Viggen's Blog

I just learned a few weeks ago that one of my Grandmother's when given a promotion within civil service during the war opted to be an interviewer of German POWs coming into the US because she wanted meet these 'enemies' first hand. She was a knock out back then so those guys must have felt pretty at ease going to the camp after being interviewed by her...

 

I was amazed she had never told me that before.

Viggen,

 

how did your family from Austria join the German army? I know this can be a sensitive issue from the articles I've read, so if you don't want to answer I completely understand.

Nah, no sensitive issue for me at all, from the 12th March 1939 on (annexation) Austria was a german province and was so till the end of the War.

I've heard that a lot of the Austrians were sad about the annexation. I'm sure you have heard about the Austrian song 'Edelweiss.'

Quite a few POWs didnt bother going home-some from rural backgrounds enjoyed farm life (because usually they were assigned to farms to help out food production) and not a few people have Austrian /German Grandpappies . Our local Bratwurst comes from a delicatessen founded by such a "stay behind".

I can't help it but be angry when any WWII documentary featured in America shows nothing but stereotypical stuff about the German army. It would just say the Germans this or that(sometimes demonized), but never about the single individual soldier himself. I've never seen a full documentary focused on the German military other than the ones on the Nazis and SS.