Fortress Madonna

[tigersqn]

I just finished reading Anthony Beevor's Stalingrad and came across mention of the "Fortress Madonna", a supposedly haunting image painted on the back of a Red Army map by Dr Kurt Reuber at Christmas while trapped in the Stalingrad Kessel.
According to Beevor, the painting was smuggled out of Stalingrad by a 16th Pz Div battalion commander and now hangs in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.

Would anybody have more info on this piece or better yet a photo of it ??

[R-Bob The Great!]

I just finished reading it too and was going to ask the same question. I also found a picture of it on google.

Heres a site with some more information on it.

[tigersqn]

He, he

I think you forgot to post the link.

[FANGIO]

Hi!
Incredible coincidence, I'm reading the same book (spanish version) but on the other side of the world
Seems to be a good book, what do you think?
Best regards,

FANGIO

[grassi]

Hi R-Bob The Great!

Maybe you posted the wrong Fortress-Madonna ("Stalingrad-Madonna" in German). As far as I know your Madonna is a version done by Reuber while being in Russian captivity in 1943. In German this Madonna is called "Leidens-Madonna" ("leiden" = to suffer) or "Gefangenen-Madonna".

There are loads of German websites and books dealing with the Stalingrad-Madonna. I found this info and pictures of the Stalingrad-Madonna and the Leidens-Madonna on: http://www.quatember.de/J1983/q83230.htm (German website of a protestant brotherhood)

The Stalingrad-Madonna is very well known in my family. My grandfather was serving with the 16. Panzerdivision (radio-operator, Obergefreiter) in Stalingrad and is MIA since January 1943.

My grandmother hoped a long time that he will return home. For years a small copy of the Stalingrad-Madonna hung in our livingroom. After my grandmother died in 2000, my mother decided to engrave the the shilouette of the Stalingrad-Madonna on the gravestone of my grandmother. The gravestone also mentions the fate of my grandfather.

Sincerely

Grassi

[tigersqn]

Hi R-Bob The Great!

Maybe you posted the wrong Fortress-Madonna ("Stalingrad-Madonna" in German). As far as I know your Madonna is a version done by Reuber while being in Russian captivity in 1943. In German this Madonna is called "Leidens-Madonna" ("leiden" = to suffer) or "Gefangenen-Madonna".

There are loads of German websites and books dealing with the Stalingrad-Madonna. I found this info and pictures of the Stalingrad-Madonna and the Leidens-Madonna on: http://www.quatember.de/J1983/q83230.htm (German website of a protestant brotherhood)

The Stalingrad-Madonna is very well known in my family. My grandfather was serving with the 16. Panzerdivision (radio-operator, Obergefreiter) in Stalingrad and is MIA since January 1943.

My grandmother hoped a long time that he will return home. For years a small copy of the Stalingrad-Madonna hung in our livingroom. After my grandmother died in 2000, my mother decided to engrave the the shilouette of the Stalingrad-Madonna on the gravestone of my grandmother. The gravestone also mentions the fate of my grandfather.

Sincerely

Grassi

Yes. I've found several sites now on the Stalingrad Madonna. My error was in searching for a "fortress madonna" :roll:

I agree the pic posted by R-Bob the Great is that from Christmas '43 at the Soviet prison camp Yelabuga (?)

http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363 ... ngrad.html

Grassi - A very moving story. It's a shame your grandfather perished.

[tigersqn]

Hi!
Incredible coincidence, I'm reading the same book (spanish version) but on the other side of the world
Seems to be a good book, what do you think?
Best regards,

FANGIO

I liked it.
I've also read Beevor's work on the Battle for Berlin.
I find them similar to many other works on the subjects but with more detail. His accounts of NKVD operations at Stalingrad were somewhat of a mystery to me before; as well as his descriptions of the Halbe pocket in his Berlin book.

........and of course the Stalingrad Madonna.

[grassi]

Hi,

I found this book quite interesting:

Martin Kruse (Hg.),
Die Stalingrad-Madonna. Das Werk Kurt Reubers als Dokument der Versoehnung,
104 Seiten, gebunden, 54 Abbildungen, 4. Auflage 2000.
ISBN 3-7859-0643-9

It is rather popluar (4th edition in 2000). As far as I know, there is only a German edition of this small book.

It is not a scientific work on Reuber (more for reconciliation) and I never double checked the data given, but it provides a good impression about Dr. Reuber, many of his photos and other paintings. For example, Reuber painted many Russian and Ukrainian peseants.

Grassi

[grassi]

Hi,

I searched the Internet and found some adaptations of Reuber’s Stalingrad-Madonna in German and Austrian churches, chapels, monasteries and graveyards. For sure, the list is far from being complete.

Also heard that in an orthodox church in Wolgograd is an icon à la Reuber’s Madonna. Please, can anyone help and post a photo of this Russian Stalingrad-Madonna?

Sincerely

Grassi

PS: I'd prefer to post the fotos takten from the links mentioned, but as I am new on this forum, yet I am not familiar with posting images...



St. Andreas/FULDA/GERMANY
http://www.st-andreas-fulda.de/html/madonna.htm

Marienkapelle/NIEDERGAILBACH/GERMANY
http://www.derbliesgau.de/Orte/Niederga ... ach_st.htm

Dom/LIMBURG/GERMANY
http://www.grabmal24.de/modules.php?op= ... cle&sid=16

Kloster Kirchberg/KIRCHBERG/GERMANY
http://www.klosterkirchberg.de/Press/ar ... 6b.htm#p11

Kirche „Kreuzauffindung“/SCHÖNEBERG/GERMANY
http://www.bistumsblatt.paulinus.de/arc ... ickpkt.htm

Bründlkapelle/FRONSBURG/AUSTRIA
http://www.fotos-geschichten.at/zaryzyn ... gograd.htm

Stephanskirche/BADEN BEI WIEN/AUSTRIA
http://www.fotos-geschichten.at/zaryzyn ... gograd.htm

[tigersqn]

I hadn't realized this was such a widespread piece.

Given the conditions inside the Kessel when Reuber drew it, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the impact it had.

[grassi]

Hi tigersqn,

me neither!

I’ve got no proof, but the strong impression that the Stalingrad-Madonna became so widespread because she realy fits for mourning and remembrance because its origin is from WWII:

Most war monuments in German villages and cities date back from 1914-1918. In many cases they show a dead or dying soldier with the typical German helmet, an iron cross etc., St. George killing the dragoon etc. In many cases those monuments are very heroic.

Usually all KIA and MIA of the village or city are listed up. After WWII the KIAs and MIAs were often simply added to theses old monuments from 1914-1918. The loss lists of WWII are in most cases much much longer than those form WWI. But those of WWI are almost always placed in the front or the centre of the monument, whilst the WWII deads are simply added left or right or even at the back of the socket.

The Stalingrad-Madonna has absolutely nothing heroic, she stands for comfort and hope. I think, this makes her a good memorial stone. She is even multi-confessional: Reuber was protestant, but the Madonna appears in protestant as well as in catholic churches and other non-church sites.

Grassi

[FANGIO]

I liked it.
I've also read Beevor's work on the Battle for Berlin.
I find them similar to many other works on the subjects but with more detail. His accounts of NKVD operations at Stalingrad were somewhat of a mystery to me before; as well as his descriptions of the Halbe pocket in his Berlin book.

........and of course the Stalingrad Madonna.

Thank you for your opinion tigersqn.
Best regards,

FANGIO

[grassi]

Some more:


Another chapel with the Stalingrad-Madonna:

Kapelle Oberroth/OBERROTH/GERMANY
http://kirchenundkapellen.de/kirchenko/ ... apelle.htm

To other chapels with Stalingrad-Madonnas, but without fotos of the Madonna:

Kapelle Kühlsheim/KÜHLSHEIM/GERMANY
http://www.fnweb.de/archiv/2002/m12/09/ ... 34202.html

Kriegergedächtniskapelle Bad Kohlgrub/BAD KOHLGRUB/GERMANY
http://www.bad-kohlgrub.de/rundgang.htm

An emblem with the Stalingrad-Madonna for Bundeswehr Lazarettregiment 21:

Lazarettregiment 21/RENNEROD/GERMANY
http://www.stadt-rennerod.de/Patenschaf ... haften.htm

[grassi]

Some more links:


Millenium Chapel/COVENTRY/UK
http://www.acanthusclews.co.uk/millenniumchapel.html
The Chapel is to be renamed ‘Chapel of the Stalingrad Madonna’.

Martinusstraße/TRIER/GERMANY
http://www.bistum-trier.de/kiosk/martin/hermes.htm
(no pics)

And last, but not least, a Russian band called FM (=Fortress Madonna):
http://www.popculturepress.com/alex.html

[tigersqn]

Wow. That first one is some small chapel.

Am I right to assume the photo in your last post is the original ?