Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

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ekleers
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Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#1

Post by ekleers » 06 Mar 2008, 13:37

Is some books about Latvian SS there is mentioned how after declared innocent latvian soldiers were tasked to become guards in Nuremberg trials. Is this true? And if it is what tasks were they given?

P.S. I'm sorry if such a post already was posted in somewhere I searched but could find it.

Regards, ekleers

Peeter
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#2

Post by Peeter » 07 Mar 2008, 07:08

yes there were Latvian and Estonian ex-SS soldiers serving as guards in Nürnberg.
http://www.hot.ee/vaikal/vahi.htm
http://www.hot.ee/hintzer/album_8.htm


Mattlander
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#3

Post by Mattlander » 08 Mar 2008, 02:21

those were good pictures. I had always wanted to see these.
thank you!

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ekleers
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#4

Post by ekleers » 08 Mar 2008, 12:53

After some search I found about Latvian company who even escorted inmates in the court hall and to the execution http://www.lettia.lv/en_a_legionari-nirnberga.html

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Denim Demon
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#5

Post by Denim Demon » 13 Mar 2008, 11:26

Why would former waffen ss soldiers be employed as guards at Nuremberg? At first thought they dont seem to the most trustworthy guards. And what had the soviets got to say about it? I`m sure they would have been more than just a little upset?

Regards

DD

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ekleers
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#6

Post by ekleers » 13 Mar 2008, 15:54

Latvians and Estonians were most trustworthy guards. They did not fight for Nazi cause but for independence. Becose of that Allies trusted them.
The Baltic Waffen SS Units (Baltic Legions) are to be considered as separate and distinct in purpose, ideology, activities, and qualifications for membership from the German SS, and therefore the Commission holds them not to be a movement hostile to the Government of the United States
Of course soviets didn't like that, but there wasn't anything they could do to them. Russia still calls our legionaries for fascists and nazis.

Here a link about Latvian Legion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Le ... nvolvement

And here about Estonian division
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Waffe ... stonian%29

PiretBCN
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#7

Post by PiretBCN » 19 Aug 2012, 13:02

There is a very good documentary about the Estonian guards (former Waffen-SS soldiers) on YouTube but unfortunately it's only in Estonian. You can still see the images: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV5tHpJXbaM
("Mehed unustatud armeest"---> "Men from the forgotten army")

The most shocking/surprising parts for me:
1. There was an interview with a former Estonian Nuremberg guard who still lives in Nuremberg (he had nowhere else to go after the war) but the Nuremberg Trial museum completely ignores these men. Hello? You have the real thing LIVING in your city! What must he do? Go to your museum and jump up and down yelling: "I AM HERE!!!"?
2. The Estonian guards interviewed served under the flag of the Republic of Estonia (that at the same time was STRICTLY forbidden in occupied Estonia by Stalin)
3. These men worked also during the High Command Trial which meant they had to guard their former "big bosses", e.g. von Küchler.
4. This documentary shows a photo of an Estonian guard standing behind the cell of Hitler doctor (Brandt).
5. One Estonian guard talks about taking Hess for a walk.

Ljotrulf
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#8

Post by Ljotrulf » 28 Apr 2013, 21:55

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Altes-Fotoalb ... true&rt=nc
Someone is even collecting this stuff now!

PiretBCN
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#9

Post by PiretBCN » 08 May 2013, 13:39

The first photo is BRILLIANT. Latvian colours and the word BALTIC. At the time when the Nuremberg Trials happened these colours were strictly forbidden in Latvia. I guess the Soviet Union had to close one eye (or both eyes) in Nuremberg. Of course, the punishment of these guards was sentencing them into oblivion. Even the Nuremberg Trials museum denied (still denies?) their existence.
There are Latvian and Estonian men who managed to serve under the Soviet Union (taken by force to Russia), Germany (massive desertations in places like Velikiye Luki) and the US (Nuremberg Trial guards). Surreal but true.

varonis
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Re: Latvian SS soldiers - guards in Nuremberg trials?

#10

Post by varonis » 12 Feb 2017, 17:48

My Latvian Father had been a member of the Waffen SS (they were told to volunteer) who was a guard at the Nuremburg War Trials where he was the guard for Erhard Milch. He believed that a member of the US Military with Estonian ancestry had initiated the concept after concerns were raised that some of the prisoners may attempt to commit suicide by jumping over the parapets while manacled to their guard. My father did not have any concerns with Milch who was unlikely to get a very long sentence and who often spoke of starting a mushroom farm after his release. Milch was sentenced to 15 years in gaol but was released in 1954.
Ironically Milch was "considered as a "Jewish Mischling of the first degree"." When Goring was told he is reported to have said "I will decide who is Jewish". Goring urged Adolf Hitler who gave Milch a German Blood Certificate and, was later reclassified as an "honorary Aryan". He was one of the few officers in the German high command of Jewish ancestry. Milch joined the Nazi Party (number 123885) on 1 April 1929, but his membership was not officially acknowledged until March 1933, because Hitler deemed it desirable to keep the fact hidden for political reasons.

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