To be clear. They all knew camps existed. During that era in Germany the whole society was built on an idea that Jews were inferior and they were in fact treated as such. Nevertheless coming face to face with results of the movement they participated is taxing, and this is what the photo is capturing.
Copying a comment I made toward another guy here because it regards almost all comments here. I hope this helps clear up some misconceptions in here.
Just FYI the Wehrmacht was directly involved in the Genocide. We tend to think of the Holocaust as being contained to the death camps, but a lot of it was happening on the frontlines too. When the front moved the newly occupied territory was combed by soldiers for POWs civilians and specifically Jewish civilians. Who often were shot on sight. And especially in the Soviet Union POWs were taken captive and put into POW camp without any protection to the elements, sometimes even just a fenced of area where they were left to freeze to death. And even if these were not directly committed by the Wehrmacht, which again they often were, the Wehrmacht largely cooperated with the SS, disregarding some outliers.
The idea that the Wehrmacht was not involved in the genocide of the Nazi regime is called the myth of the clean wehrmacht and was largely perpetuated by German generals and authors after the second world war to get employed by NATO. And then later also utilized to justify rearming Germany. It is however objectively wrong.
Tldr: the Wehrmacht was also insanely evil and 100% aware of the genocide that was happening.
Ponechiko on November 22nd, 2024 at 11:49 UTC »
To be clear. They all knew camps existed. During that era in Germany the whole society was built on an idea that Jews were inferior and they were in fact treated as such. Nevertheless coming face to face with results of the movement they participated is taxing, and this is what the photo is capturing.
jogado2 on November 22nd, 2024 at 11:50 UTC »
"Hans,Are We the Baddies ?"
Liontreeble on November 22nd, 2024 at 11:53 UTC »
Copying a comment I made toward another guy here because it regards almost all comments here. I hope this helps clear up some misconceptions in here.
Just FYI the Wehrmacht was directly involved in the Genocide. We tend to think of the Holocaust as being contained to the death camps, but a lot of it was happening on the frontlines too. When the front moved the newly occupied territory was combed by soldiers for POWs civilians and specifically Jewish civilians. Who often were shot on sight. And especially in the Soviet Union POWs were taken captive and put into POW camp without any protection to the elements, sometimes even just a fenced of area where they were left to freeze to death. And even if these were not directly committed by the Wehrmacht, which again they often were, the Wehrmacht largely cooperated with the SS, disregarding some outliers.
The idea that the Wehrmacht was not involved in the genocide of the Nazi regime is called the myth of the clean wehrmacht and was largely perpetuated by German generals and authors after the second world war to get employed by NATO. And then later also utilized to justify rearming Germany. It is however objectively wrong.
Tldr: the Wehrmacht was also insanely evil and 100% aware of the genocide that was happening.