When the Dead are Left Behind: Remnants of Wehrmacht Soldiers in Eastern Europe and Russia
Throughout my scholarship, I focus on the aftermath of war and the questions that emerge when the bodies of fallen soldiers—hastily buried in makeshift graves or left scattered across battlefields—become more than just physical remnants. They are potent symbols of unresolved questions: How should these remains be treated? What responsibilities do the living have to the dead, especially when the soldiers were part of an invading force, like the German soldiers buried in Russia after World War II? Who has the right to access these graves, to repatriate remains, and how do these actions intersect with national memory, diplomacy, and ethical considerations?
My work delves into these complex and often overlooked issues, specifically focusing on the post-World War II context in Russia and the enduring challenge of managing the millions of soldiers' bodies left behind when relations between former enemies remain fraught. I examine how the German Wehrmacht handled burials during the war and how, in the aftermath, Germany sought access to the graves of its soldiers. The moral and diplomatic questions surrounding a defeated nation’s right to commemorate its war dead on foreign soil—especially in countries they once invaded—are central to my inquiry.
A significant part of my research explores the role of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (VDK), the German War Graves Commission. The VDK has taken on the monumental task of locating and exhuming Wehrmacht graves, identifying remains, constructing new cemeteries, and reburying the dead. Through my work, I illuminate the sensitive and meticulous efforts of the VDK, which not only focuses on recovery and identification but also navigates complex diplomatic relationships with local and national authorities. These efforts are conducted in compliance with international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, ensuring dignified burials for the fallen.
My research is informed by my own experiences attending burial ceremonies and witnessing exhumation processes, offering a nuanced exploration of the tensions surrounding remembrance and commemoration. I probe the diplomatic challenges that arise when nations like Germany seek to remember their war dead in the very countries they once occupied. These recovered and reburied soldiers, now resting in cemeteries across Eastern Europe, serve as quiet reminders of the war, but they also raise difficult questions for both the home nations of the fallen and the countries where they died.
This ongoing endeavor is not merely about recovering and burying soldiers; it embodies Germany's profound struggle to come to terms with its own losses while confronting the far more significant responsibility for the immense suffering it caused. Remembrance in Germany is inherently complex and multifaceted. Crucially, this process must prioritize the acknowledgment of the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime, ensuring that the memory of the dead is not used to glorify them but rather to recognize the crimes they were part of, directly or indirectly. It is not about honoring the soldiers as individuals detached from their actions but about confronting the brutal reality of the past and the roles these soldiers played in it. The recovery and burial of soldiers stir deep emotions, both in Germany and in the nations once occupied by German forces. A key question I explore is: How can a nation remember its fallen soldiers without glorifying the military that supported a regime responsible for genocide?
In my scholarship, I trace the evolution of German war graves—from symbols of heroism under the Nazi regime to places of peace and reconciliation under the stewardship of the VDK. This transformation reflects Germany's broader journey of reckoning with its past while striving for peace and reconciliation in the present. The ongoing maintenance of these graves, guided by international agreements and conventions, underscores the moral and ethical obligations nations hold toward their fallen soldiers, regardless of their roles in wartime atrocities.
The complexity of these questions resonates with General Alexander Suvorov's 1799 observation: “A war is not over until the last soldier is buried.” This truth lies at the heart of my research, emphasizing that the dead continue to influence the living. Until every soldier is accounted for, the shadows of war persist. I trace the difficult and often controversial path taken by Germany and Russia in addressing this deeply emotional and politically charged issue. Despite ongoing tensions, I explore how the Soviet Union and later Russia ultimately allowed Germany access to its soldiers’ graves—a process that was anything but straightforward.
At its core, my research is a study of the enduring power of memory—how the dead shape the living—and the long-lasting impact of war on individual and collective identities. I offer new insights into how Germany, Russia, and other nations have navigated these sensitive issues, using the recovery and burial of soldiers as a lens to examine post-war diplomacy, reconciliation, and the quest for lasting peace.
The recent book of Dr. Nina Janz “Remnants of Wehrmacht Soldiers: Burial and Commemoration Practices of German Soldiers of the Second World War in Russia and Europe, 1941 – 2023 Berlin: Peter Lang Available here
Dr. Nina Janz, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Fellow at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, focuses on the commemoration of military dead, war cemeteries, and the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. Her research also covers the cultural aspects of the Wehrmacht and WWII military violence, as well as digital methods and document preservation. She has held fellowships at the National WWII Museum and Georgetown University, and has worked at the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History, the German Historical Institute Moscow, and the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. Dr. Janz earned her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hamburg.
Contact: [email protected]