The last known German soldiers to be released from the SU

DarExc · Post by **DarExc** » 30 Mar 2003 08:29

When were the last German POW's released from the soviet union? I know most were there until the mid 50's but I have heard tales of some not getting out until the 70's? Was this concidered a war crime even though the Russians had no rules on keeping prisoners? Also what was done about it if anything?

Ljunggren · Post by **Ljunggren** » 30 Mar 2003 09:08

DarExc wrote:When were the last German POW's released from the soviet union? I know most were there until the mid 50's but I have heard tales of some not getting out until the 70's? Was this concidered a war crime even though the Russians had no rules on keeping prisoners? Also what was done about it if anything?

Rudoph Hess died August 17th 1987 in Spandau. I believe that he was the only POW of WWII still in captivity at that time.

DarExc · Post by **DarExc** » 30 Mar 2003 09:16

Well he wasn't really a POW per say. He was found guilty in a trial, I mean simply untried men of the wehrmacht and waffen-ss who did nothing wrong and were just taken as POW's.

Ljunggren · Post by **Ljunggren** » 30 Mar 2003 09:38

If you want to exclude Rudolph Hess because he was sentenced at the Nurnberg trials, then you also have to exclude all W-SS personell as the W-SS was named a criminal organization.
Still, I belive both Hess aswell as the ordinary W-SS man must be considered as POW.

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 30 Mar 2003 10:07

DarExc -- According to the Soviet Union, all German POWs were released as of 6 May 1950 (NYT 7 May 1950:35:3). Those remaining in Soviet custody after that time were war criminals, typically serving a 25 year term of imprisonment. On 9 Sept 1955 Nikita S. Krushchev announced the "Adenauer amnesty," pursuant to which Axis war criminals in Soviet custody, including Germans, were to be released (Gulag Archipelago vol. 3, pps. 441-2). Releases under this program began in the first week of Oct 1955, and continued into 1956.

Apparently some POWs/war criminals got lost in the Soviet prison system and were released even later. It seems to me that I remember a story about a Japanese POW who was found in a Russian camp in the early 1990s.

Antti V · Post by **Antti V** » 30 Mar 2003 14:09

Here was few years ago in news papers a story about Hungarian(?) man, who was released from Russian mental hospital in 1990s (!). He was lost his memory during battle, was taken prisoner and transferred from POW camp to hospital after the war. Nobody in hospital knew his recent past until some researchers could find out his identify from Russian archives. He was then returned to Hungary.
Interesting story if it´s true

Peeter · Post by **Peeter** » 30 Mar 2003 15:25

I strongly suggest to be careful naming all those men who got 25 years in Gulag war criminals. Some of them were, most not. SU needed cheap workers and it was extremely easy to get these 25 years.

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 30 Mar 2003 17:12

Peeter -- You said: "I strongly suggest to be careful naming all those men who got 25 years in Gulag war criminals. Some of them were, most not. SU needed cheap workers and it was extremely easy to get these 25 years."

That's why the post starts out: "According to the Soviet Union, . . . ."

DarExc · Post by **DarExc** » 30 Mar 2003 18:25

Interesting, and I wonder how many were "lost" in the system even after 55.

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 31 Mar 2003 02:21

From the New York Times 12 Apr 1998:

David Thompson · Post by **David Thompson** » 31 Mar 2003 02:22

Part 2:

DarExc · Post by **DarExc** » 01 Apr 2003 08:27

Very interesting, thank you for posting that!

Kaiser · Post by **Kaiser** » 05 Apr 2003 07:45

Antti-

Your story is true as well, I remember that vividly and saw the pictures of him returning and the follow up stories ect... He was Hungarian as well. Long time away, huh? Someone here can probably dig up that story somewhere too...

-K

Panzermahn · Post by **Panzermahn** » 07 Apr 2003 08:01

His name is Andras Tomas....a hungarian private who was captured in 1944 and finally released from a Bolshevik mental hospital in 1999...upon his return to Hungary, he was promoted to sergeant-major (the highest NCO rank) and offically discharged

wildboar · Post by **wildboar** » 09 Apr 2003 18:07

DarExc wrote:When were the last German POW's released from the soviet union? I know most were there until the mid 50's but I have heard tales of some not getting out until the 70's? Was this concidered a war crime even though the Russians had no rules on keeping prisoners? Also what was done about it if anything?

Soviet Union had sent German Pows to Gulag Slave labour camps located in Siberia.

There is no record of no german pows lost in gulag system.

German pows were source of free labour to ussr

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The last known German soldiers to be released from the SU

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