Warning: session_start(): open(/var/cpanel/php/sessions/ea-php74/sess_02311be1acfeea8f619d2a929623b7173ee285548d8c5d01, O_RDWR) failed: No space left on device (28) in /home/devwehrmacht/public_html/forums/includes/vb5/frontend/controller/page.php on line 71 Warning: session_start(): Failed to read session data: files (path: /var/cpanel/php/sessions/ea-php74) in /home/devwehrmacht/public_html/forums/includes/vb5/frontend/controller/page.php on line 71 Wehrpass for Soldier who Committed Suicide - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums
JR. on WAF - medamilitaria@gmail.com

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Wehrpass for Soldier who Committed Suicide

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
    #16
    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.

    Comment

      #17
      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

      Comment

        #18
        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

        Comment

          #19
          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.

          Comment

          Previous 1 2 template Next

          Users Viewing this Thread

          Collapse

          There is currently 1 user online. 0 members and 1 guests.

          Most users ever online was 10,032 at 08:13 PM on 09-28-2024.

          Working...
          X