SS Krabach Batt. graves photo question

[Michael Fay]

Hello , I bought this photo awhile ago(I hope this image is not to small), does any one know(or give me a book title to read up on them) about the SS Hrabach Batt. buried in this photo? I blew up photo and could read on the 1st marker: SS Rottenf, Eduard Krabbes , died (man dead rune) 21.1.42, 4/SS - Krabach or Hrabach Batt. At least 3 other SS men( Karl Steimit, Rudolf Brix, and Wolfgang Boden/Doden) died on the same day somewhere out there in the cold. Any info will be appreciated.
This photo showing such extensive use of the Death Rune motif brings me to ask: is there any decent literature out there documenting this powerful use of the ancient Germanic/Scandinavian rune as a official/unofficial symbol of death for the SS in particular?

[Akira Takiguchi]

I would be interested in any documentation too.

In that sense, this photo shows SS graves with the other style (birth symbol) and also need explanation...

[Michael Fay]

life rune-death rune

Hello mr. Takiguchi, that is a good point... the "Man alive" Rune as a grave marker is interesting. I have a guess that as some historians are pointing out that the SS ideology at the Ordenschule level had aspects of "being eternal" and "triumphing over time" along with Himmler's reincarnation belief , that some idea of life continuing may be at play. But , maybe some one knows for sure?
By the way, I seem to remember that the Birch wood seemingly used for my photo' and your photo' was also an idealized SS pagan custom.

[Akira Takiguchi]

Here's one, looks more like a Tyr-rune.

[HPL2008]

Apparently, it was matter of some discussion as to what runic symbol would be the most appropriate as a grave marker for SS-men, with several different runes being used until the "life" rune was declared the official one.

Here is a quote from a letter written by Karl-Maria Wiligut/Weisthor to one SS-Stubaf. Brandt on 10 September 1940:

"Der Reichsf******252;hrer-SS hat mit seiner Meinung ganz recht!
Die Gr******228;ber der SS Toten k******246;nnen nur mit der Rune geschm******252;ckt werden, und zwar mit dem Eisernen Kreuz im Mittelpunkt und darunter die Inschrifttafel mit dem Namen des zu Got heimgekehrten!
W******228;hrend n******228;mlich die Man-Rune ewige Empf******228;ngnis von Got-Geist, also Unsterblichkeit gleich Leben bedeutet, versinnbildlicht die Tyr-Rune eben nur den "ewigen Kreislauf". Unsere edlen, tapferen Kameraden verdienen doch voll und ganz diese Anerkennung der lebenden teutschen Nachwelt! Au******223;erdem erinnert die Tyr-Rune auf dem von Ihnen mitgesandten Bild an die ******252;berdachten Kreuze, wie sie auf vielen katholischen Friedh******246;fen zu finden sind!"

Notice the spelling of "Got" (= "God") with one "t" as opposed to the normal spelling "Gott". This is supposed to seperate the Nazis' mythological concept of God from the Christian one.

Roughly translated:

"The opinion of the Reichsf******252;hrer-SS is quite right!
The graves of the SS dead can only be decorated with the rune, namely with the Iron Cross in the center and below this the inscription plaque with the name of the one who has returned home to God.
While the Man-Rune (= the so-called "life rune") means eternal reception of God-Spirit and thus immortality equalling life, the Tyr-Rune merely symbolizes the "eternal circle". Our noble, brave comrades are fully and wholly deserving of this recognition of the Germanic living world. Furthermore, the Tyr-Rune seen on the photograph you sent me is resembling the "roofed" crosses found on many Catholic cemeteries!"

(Quoted from "Weisthor - Karl-Maria Willigut. Himmlers Rasputin und seine Erben" by Hans-J******252;rgen Lange.)

[Michael Fay]

This is a photo inside my book "Wir Haben Vertrauen,"published only for the familes of fallen Germanische SS. The pix shows an SS Sparbuch (specific amount of money/bond for dead man's son) -notice the Leben-Rune variations:Man-alive Rune and the Man-dead Rune on the same page.

Hello HPL, thank you for citing and translating the excerpt on acceptable rune grave markers written by Wiligut. As my photo's graves are dated in 1942
it seems that on the ground things were sometimes done "non-standard " I suspect that regardless if there was an official policy on runic use, there was probably a rival official policy somewhere else -not counting the different uses before a comprehensive policy may have been codified?

As we have all seen variations, including SS graves with the shape of an Iron Cross without any runes , not to forget the overtly Christian SS markers either.

By the way Mr. Takiguchi, in your "tyr" photo- I kind of think if the helmet was taken off , it would really look like the Man-dead rune.
Thanks for your help...Any one else have an idea?