GJR 100 Kreta veteran committed suicide

[butschekantiques]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some pictures of this sad grouping. Oberleutnant Stern committed suicide after 4 years of war. He was a Kreta veteran with GJR 100.

Klaus



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[Gerdan]

His Volksbund entry:

Alois Stern ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte / cemetery Wörgl / Austria

Endgrablage: Grab 17/33

Nachname: Stern
Vorname: Alois
Dienstgrad: Oberleutnant
Geburtsdatum: 04.03.1923
Geburtsort: Saldenburg
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 17.07.1944
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Wörgl


Gerdan

[jmark]

A surprisingly large number of German officers committed suicide during the war. During my research, I've seen the names of dozens of officers who killed themselves, most of them stationed far from the front.

A question to a native German: what is the difference between "Freitod" and "Selbstmord"? All of the names I have seen say "Freitod", but in the example above, it is "Selbstmord".

Thanks
Jason

[Hank C.]

A surprisingly large number of German officers committed suicide during the war. During my research, I've seen the names of dozens of officers who killed themselves, most of them stationed far from the front.

A question to a native German: what is the difference between "Freitod" and "Selbstmord"? All of the names I have seen say "Freitod", but in the example above, it is "Selbstmord".

Thanks
Jason

From what I read on Wikipedia.de (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freitod) selbstmord would be where you aren't in the right frame of mind (depressed, schizo, etc.) whereas freitod you chose to end your life, due to conditions and circumstances (terminal cancer, for instance).

that's what I got out of it...

Hank

[butschekantiques]

Thanks everyone!

Jason, for my understanding Selbstmord and Freitod is exactly the same. Freitod sounds a bit more "honorable" to me if you want so. But also old fashion. You read Selbstmord today mostly. Wikipedia could be right here.