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GERMANY: Death at Konstanz

2 minute read
TIME

Swiss on the shores of the Lake of Constance have a good barometer of German affairs. They look at the Germans living on the German parts of the lake, in and around the old bishop’s city of Konstanz (pop. 33,000). Recently, a Swiss newspaper on the border went through back numbers of Konstanz’ local Bodensee Rundschau, found 3,785 obituary announcements for 3,575 men, 210 officers killed on the Russian front between June 22, 1941 and Dec. 1, 1943. The oldest, Artillery General Foehrenbach, was 70; the youngest, a Hitler Youth volunteer, was 17. Forty-three per cent were married.

During the same period, in that once comfortable, idyllic region, 76 people committed suicide—mostly wives and mothers of the dead soldiers.

Neighboring villages also announce their deaths in the Rundschau. But the city’s rate of loss is probably over 10%. The 3,785 does not include deaths on other fronts, or wounded, or missing, or those whose families were too poor to put a notice in the Rundschau (minimum rate: 35 marks). In four and a half years of the last war, the area lost 3,148 dead, including 103 officers. This time, losses during two and a half years of fighting on the Russian front alone have been at least 20% higher.

Konstanz is probably typical of the Germany which Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, the rest of the Nazi Hierarchy must lead to defeat. Even a year ago, the Rundschau was uneasy about the look of the men on leave: they “seem like foreigners. . . . Many of them don’t speak a word, spend the whole three weeks alone, avoiding everyone.”

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