Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & documents
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Troops sleeping on straw inside barn.
Guy pictured is the former owner of the album.
Guy pictured is the former owner of the album.
- Attachments
-
- 656.jpg (186.22 KiB) Viewed 1115 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Church, unknown location.
- Attachments
-
- 688.jpg (237.66 KiB) Viewed 1115 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
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
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
- 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
Hi Larry,Larrister wrote:Could be a trick of the light but the boy at back looks very dark skinned.
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.
Hi Murx,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.
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/
- 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
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 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 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.
How people got around in the occupied city.
Boat crossing next to a destroyed bridge.
Source: http://www.v-like-vintage.net 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 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 (150.98 KiB) Viewed 1082 times
Scorched earth, scorched lives: http://svetlanakarlin.wordpress.com/
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
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.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
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 (235.24 KiB) Viewed 1055 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Another village street photo.
- Attachments
-
- 619.jpg (157.11 KiB) Viewed 1055 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Frozen well.
- Attachments
-
- 204.jpg (203.46 KiB) Viewed 1055 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
House with part stone walls.
- Attachments
-
- 1234054.jpg (249.4 KiB) Viewed 1055 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
One more for now.
Dark clouds gather over a village. Possibly the onset of winter.
Dark clouds gather over a village. Possibly the onset of winter.
- Attachments
-
- 109.jpg (180.8 KiB) Viewed 1055 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
This is the last pic from the album.
I will post photos from other albums as time permits.
I will post photos from other albums as time permits.
- Attachments
-
- 747.jpg (162.5 KiB) Viewed 1014 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Thirsty Russian POWs beg for water. Some have lowered drinking cans to children while curious people look on.
Unknown location.
Larry
Unknown location.
Larry
- Attachments
-
- Mercedes-Benz L3000, trailer & POWs.jpg (182.88 KiB) Viewed 1014 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
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.
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 (209.49 KiB) Viewed 1008 times
Last edited by Larrister on 09 Aug 2010, 12:46, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
Soldier takes children for a ride.
- Attachments
-
- Luftwaffe Mercedes-Benz 170 VK - 2.jpg (198.95 KiB) Viewed 1008 times
Re: Civilian life in occupied Soviet Union in photos & docum
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 (167.67 KiB) Viewed 1008 times