Gebirgsjäger - "A lttle less Nazi"?

[KapitanPrien]

I really can't see the Grey Wolves being a big part of the 'partie faithful' - because, even though Doenitz was a member of the party - he stood up to Hitler - when Hitler wanted shipwrecked survivors killed - and told him no. Hitler backed down. I had ordered a book entitled: Doenitz at Nuremburg: A Re-appraisal and there are many officers on the allied side that were totally against not just the trials themselves, but in particular, Doenitz being punished.

In the end - I have to agree with the others w/ regards to an interest in a particular branch - and then in that perhaps a 'specialist' type force or group.

[Peiper]

I must admit i was intrested in the Gebirgsjager ever since i was about 6 or 7yrs old and
has a box of Airfix soldiers which happened to be "German Mountain-troops", i was
facinated by the fact they fought as soldiers and climbed mountains!!! lol

Peiper

[Gott Mit Uns]

Like Chuck Norris - Mp40 in one hand, rope in t'other.

[Grabenkater]

I choose to re-enact Gebirgsjaeger, simply because I am a "Mountaineer" and I live in the Mountain State, plus I have a snappy Jaegerbart

[grenmartens]

Please feel free to discuss your own choice of portrayal and up front I will say -I have no problems with any frontline, fighting portrayal other than the "anti partisan" units which we all avoid......... Strange because an old man of my acquaintance was LW-FJ and he was involved in anit partisan operations in France - and he was "regular forces"......
So this is not a pop - it's an attempt to have a genuine question answered.

Perhaps it's just me - but I'd rather portray "anti partisan" units! Too much 'sanitation' already in axis re-enactment IMHO, which ironically prompts the accusations of 'de-nazification' of the Third Reich by those who seek to attack us. I think it was at Kelmarsh Hall a couple of years ago, the organisers received a complaint that " the Germans weren't nasty enough and were far too friendly and approachable....".

Kaminski Brigade anyone?

[Peiper]

Please feel free to discuss your own choice of portrayal and up front I will say -I have no problems with any frontline, fighting portrayal other than the "anti partisan" units which we all avoid......... Strange because an old man of my acquaintance was LW-FJ and he was involved in anit partisan operations in France - and he was "regular forces"......
So this is not a pop - it's an attempt to have a genuine question answered.

Perhaps it's just me - but I'd rather portray "anti partisan" units! Too much 'sanitation' already in axis re-enactment IMHO, which ironically prompts the accusations of 'de-nazification' of the Third Reich by those who seek to attack us. I think it was at Kelmarsh Hall a couple of years ago, the organisers received a complaint that " the Germans weren't nasty enough and were far too friendly and approachable....".

Kaminski Brigade anyone?

Heh heh perhaps someone should form a "Dirlewanger Brigade"

[JDR]

When i 1st started out in the hobby i remember seeing a groups website on the old reenactors webring that reenacted both Dirlewanger and partisans here in the UK.

[Ropes]

Ive alway been interested in the 36th SS. I really wouldnt be sure of the response if a few guys got together and made a group. Id like to think overall it would be positive. But im sure theres plenty of people out there that wouldnt be. They have quite an interesting history as a unit. I suppose it would come down to those in the group and what they want to reenact. Would they want to portray the times the unit was tasked to einsatzgruppen squads or the times they were fighting against heavily armed partisans.

[stefan]

Ropes put it like this

I don't think anyone re-enacts GJ because it could be seen as "less Nazi". Just like people don't re-enact SS because it could be seen as "more Nazi". People re-enact the branches or service and the Divisions they find most interesting. At the end of the day they were all part of the the same regime. So to try and argue anything else would be pointless.

And I would have to agree 100% with that ,and why else would we research the portrayal we choose spending
time and money on books if we had no passion for the chosen subject no mystery that why I don't re-enact
American civil war because I personally have no interest in the subject but that's not to say others don't
all part of the rich tapestry of re-enactment

[Gott Mit Uns]

Ropes put it like this

I don't think anyone re-enacts GJ because it could be seen as "less Nazi". Just like people don't re-enact SS because it could be seen as "more Nazi". People re-enact the branches or service and the Divisions they find most interesting. At the end of the day they were all part of the the same regime. So to try and argue anything else would be pointless.

And I would have to agree 100% with that ,and why else would we research the portrayal we choose spending
time and money on books if we had no passion for the chosen subject no mystery that why I don't re-enact
American civil war because I personally have no interest in the subject but that's not to say others don't
all part of the rich tapestry of re-enactment

Are you doing cross-stitch re-enactment now mate?

[stefan]

Are you doing cross-stitch re-enactment now mate?

Yes mate it much cheaper and and there's less politics involved

[barnaclebill]

Are you doing cross-stitch re-enactment now mate?

Yes mate it much cheaper and and there's less politics involved

Don't you believe it!! The easily countable evenweave fabric association will have something to say about it!

[Franz repper]

Are you doing cross-stitch re-enactment now mate?

Yes mate it much cheaper and and there's less politics involved

Don't you believe it!! The easily countable evenweave fabric association will have something to say about it!

and dont for get the pin collectors guild nasty bunch if ever

[Schäfer]

I agree with Ropes as well. It's a re-enactors own personal interest that inspires he or she to follow a particular impression.

With regard to GJ, I'm sure we are all aware that they too (the Heer GJ, that is) got their hands dirty during the war with the mass execution of the Italian POW's on Kefalonia.

[gewehrmonkey]

I think you are reading too much into the idea of people thinking they are "less nazi" by choosing one impression or another. Honestly, outside of the German units themselves, most allied reenactors, public spectators and news folks dont seem, in my experience, to know a "nazi" from a German soldier. They have a preconception going in and it's bolstered by Hollywood portrayals featuring all Germans as nothing more than pure evil, shaved headed, villains.