Czech Republic soldiers

[Landser1943]

I think that thousands of Czech fought in SS or in the Wehrmacht, well, how I can find a birthplace of a Czech soldier? Does exist a list of German ethnic people in Czech Republic before the war?

[Panzergrenadier2967]

I don't know.It is difficult have a list of all people (do not you think this)
Somebody can suggest me a WW2 Czech forum

[Sid Guttridge]

The Germans three times turned down offers by the Czech president to send a volunteer legion to the Eastern Front in 1941-42. Therefore no Czechs served in German uniform. The Germans wanted to resettle Bohemia-Moravia with Germans and so were reluctant to concede them anything that gave them credibility.

Instead, nine of the ten battalions of the Protectorate Army were sent to Italy to serve as pioneers in 1944-45.

Without doubt pre-war Czechoslovak Volksdeutsch citizens served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, but not Czechs.

Cheers,

Sid.

[GregSingh]

There is no single database, if this is what you're asking.
So what do you have to start with?

[lartiste]

The Germans three times turned down offers by the Czech president to send a volunteer legion to the Eastern Front in 1941-42. Therefore no Czechs served in German uniform. The Germans wanted to resettle Bohemia-Moravia with Germans and so were reluctant to concede them anything that gave them credibility.

Instead, nine of the ten battalions of the Protectorate Army were sent to Italy to serve as pioneers in 1944-45.

Without doubt pre-war Czechoslovak Volksdeutsch citizens served in the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, but not Czechs.

Cheers,

Sid.

Sorry, is this Igor Moravec in Czech uniform? Can you help me to recognize it?

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

No idea who he is but it's not a Czech uniform. It's an SS uniform.

waleed

[lartiste]

No idea who he is but it's not a Czech uniform. It's an SS uniform.

waleed

Son of Emanuel Moravec. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Moravec.

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Thanks lartiste. Yes, found him in an old post https://forum.axishistory.com//viewtopic.php?t=168835
waleed

[Sid Guttridge]

Definitely W-SS.

One wonders by what rational he was allowed into the W-SS? Was he Volksdeutsch despite his name and paternity?

Sid.

[wm]

Igor Moravec served in the Waffen SS. His brother Yuri served in the Wehrmacht.

[GregSingh]

Igor Moravec has a folder in Czech archives.
If I read letters correctly Karl Hermann Frank had a meeting with General Rudolf Toussaint (Wehrmachtsbevollmächtigte beim Reichsprotektor in Böhmen und Mähren) in July 1942 and asked him for Igor Moravec to be moved to Waffen-SS.

[history1]

Definitely W-SS.
[...] Was he Volksdeutsch despite his name and paternity?
Sid.

"volksdeutsch (adjective), and not "Volksdeutsch. Or you can ask if he was an ethnic German = Volksdeutscher.
BTW, it was common for them to held local names. Only during German occupation many changed their names into German ones. And after WWII many did change them into local, eg. Polish ones. EG, Fischer into Fiszer and vice versa. Examples here @ #16:
http://forum.danzig.de/showthread.php?3 ... 4nderungen

[wm]

The Moravecs weren't any Volks<something>, they were as Czech as Charles Bridge or even more.

[_Metrick]

In case of soldiers originally from today Czech Republic it's a little a bit complicated. There were few groups of Czechoslovak citizens who fought on German side besides Czech Germans from mainly Sudetenland (I guess they considered themselves as a Germans). Some were people of mainly mixed origin from Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren and 2 other main groups were people from Hlučín/Hultschin region (area were part of Prussian Empire from 1742 to 1920) and Těšínsko/Teschen Silesia. In case of Hlucin people were considered German/Volksdeutsche by Nazis based on old Prussian citizenship and in case of Tesinsko it's even more complicated. Area was annexed by Poland in 1938 and after German occupation people were ordered census where people can choose Czech/Polish/German/Silesian/Jewish nationality. Most people choose Silesian one, later by reasoning that Silesian is somehow distant German they ended up in Nazis army, Of course it was more complicated but idea is there. In Hucin about 3000 died in war and in case of Tesinsko about 2000 men. Probably doesn't help you much, but many people don't know about this part of history unless they are from that regions. There were even "funny" cases where person served first in Czechoslovak army in late 30's than served in Polish army and then in Wehrmacht. I have no idea about some general database, if you know name of fallen soldier you can try Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. site: volksbund.de

[Panzergrenadier2967]

Hi _Metrick can you suggest me a good czech forum on WW2 or geneaology?