Before today 75 years, am 8. May 1945 The Second World War in Germany ended with the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht. More than 60 Millions of people lost their lives in the process and the German fascists devastated an entire continent. Only with great losses 1943 the tide was turned and the Wehrmacht finally defeated. The Kassel communist Willi Belz experienced the long-awaited end of Hitler's Germany on the Eastern Front, but on the side of the Red Army.
Illustration of the book published by Willi Belz “The steadfast”
After a prison sentence, which he had to serve for his work as an official of the banned Communist Youth Association, he was 1941 forcibly drafted into the Wehrmacht. To fight for the Nazis, was out of the question for him and immediately he made the decision, to run over to the Red Army at the first opportunity. When he finally did 1943 was fielded against the Soviet Union, the Wehrmacht is already retreating. In an unobserved moment, he hides in the shed of a Russian family, wait more than 30 Hours on the advancing Red Army and finally surrenders.
Willi Belz tells his life story in interviews and own publications, the difficulties of political work during the Nazi dictatorship in Kassel and his time in the Soviet Union. He also creates a memorial for his friends and comrades, who didn't survive Nazi rule.
In the following excerpts from a conversation by 1976 Willi reports about his illegal political work in Kassel and how he did it, to overflow to the Red Army.
Illegal political work in Kassel
Of course, I no longer got any work in my job as a technical draftsman and had to work as a construction worker. Gradually I started making contacts with comrades again, who were free and also with other anti-fascists. Finally I came 1939 in the Coca-Cola plant. There was a German Coca-Cola society here, which produced with an American license. The Kassel branch was located in Quellhofstrasse. We "traitors" had the opportunity, to find a job in such companies. This factory didn't make armaments or anything secret, what could be endangered. And lo and behold: several previously convicted "treasurers" met in the Coca-Cola factory!
Among others, the August tones, who had been in the district leadership of the KPD (the professor"), then Willi Lein, and the machine operator at Coca-Cola was Adolf Höhmann, by origin he was a social democrat and working class athlete.
In any case, we were initially a core group of six people, that put the noses together, and decided, to raise an illegal group at the Coca-Cola plant.
Worked in the plant 45 to 50 People, with the drivers 60. Our job initially consisted of, exchange political information, to discuss the international situation in close circles, to listen to the Moscow station and other stations, the KPD's illegal freedom transmitter, for example. We exchanged our opinions very intensively, even with some people, who came from the SPD and said, something should be done. We then set out to do it, to make certain specific demands in the company: Improvement of social conditions, for example the canteen meal, better wages, other perks. We were able to build on certain discontentions among the workforce.
But that was not our only job. We were only the core force for illegal work in this company; however, our activity went beyond the company to the neighboring residential areas – Fasanenhof, Hebbelstrasse, everywhere there, where there were old miners from the labor movement, for example in the Henschel houses, we have made contacts. However, written material was not published at that time. We focused on the oral discussions and regular contact with old comrades, individually or in smaller groups in different parts of the city. It was always primarily about discussing ongoing political affairs, international politics and Nazi politics. It was always a concrete occasion, from which the discussion started.
We have shielded our illegal work quite well. Because there were of course SA people in the company and convinced Nazis, "Cyclist", Spy, who were very careful, what was going on in the company, not least because of that, to get popular with the management and the NSDAP. And there was one, who must have gotten something in the nose. We also had political discussions in the breakfast- and lunch breaks, very covered, mostly in the form, that we glossed over press releases in an ambiguous manner. But he became aware and kept an eye on us. Always crept around the company and wanted to get into discussions.
To shield us even more, we agreed the following: we were talking seriously about the latest situation, for example with Adolf Höhmann at the workbench; at most two or three. We exchanged the latest information and discussed our views on it, and when that was done, we suddenly started a dispute about internal things and roared at each other terribly. Then we broke up in the argument. And the others did the same.
Then the Gestapo checked us for an advertisement from the company, we could talk ourselves out well. We would have a machine operator, according to the position of those who have long sought. One would like to become a filler, the other likes to take over the warehouse department, and so there would be quite a number of people, that would be like dog and cat. We would have had more arguments than peaceful days. If you could imagine, that it was possible among these people in such a company, to meet for communist activities. The Gestapo made that clear, that she didn't grab one of us.
If only they had fished one out and squeezed it out a bit, beaten up a bit, so that might have hinted, that we had put our heads together and discussed it politically, then they would have taken our heads off.
August Thoene, he was still at war with the Coca-Cola. He's in the bombing raid 1943 perished in the bunker. Willi Lein is from the Wehrmacht because of desertion got shot. The rest of us were then off 1939 scattered in all winds …
Voluntary to the Red Army
I jump out with one sentence, left hand up and right hand outstretched, that they saw, I had nothing in my hand, and then say in Russian: „Tag, Enjoyed! Come to the Red Army voluntarily!“They were moved by thunder. Then all the MPs were aimed at me. They stood in a semicircle around me. "What is the mood", I thought, "What happened before? What do they do with such a single 'fascist' now??“
They pushed me to the side of the road, and then I put all Russian language skills together and explained them, that I’m a communist and volunteer to join the Red Army.
I was preparing for that. And the sergant said: "Don't shoot anything, you back!“So far everything was clear. And then I was ordered to go. I had to march with two soldiers behind me and the sergeant there.
Soon we came to the first village. Civilians already followed at the foot of the Red Army; children, old grannies, Grandpas ran around, Chicken, Geese and ducks fluttered through the village. Then trucks with troops came, and the soldiers called down from above: “Ah, Fritz, Fritz!” and “Hitler broke” and laughed. I came to the village, it was terribly hot. I wanted something to drink. An old mother came and brought me a pot of water. And then marched kilometer after kilometer!
A radio antenna protruded from a large grain field – a sending station. We were with the division staff. Then I sat down on a mound of earth. An officer came out of the dugout, with staff uniform, rote Biesen, was apparently an adjutant. He spoke German: „So, You are a communist? Then why are you coming alone? Why don't you have 40 Brought people?“What should I say about that?. "I tried, To attract people, but without success."
I came to a corner of the grain field, sat there 10 to 12 German prisoners, partially wounded, with associations. No one spoke a tone, lay there like tapped calves. "So what's going on? Why doesn't anyone say a word?? Where are you from?“Until one said: "What should we talk about?, we're going to be shot right away!" "You idiots!I said and then started right away, to talk to them, why they believed everything in fascist propaganda. Then we were taken away. It went to the army staff and the political department.
No 12 I was sitting there hours later the typewriter and wrote the first leaflets!
I was at the front for a few months, in the 11. Soviet army, with night missions and calls via trench loudspeakers: Dear comrades, see, the war is lost. Save your life, go into captivity, so is the front position - that was about the content.
Later that was 11. Army pulled out of the front, and I came to a large prisoner of war camp 7.000 Mann. There I was an authorized representative of the National Committee for Free Germany and worked politically for over a year, Conducted courses and fooled around with our fellow countrymen.
1947 I came home. Why so late? Because they always said, I would have to do a little more, that Hitler's former soldiers would get some reasonable thoughts! But finally I said: You can slide my hump down, they are waiting for me at home, the comrades and the family!
Willi Belz, 1976
Editor's note: The interview with Willi Belz was 1984 in National community and enemies of the people released. The book is available free of charge as a PDF document.