Juden in Das Heer!

[Franz1944]

Few months ago i shared with you guys a article i created for Zeltbahn with help from forum members. I have now created my 3rd article and it now is published on 21. Panzer Division.
The article only covers only 3 soldiers in the German army. There were many more that served in other parts of the wehrmacht and the SS

Hope you guys enjoy it

P.S. if you have idea for articles please share it with me.
We try to cover the Heer since 21. Panzer is a Heer division

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[ObKrieger]

Great article. I only wish you would have included more soldiers!

[zwerge]

Very interesting......Pete.

[AMTG]

I recently saw a very good doco on the Jews who fought for hitler.....one story was of a Jewish soldier who when in the shower th other soldiers saw he was circumcised....he explained it away as he had a infection as a young boy and was circumcised to treat it.....from then on he was nicknamed " the Jew" !!!!
After all these years he still has not told his surviving kameraden he is Jewish!!!!

[Franz1944]

I could have done more, but there is a book already made on this subject. Up to you guys to find more about it.

Thank you all

[Woolgar]

Very interesting reading ! RK winners , brave men and yet one was denied promotion !

Nick

[davejb]

I agree, very interesting, and brave men in battle and also for being among a society that treated jews so cruelly, but i cant help thinking that in another way they were also betraying their faith and any relations that wouldnt have had the protection afforded them by being in the military, they may not have committed themselves to any acts of racial discrimination, but they certainly would of been aware when these acts were perpetrated,and i understand that there was very little they could do about the situation, but the stigma that would have followed post war must have been horrendus and i wonder if there were recriminations against them and their immediate family, i would also like to know what their motives were for joining the army, knowing the national attitude towards the jewish community at that time

[Alon]

Franz1944,

According to the US Holocaust Museum, quoted here, the Jewish population of Germany in 1933 was roughly 500,000. By the time war broke out in 1939, there is no doubt that this number was greatly reduced by emigration. Yet you write that approximately 100,000 Jews served in the German Army. That means that in the most optimistic of circumstances, 1 out of every 5 Jews served in the German military. How do you account for your statistic?

[Franz1944]

Franz1944,

According to the US Holocaust Museum, quoted here, the Jewish population of Germany in 1933 was roughly 500,000. By the time war broke out in 1939, there is no doubt that this number was greatly reduced by emigration. Yet you write that approximately 100,000 Jews served in the German Army. That means that in the most optimistic of circumstances, 1 out of every 5 Jews served in the German military. How do you account for your statistic?

You got to remember that in 1933 Germany was much smaller than in 1939. They took over Czechoslovakia, Austria, (1939) part of Poland. They were incorporated to Deutschland, from then on Germany became GrossDeustchland (Greater Germany). After this Germany itself didn’t grow much larger. The rest of the countries they took over became more territories. The estimate till 1945.

In France I know of one that joined the Waffen SS.

Also when they imirgrated they went to different parts of Europe.

We also got to consider Alon what the criteria of being a Jewish person is to the League of nations? To Nazi Germany if you have one grandparent then you were considering Jewish. Even if you didn’t practice it. Like Werner Goldberger who was a Lutheran.
It could also be a little off, it not known for sure. There were Jewish soldiers that concealed the fact.

[Franz1944]

I agree, very interesting, and brave men in battle and also for being among a society that treated jews so cruelly, but i cant help thinking that in another way they were also betraying their faith and any relations that wouldnt have had the protection afforded them by being in the military, they may not have committed themselves to any acts of racial discrimination, but they certainly would of been aware when these acts were perpetrated,and i understand that there was very little they could do about the situation, but the stigma that would have followed post war must have been horrendus and i wonder if there were recriminations against them and their immediate family, i would also like to know what their motives were for joining the army, knowing the national attitude towards the jewish community at that time

The reason most joined was because it gave you more prestige of being in the military. This is how Werner Goldberg saved his father, however as time went on this changed. If you served in the military, maybe you could protect yourself and family from the harassment of the anti-Semitism in Germany. That is a reason

When you think how they could serve German, they didn’t know about the holocaust. when they would see parts of it. They were really torn apart. (this happen to many Germans not just the Jewish in the Army) Look at Colonel Walter Hollaender he was very torn about the Warsaw Ghetto.

The holocaust was a secret kept from the public.