Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & documents

Discussions on every day life in the Weimar Republic, pre-anschluss Austria, Third Reich and the occupied territories. Hosted by Vikki.
Post Reply
User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#91

Post by Larrister » 06 Aug 2010, 05:39

Troops sleeping on straw inside barn.
Guy pictured is the former owner of the album.
Attachments
656.jpg
656.jpg (186.22 KiB) Viewed 1115 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#92

Post by Larrister » 06 Aug 2010, 05:40

Church, unknown location.
Attachments
688.jpg
688.jpg (237.66 KiB) Viewed 1115 times


murx
Member
Posts: 646
Joined: 23 May 2010, 21:44

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#93

Post by murx » 06 Aug 2010, 20:29

The corresponding report from a Landser:

I already had reported thaty our food was everything but good.We were hungry very often but that was nothing compared to the hunger suffered by the Russians. How hungry they really were we saw often when they came to the field kitchen asking for potatoe peels. Our potatoes, being one year old and very wizen had to be peeled by thick layers. The Russions didn't even eat them but used them for planting new ones. I don't believe that this was working. And if it was, only very smalll potatoes could have been the results. The small children from the village, after having lost their shyness, very often were seen around our kitchen and liked it, when our cook, who was a good man, or some Landser gave them bread or a field cooking container full of soup. Children can look at you with incredible sadness but also can be wonderful ful of rewardness. Those were the children from Ternajawa, the small village in Russia which for a short time was my home.


http://www.mohrsnh.de/Heinrich_Heil/Alless.PDF
Page 155

User avatar
Svetlana Karlin
Member
Posts: 402
Joined: 17 May 2010, 07:43
Location: Oregon, USA; Moscow, Russia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#94

Post by Svetlana Karlin » 07 Aug 2010, 09:28

Larrister wrote:Could be a trick of the light but the boy at back looks very dark skinned.
Hi Larry,

Thank you for sharing more photos!

I don't think it's a trick of the light. The boy could be partly of Asian race. Judging by the house (straw roof and plaster/clay walls) in the background, the picture was taken somewhere in the South.

Is there any indication what year was it taken? If it was taken in 1942, it could be Stalingrad area, which is populated by Kalmyks, an Asian ethnicity. The boy doesn't look like a 100% Kalmyk, but intermarriages were common. Also, if it's Kuban or Stavropol area, then there would be many dark-skinned people of the nationalities that historically inhabited the Caucasus Mountains (Ossetins, Chechens, Ingushes, etc.).

The house interiors reflect such an extreme poverty, it's even hard to imagine that villagers lived like that in some areas. The church photos are quite interesting. You might have already known that religion was basically banned under the Stalin regime. The looted church was most likely shut down and converted into storage in 20's or 30's. The other photo with people in front of a church was apparently taken around Easter, because the text above the entrance reads "Christ Has Risen" - Христос Воскрес. It's a traditional Easter slogan in Russia. When Germans occupied Soviet territories, they allowed the locals practice religion freely, and a lot of churches were re-opened.
murx wrote:The corresponding report from a Landser:

I already had reported thaty our food was everything but good.We were hungry very often but that was nothing compared to the hunger suffered by the Russians. How hungry they really were we saw often when they came to the field kitchen asking for potatoe peels. Our potatoes, being one year old and very wizen had to be peeled by thick layers. The Russions didn't even eat them but used them for planting new ones. I don't believe that this was working. And if it was, only very smalll potatoes could have been the results. The small children from the village, after having lost their shyness, very often were seen around our kitchen and liked it, when our cook, who was a good man, or some Landser gave them bread or a field cooking container full of soup. Children can look at you with incredible sadness but also can be wonderful ful of rewardness. Those were the children from Ternajawa, the small village in Russia which for a short time was my home.
Hi Murx,

Thank you for the interesting quote. It's actually possible to grow potatoes from potato peelings, although it isn't the best way. In the past, my family used to grow potatoes in our country garden. We threw potato peelings together with other kitchen discards into a compost heap. Sometimes the peelings produced shoots, and we had potato plants growing out of the compost pile!
Scorched earth, scorched lives: http://svetlanakarlin.wordpress.com/

User avatar
Svetlana Karlin
Member
Posts: 402
Joined: 17 May 2010, 07:43
Location: Oregon, USA; Moscow, Russia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#95

Post by Svetlana Karlin » 07 Aug 2010, 10:13

Another set of 1942 Kharkov pictures by Hermann Hoeffke.

How people got around in the occupied city.

Boat crossing next to a destroyed bridge.
Source: http://www.v-like-vintage.net
rsz_00027459.jpg
rsz_00027459.jpg (120.84 KiB) Viewed 1082 times
Streetcar, car and horse cart in a street. The car most likely belonged to Wehrmacht or occupation authorities.
Source: http://bpkgate.picturemaxx.com/webgate_ ... html?nav=k
00006503.jpg
00006503.jpg (45.99 KiB) Viewed 1082 times
Pedestrians on a bridge. Two women transport their belongings in a hand cart. The bumpy shape of the sack under other stuff makes me think it contains potatoes.
Attachments
Bridge1.jpg
Bridge1.jpg (150.98 KiB) Viewed 1082 times
Scorched earth, scorched lives: http://svetlanakarlin.wordpress.com/

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#96

Post by Larrister » 08 Aug 2010, 02:53

murx wrote:The corresponding report from a Landser:

I already had reported thaty our food was everything but good.We were hungry very often but that was nothing compared to the hunger suffered by the Russians. How hungry they really were we saw often when they came to the field kitchen asking for potatoe peels. Our potatoes, being one year old and very wizen had to be peeled by thick layers. The Russions didn't even eat them but used them for planting new ones. I don't believe that this was working. And if it was, only very smalll potatoes could have been the results. The small children from the village, after having lost their shyness, very often were seen around our kitchen and liked it, when our cook, who was a good man, or some Landser gave them bread or a field cooking container full of soup. Children can look at you with incredible sadness but also can be wonderful ful of rewardness. Those were the children from Ternajawa, the small village in Russia which for a short time was my home.


http://www.mohrsnh.de/Heinrich_Heil/Alless.PDF
Page 155
Thankyou for the great first-hand account. It shows that at least some German soldiers were sympathetic towards the plight of the local inhabitants (especially children) and showed some kindness towards them.

Linkar: Once again thanks for the great information regarding my photos.
Whilst the album contains many good photos it is poorly captioned.
Dates on several graves photos in the album show a period from 1941-42 and it would be safe to say that the photos in the album cover this period.

More from the album.
Village main street with Germans camped at far end.

Larry
Attachments
178.jpg
178.jpg (235.24 KiB) Viewed 1055 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#97

Post by Larrister » 08 Aug 2010, 02:55

Another village street photo.
Attachments
619.jpg
619.jpg (157.11 KiB) Viewed 1055 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#98

Post by Larrister » 08 Aug 2010, 02:56

Frozen well.
Attachments
204.jpg
204.jpg (203.46 KiB) Viewed 1055 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#99

Post by Larrister » 08 Aug 2010, 02:57

House with part stone walls.
Attachments
1234054.jpg
1234054.jpg (249.4 KiB) Viewed 1055 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#100

Post by Larrister » 08 Aug 2010, 02:59

One more for now.
Dark clouds gather over a village. Possibly the onset of winter.
Attachments
109.jpg
109.jpg (180.8 KiB) Viewed 1055 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#101

Post by Larrister » 09 Aug 2010, 11:58

This is the last pic from the album.

I will post photos from other albums as time permits.
Attachments
747.jpg
747.jpg (162.5 KiB) Viewed 1014 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#102

Post by Larrister » 09 Aug 2010, 12:02

Thirsty Russian POWs beg for water. Some have lowered drinking cans to children while curious people look on.
Unknown location.

Larry
Attachments
Mercedes-Benz L3000, trailer & POWs.jpg
Mercedes-Benz L3000, trailer & POWs.jpg (182.88 KiB) Viewed 1014 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#103

Post by Larrister » 09 Aug 2010, 12:34

A nice little series from my vehicle photo collection.

German soldiers allow Russian villagers to sit in their Mercedes Benz 170 VK.

It is obvious that these soldiers are on friendly terms with these people and are probably billited in the houses in the background. The MB has a Luftwaffe numberplate.
Attachments
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 1.jpg
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 1.jpg (209.49 KiB) Viewed 1008 times
Last edited by Larrister on 09 Aug 2010, 12:46, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#104

Post by Larrister » 09 Aug 2010, 12:35

Soldier takes children for a ride.
Attachments
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 2.jpg
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 2.jpg (198.95 KiB) Viewed 1008 times

User avatar
Larrister
Member
Posts: 1787
Joined: 13 Jan 2004, 01:34
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum

#105

Post by Larrister » 09 Aug 2010, 12:39

It appears that a child may actually be driving the car while a soldier sits in the back.
Attachments
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 3.jpg
Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 3.jpg (167.67 KiB) Viewed 1008 times

Post Reply

Return to “Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic”