Wehrpass for Soldier who Committed Suicide

[Hofstetter]

Interesting wehrpass,
Could be one of many reasons, personal tragedy, his own miserable conditions at the front (the winters without enough food or clothing must have been nice and put on top of that fighting for your life) and he'd just been through the worst of it, a lot of soldiers chose suicide rather than capture by the Russians (and who'd blame them) although probably suicide in preference to capture may not be recorded as such.

Strange (or maybe tragic is the better word) isn't it when you can be fighting for your life one minute, the next committing suicide.

[George Lepre]

Hi all -

Great stuff as always, Barry. Thank you for posting.

The German language could give us some clues here in determining why this young man ended his life. If he had killed himself owing to depression, the entry would read "Selbstmord," and in the Third Reich this was considered dishonorable. "Freitod," on the other hand, has a different connotation. It could mean that he killed himself rather than be captured by the enemy.

Any thoughts from our German and/or Austrian friends on the forum?

George

[Gerdan]

George


in general there is no difference between "Selbstmord" and "Freitod" except a moral evaluation.

Specially the Roman Cathoic Church used the expression "Selbstmord" which contains the word

"...mord" -"assination "and which is a moral instance.

"Freitod" is the expression that an individuum is free to chose his own death and to fix the moment

when to do it (sickness,moral guilt,...).

So today medicals and lawyers choose the expression "Suizid" which is free of a moral valuation.

Gerdan

[Stormfighter]

George, a point well made, and thanks to Gerdan for the explanation. Does anyone else have a Wehrpass for a soldier who committed suicide? If so, post it here. Now I am wondering if the term Selbstmord (literally, "Self Murder") was ever used, which I imagine it was.