW. He escaped being ID as a SS man, do to missing "tatoo day" by visiting his father (a Heer officer).Comment
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"Very neat and informative", I just had my Mother read the thread ( she was in Germany during the war ) she commented, " Yes that is how people felt back then and spoke in public... The Germany we loved and knew is long gone... they have become selfish and critical, They are not capable of enduring what we went through ". WOW!
RobertComment
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Originally posted by Robert Zimkas
Very interesting! Stay tuned, there is much more, it gets better. I'll have to hurry with the scans.
Jaime, I just bought the book, should be here in a few days.Comment
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Great letters! Thank you very much for showing to us! Waiting with interest for the rest! Do you know, did this man survive the war? I know I am hurrying, but...
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