Post-war lives
Finally, close to my son… It was only in 1968, nearly a quarter of a century later, that a mother from Czech Silesia was able to visit her son’s grave, who had died in a German uniform in France in 1944. Her journey had been blocked by the Iron Curtain, as it was again after a brief period of political thaw in the 1960s. For many decades after the war, remembering the fallen in enemy uniforms, whether privately or publicly, was often met with accusations of Nazi nostalgia.
The issue of numerous local citizens serving with the enemy was often deliberately forgotten. Out of caution and fear of accusations, this memory was frequently suppressed even within immediate families.
Ideology, morality, and politics often deeply affect even the closest families. One Czech Silesian became a SS-guard in a Nazi concentration camp, while his son deserted from the Wehrmacht and joined the Allies. However, many situations fell between these extreme poles. The question of where betrayal begins and what behaviour remains understandable or excusable was complex. The turbulent post-war era was rife with snap judgments…
“Here we cut Scheine!” Scheine were provisional vouchers used by the German forces in place of money. Later, the word was used as a derogatory term for Norwegian girls who had intimate relations with German soldiers. As a widespread act of street justice after the war, their hair was often cut short as punishment. In Norway, Czechoslovakia, and other liberated countries, trials were conducted after the war to address collaborators, war criminals, and traitors. The punishments were sometimes justifiably severe. The strong aversion towards Germany and the contempt for those who had been involved with the occupiers in any capacity were also quite understandable.
Back in uniform! Although they were experienced soldiers, most Wehrmacht veterans were conscripted for compulsory military service in post-war Czechoslovakia. Their previous service with the enemy was disregarded. Overall, they faced distrust and suspicion. They were thoroughly interrogated, constantly monitored, and were denied higher career opportunities and even disability pensions for a long time.
For obvious reasons, former Wehrmacht soldiers in liberated countries were denied to form veterans‘ associations. But historically, such associations have provided a traditional platform where veterans could gather, find support, and work through their traumatic experiences and societal misunderstandings. They had to deal with their traumas alone.
This iconic picture, which for decades symbolized the brotherhood-in-arms between the Soviet and Czechoslovak nations during the Second World War, told only part of the story. At the time, it was concealed that the Czechoslovak lieutenant had previously served in the Wehrmacht. The prevailing narrative of the war had created a much simpler, black-and-white portrayal of heroes and traitors.