New Insights into War Trauma: 'The Cursed Generation' Tells the Personal Stories of Wehrmacht Soldiers

WWII from a German Point of View

OSNABRüCK, LOWER SAXONY, DEUTSCHLAND, August 4, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For decades, the Holocaust has rightly occupied a central place in our understanding of history. Yet there is a less explored facet of World War II—the personal experiences of the soldiers who fought on the German side. With the release of the English edition of his bestseller, "The Cursed Generation: Talking to Wehrmacht Soldiers for the Last Time," historian Christian Hardinghaus fills this gap, offering a nuanced perspective that challenges sweeping generalizations.

The book aims to correct the one-dimensional portrayal of German soldiers as emotionless villains. Through exclusive interviews with 13 eyewitnesses who served on various fronts, the soldiers recount their struggles, brutal battles, and moments of camaraderie and hope. They speak candidly about their childhoods in the Third Reich, what they knew and didn't know about the Holocaust, and their encounters with Allied soldiers.

Previous attempts to present a nuanced view of our darkest history have failed. The legend of a clean Wehrmacht has turned into the legend of a criminal Wehrmacht. However, historical findings have never doubted that only a small fraction of Wehrmacht soldiers were involved in war crimes and the Holocaust. Recognizing this, we can expand our view of the past and better understand ourselves. Who knows what it felt like to be shot down in a fighter plane and drift alone in the Mediterranean? How did German soldiers endure the torturous heat in Africa or the unbearable cold and hunger in the cauldron of Stalingrad? Can we continue to make sweeping condemnations when we learn of the suffering brought upon German soldiers by Bloody Sunday in Bromberg, the Rhine meadow camps, or the carnage of D-Day and the Battle of All Souls?

The German edition, "Die verdammte Generation," is a bestseller in Germany, and there was a significant demand for a translation in the USA. This English edition promotes a shared culture of remembrance and provides authentic insights into the war experiences of German soldiers from firsthand accounts. The translation into English fulfills the personal wish of the eyewitnesses, almost all of whom have since passed away.

The Cursed Generation is a valuable addition to the historical record, providing a better understanding of the experiences of German soldiers in World War II without minimizing the crimes of the Nazi regime. Over the course of five years, Christian Hardinghaus professionally interviewed more than 100 contemporary witnesses to World War II with the utmost historical accuracy, without embellishment or moralizing.

"Let us learn from them, understand them, and remember them—not to condemn, but to understand the full range of human experience during the most brutal war in history," says Hardinghaus.

Christian Hardinghaus
Hardinghaus Books
+49 176 63171770
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