Reenactors visiting german war cemeteries?

[SS-Schutze Schuller]

While looking at a few online albums of a normandy trip for U.S reenactors visiting cemeteries with a veteran , I thought: What would happen if the same was done but with german reenactors and a german veteran? Has this been done before, if not, Would there be a public outcry at this?

[Brigardefuhrer]

If you mean 'in uniform',yes there would I expect be an outcry.Re-enactors have accompenied
german 'vets',but in 'civvies'.Also the waffen SS veterans I have met over the years,'honour' all fallen soldiers of ww2 and have laid floral tributes at the graves of their former'enemies'.

[Tychsen]

German WW2 uniform in a German or Allied WW2 cemetery would cause problems and my own view is that it should not be done , I don't think that War cemeteries are a place were the uniforms of the day , Allied or Axis should be worn.

Like the "bgf" I have on occasions placed flowers and poppy crosses in German cemeteries and see nothing wrong in this and as a stone outside la cambe states "Wargraves are the great communicators of peace".

The Deutsche Kriegsgraberstatten work extremely hard to remember Germany's war dead and to do so with dignity given the terrible history of that war (1939-45) , my own view is that the wearing of uniforms other than those by soldiers on official duty or by soldiers of Germany's own forces is out of keeping with the ethos of that organisation.
Attached , the grave of Eugen Prinz la cambe ,the stone in the peace garden which has been built adjacent to la cambe and a tree in that garden from the Wittmann family.

[Ewald Koch]

Has this been done before, if not, Would there be a public outcry at this?

Frand and I did this last year, and nothing happened:

http://www.gaissmair.net/Nove2008.htm

From our point of view we paid our respects to German soldiers buried far away from their home country. Some Finnish Waffen-SS veterans I happened to mention this were extremely positive about our visit.

[Salacious Crumb]

Although your intentions are good, the view of the German re-enacting scene would be awfull! You are visiting their country so you have to behave and obey their rules. The German WW2 re-enacing scene is very slowly getting off the ground and most of the time they are walking on egs. They have to watch every step they make and are watched about every step they make.

Visiting the cemetaries is fine, but do it in civilian clothes and do it in a normal way and don 't make a scene.

[Franz repper]

Wha Ewald Forgot to say was we did spend time clearing the graves of weeds and fallen branchies . We were also asked by Veterans to do this , in Finland their is no laws about wearing of German uniform or SS runes we even have a monument to our SS troops not many countrys have that the SS veterans are active here and have alot of support .
I think that it is Diffrent in each country as Ewald and I would not dream of doing this in any other country other than Finland and with veterans permission

[Ewald Koch]

I think that it is Diffrent in each country as Ewald and I would not dream of doing this in any other country other than Finland and with veterans permission

Oh yes, forgot to mention that. In Finland this is completely OK and legal, but anywhere else in Europe politically very very very incorrect and even illegal. Some fine summer day we should go there, clean some more fallen branches and leaves off and see that places are clean; what do you say Franz, coming this way sometime?

[Ruimteaapje]

Some years ago I was in La Gleize with a Leibstandarte veteran when at the museum we ran into a big group of reenactors (British, French, Belgian, Germans, a Dutchman) all in full Waffen-SS kit. I'm sure they were having a great time but they told me they were about to walk Peiper's escape route van La Gleize to Wanne in full dress. A local told me that such activities are still quite upsetting the elderly people in the area and I can imagine that a group of fourty SS troopers suddenly marching trough their backyards brings back bad memories. What I'm trying to say is that reenactors - be it on a cemetary or on historical battlefields - should always be aware of the emotions they can cause.

[laughing_octopus]

Cleaning up graves n stuff sounds nice, we should respect the dead. I'm not really sure if I'd wear any uniform to a grave.. I'd wear medals though. Allthough saying that I wear bits of my kit in my everyday life, like my SS belt buckle and Luftwaffe pilots ring... although being so small no ones ever noticed

[Hans Gowert]

ffs, whats with people wrighting in shitty colours !

[laughing_octopus]

I love writting in colours lighten up

[Hans Gowert]

you can barely read that crappy green colour!