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German war veterans?

I know in the UK we have like remembrance day and stuff and there's the Chelsea pensioners, and i was wondering whether Germany had any like special days or events for them.. because they were like the "baddies" lol

Just a thought i had .. yup. Feel free to shoot me right down, i may be being ridiculous.

Reply 1

treasureBelle

I don't know, tbh. :dontknow:

But I am reading an interesting book atm - The Forgotten Soldier. It's the true story of Guy Sajer, a German soldier sent to fight the Russians. It's really interesting actually, I've never really read anything from that perspectvie before.

Reply 2

dh00001

they have Volkstrauertag. a day to remember those who died in times of war. it is in november, but i cant remember when

Reply 3

Nalced

November 11th for Germans? as well.

Reply 4

geetar

I remember seeing an episode of The World at War where they showed a reunion for Afrika-Korps troops.

Reply 5

Sephirot10

For the German attitude to the war, watch Das Untergang (Downfall in the UK). It's about Hitlers last days in the bunker.

A lot of the cast, even though they are SS men and devoted Nazis, are shown as human beings. Some of them act with great humanity and honour despite being the most devoted members of the most abominable movement in human history.

There were also plenty of Germans who fought for their countries without being Nazis. Rommel for example never knew about the Shoah, and fought with honour throughout. Although it is apparent that an unspoken understanding of what was happening to the Jews was deep in the Army, most can't be held more responsible than the Allies, who knew it was happening and did nothing.

Reply 6

initiation

Sephirot10

For the German attitude to the war, watch Das Untergang (Downfall in the UK). It's about Hitlers last days in the bunker.

Of course don't confuse the real thing with the countless parodies of it on you tube of the famous bunker scene.

In Germany Volkstauertag is observed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkstrauertag

Reply 7

burninginme

No, to recognise German, Japanese or Italian losses in WW2 would go against modern Western political correctness. You have to remember, the people of Nazi Germany and the countries who supported them had no feeling or emotion, they were not human beings, they were senseless. The only people who had emotion and sense and feeling were the Allies, predomiantly the British and Americans (not so much the Russians, we haven't made up our mind about them), and the Germans miracuously given emotion when they were liberated by the Allies.

Reply 8

Sephirot10

initiation

Of course don't confuse the real thing with the countless parodies of it on you tube of the famous bunker scene.

In Germany Volkstauertag is observed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkstrauertag

At times I get the impression that Germany in general and Berlin in particular is a World War 2 Disney land, except everyone hates themselves.

Reply 9

musti123

soldiers arent politicians, brave germans would have signed, and soldiers are trained to do as they are commanded without questioning, its not like the british soldiers were so innocent and piece loving during WW1 or 2 and dealing with colonies (not comparing them to nazis), but they are still commemorated

Reply 10

el scorcho

they all sit around by the fire and watch schindler's ****ing list

Reply 11

Rosamund123

germans are very, very sensitive about commemorating the holocaust and other war crimes

I'm not sure if they would remember german war veterans because of their sensitivity towards victims of the nazis

Reply 12

Sephirot10

they all sit around by the fire and watch schindler's f**king list

It makes some pretty major mistakes as regards Shindlers character, instead they should watch Shoah. Now that was harrowing viewing. It's also like 8 hours long.

Reply 13

tom//

i would hope they remember those who fought for them, regardless of the causes many had to fight and died doing so

Reply 14

el scorcho

Sephirot10

It makes some pretty major mistakes as regards Shindlers character, instead they should watch Shoah. Now that was harrowing viewing. It's also like 8 hours long.

damn, liam neeson got old

Reply 15

Prince Rhyus

I've been to Germany and Austria on several occasions and have gone looking around to see how they are commemorated/remembered.

The established churches - those that survived the bombings, do recall those who fell during the first world war.

And that was what struck me.

The pointless slaughter on both sides in that conflict.

Bar the Germanised names, the gothic font and the translated military ranks, the commemoration was exactly the same as those in UK churches - men who had given up their lives in defence of (in this case the mother/fatherland) their country.

Hamburg has a memorial for those seafarers who lost their lives in both conflicts. It also has a peace memorial at Nikolaikirche - a church designed and built by Sir George Gilbert Scott...and flattened by Sir Arther Harris.

Reply 16

initiation

tom//

i would hope they remember those who fought for them, regardless of the causes many had to fight and died doing so

This, I am sure that if those men who fought for Germany, if they were born in the UK & Commonwealth, would have fought in the same wars just on different sides. German's sometimes apprehension at commemorating their dead is only because they are seen as the 'bad guys' by the rest of the world. If they had won the war then we would be the bad guys and Mr Churchill and Bomber Harris would have been charged with fire bombing German Civilians (for example).