Artem Drabkin I fought in the SS and the Wehrmacht. How German and Soviet soldiers communicated outside of battle Memoirs of former German prisoners of war in the book

Irina Vidonova

After 70 years, the former captured German found his beloved and came to her in Nizhny Novgorod. After his deportation, they found themselves on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall and did not hope to see each other again.

Wolfgang and Jeanne met after 70 years Photo: screenshot of the NTV program

Wolfgang Morel wrote a memoir about his Russian love, and amazed readers helped him find his beloved. He is now 95 years old, and Zhanna Vorontsova is 87. “Without five years, he is a hundred. It’s crazy to decide to go from Germany to Russia,” she wonders.

Wolfgang Morel was taken prisoner near Moscow. I wanted to shoot myself, but the weapon misfired in the Russian frost. The second attempt was not given to him by the Soviet soldiers, he told the NTV channel. I ended up in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod - ed.). And Jeanne led a concert in a prisoner of war camp. She says that she was such a beauty that he fell in love for life. It was in 1947

In captivity, he became an anti-fascist - and not only himself, but tried to convince his compatriots. For this, he was allowed to move around the city without an escort, on his own. And he ran to meet her. Zhanna knew that he was a captured German, but she introduced her acquaintances as a Latvian student. “War passes, but people remain. Oh, but he loved terribly. Always trying to achieve, to stand out. One walk was worth it! - she says, admitting that she "has a crush" right away.

When he was deported, they no longer thought that they would ever see each other. He ended up in Germany, and their meeting became even more impossible. But times are changing. Wolfgang wrote memoirs. Readers were so struck by the story of the seemingly impossible love of a soldier of an invading army and a girl from an occupied country that they helped find Jeanne.

Wolfgang Morel sang on the banks of the Volga Photo: screenshot

And now, 70 years later, he returned to Russia. I walked along the alley of the park. May 1, where they once walked with their beloved. I remember how I almost fainted from hunger. “We danced and my head was spinning. She said: look into my eyes - and everything will be fine, ”says Wolfgang. On the embankment near the boat "Hero" sang "Volga-Volga, dear mother!" and assured that he still loves Russia.

Before meeting with his Zhanna, he was very worried, admitted "I have a little wet eyes." And when he met her, he could no longer hold back his tears. They spoke as if they had lived a long life together. He lost his wife 3 months ago. She 3 weeks ago - the only son. We decided not to lose touch again and be sure to meet again.

At parting, we agreed to meet Photo: screenshot

The Mystery of Doctor Morel

Dr. Theodor Morel was Hitler's personal physician for many years. A huge number of rumors and suspicions are associated with his name. Most observers considered him a charlatan. He had bad manners, slovenly dress, and was an alcoholic. At one time there were hints of his Jewish origin. But careful investigation concluded that the venerable doctor was of purely Aryan origin.

Why did Hitler, who was famous for being extremely picky in people, choose a man who did not arouse sympathy from anyone? Did this doctor not contribute to the gradual transformation of the Fuhrer into a mental and physical invalid, unable to make the right decisions? It is believed that after the declassification of some secret documents, it became possible to answer these questions.

The American Glen Infeld, who had access to archival materials of the Third Reich, in his book The Secret Life of Hitler, in particular, writes:

“Morel was the type of person who usually disgusted Hitler. He was very fat, swarthy, had greasy black hair and wore glasses with thick, convex lenses. But even worse than the physical characteristics were personal manners, which absolutely did not correspond to the Hitlerite nervous model. A bad smell constantly emanated from him, and his inability to behave at the table became a byword. However, one thing spoke in his favor: by the end of 1937, thanks to the medicines prescribed by the "dick doctor" Hitler felt well for the first time after several years of indisposition. The Fuhrer decided that he could ignore Morel's shortcomings if he could cure him.

At the very beginning of 1937, Morel made a thorough examination of Hitler. The doctor concluded that his patient “suffered from gastritis problems and from a wrong diet. Swelling noted in the lower abdomen; the left half of the liver is enlarged; right kidney hurts. Eczema was noted on the left leg, apparently associated with indigestion.

Morel quickly prescribed the so-called mutaflor, one or two capsules taken daily for a month after breakfast. Hitler's digestive system began to function more normally, the eczema disappeared after six months, and he began to get better. The Fuhrer was pleased. In September, he invited Morel as a guest of honor to a party rally, at which Hitler was able to wear boots for the first time after many months, getting rid of eczema.

The use of Mutaflor did not cause controversy in medical circles, but some of the other remedies prescribed by Morel were frankly surprising. For example, to relieve gas problems in the stomach, he prescribed Dr. Koster's anti-gas pills, two to four after a meal. The composition of these pills was the subject of great controversy in the medical community, and perhaps their side effect on Hitler changed the course of history.

But in 1937 the Fuehrer was grateful for the relief brought to him by the medicine. According to him, Morel was the greatest medical luminary in the Third Reich, and in the next eight years, despite the growing criticism of the doctor throughout Germany, Hitler did not change his mind. Wherever Hitler went, Morel also went there. The more pills Morel gave him, the happier Hitler felt. And he never tired of saying that Morel is the only person who keeps his promises. Morel told Hitler that he would cure him within a year, and did so. Hitler did not realize then that the treatment, which at first brought such good results, would eventually contribute to his physical collapse.

The name of Unity Mitford is associated with the beginning of a strange story, the details of which have not yet been fully disclosed. Unity was an English aristocrat and a close friend of Hitler. She enthusiastically shared his ideas, bowed before him and sought to help rapprochement between Nazi Germany and England. When, on September 3, 1939, France and England declared war on Germany, she realized the futility of her efforts. Unity Mitford went to the Munich park - the English Garden and shot herself in the head. The suicide attempt was unsuccessful, but the wound led to paralysis of the nervous system. For several months, the Fuhrer's English admirer was in an unconscious state. Hitler sent the best doctors to her, including Morel, but all efforts were in vain. In the end, he arranged for her to be sent home to England via neutral Switzerland. Morel was assigned to accompany the unfortunate suicide. A trip to Switzerland in December 1939 was a turning point in the life of Adolf Hitler, although neither he nor Morel understood this.

After Unity Mitford was placed in the care of a waiting English doctor, Morel took a few days off. Zurich at that time was swarming with agents of all kinds of intelligence services, but he ignored this fact. The vain Morel decided that it would be nice if Swiss medical circles knew that he was Hitler's personal doctor. One of those to whom he told about this immediately contacted Allen Dulles, who was already actively involved in American intelligence activities and often visited Switzerland. Fearing that Morel would be suspicious of the meeting with the American, Dulles sent his man to him - a former police officer from Munich, so that he would "make friends" with the unsuspecting doctor. This German agent of the Americans inquired about the pills (against the accumulation of gas in the stomach) prescribed to Hitler and discovered that Morel was interested in opening a company in Switzerland producing this medicine. Morel was no longer satisfied with the purchase from the outside: he wanted to earn some extra money. Dulles managed to organize the business in such a way that his agent, together with the greedy Aesculapius, opened a small pharmaceutical company.

From the first day of the new company, the slow poisoning of Hitler began. Doses of strychnine, which was part of the tablets, gradually increased. But it wasn't until late 1944, when Dr. Karl Brandt and Dr. Erwin Giesing became suspicious, that they analyzed it and the secret was revealed. However, Hitler did not believe their statement and ... both vigilant doctors fell out of favor.

There was at least one other person who did not trust Morel and was highly suspicious of him. In an interview dated September 4, 1948, Eva Braun's mother, Frau Franziska Braun, said in part:

“Everyone hated Morel, and even Eva tried to get rid of him. She called him a charlatan. I often heard Eva tell the Fuhrer that Morel's injections were poisoning him, but Hitler did not agree. He always replied that he felt great after the injections. In my opinion, Dr. Morel was a British agent who wanted Hitler to be unable to think realistically and make the right decisions."

Frau Braun was close to the truth. Morel was an unwitting instrument of the allies. His Swiss "friend" American agent, in addition to strychnine, added atrophy. When he later met with Morel in Switzerland, he recommended that he use other drugs to treat Hitler. By 1944, Morel prescribed 28 (!) Medicines for the Fuhrer. Some of them were taken daily, others only when needed ... The constant use of drugs for many years, encouraged by an agent from Zurich, led to an imbalance in Hitler's mental balance ...

Eva Braun once complained:

“I don't trust Morel. He is such a cynic. He's experimenting on all of us like we're guinea pigs..."

Already by 1942, it was clear to his generals and inner circle that physical and mental changes had taken place with Hitler. Himmler no longer considered him normal and even asked his personal physician, Dr. Felix Kersten, if he thought the Fuhrer was mentally ill.

Theodor Morel's pills and injections slowly but surely destroyed the Fuhrer's body. Perhaps in the "drugs" one should look for an explanation of his many irrational orders, and they explain the loss of his connection with reality? And, who knows, maybe this minister of medicine, tempted by a small gesheft, unwittingly played a fatal role in the life of not only Adolf Hitler, but the entire Third Reich.

Memoirs of former German prisoners of war in the book

And in the third school today they presented the Russian-language version of Fritz Wittmann's book "A Rose for Tamara". Fritz Wittmann is a former prisoner of war. And Tamara is a collective image of Russian women. Those who helped German prisoners to survive during the war in camps and hospitals. Fritz Wittmann collected the memoirs of 12 German soldiers into one book.

"In marching columns, poor old women often put a piece of bread or a cucumber into their pockets," this is an excerpt from the memoirs of former prisoners of war. On the territory of the Vladimir region there were many camps and hospitals for captured Germans. To fully understand why Russian women treated the then enemies with such care, the veterans of the German army still cannot understand. The book "A Rose for Tamara" absorbed the memories of former prisoners of war. They don't like to talk about the war. The book contains the memoirs of 12 German soldiers. Only two of the authors attended the presentation. They still remember the Russian language. It had to be studied in the camps. Wolfgang Morel in July 1941 was drafted into the Wehrmacht at the age of 19. In January 42 he was taken prisoner. And then eight years of captivity. But first there was a hospital. Where Russian female doctors nursed them in the same way as Russians. The hospital was located in the school building. In the neighboring wards, there were also wounded, but Russian soldiers.

Wolfgang MOREL, one of the authors of the book "A Rose for Tamara": "Some were very friendly. They gave us a cigarette. They deliberately lit it to give us. Others were wrong or negative, but they were in the minority."

Wolfgang does not like to meet his former brother-soldiers. They, remembering the war, speak badly about Russia. Wolfgang loves our country and knows our people. In the camps he had to work in the chemical industry. Wolfgang came home to Germany only in September 49.

Interestingly, on the day I was wounded, my mother had a feeling that something had happened to me. This is maternal instinct.

After my recovery and until 1945, I was in the training battalion of mountain rangers. At first I trained as a radio operator, and then was left as an instructor. I was promoted to the rank of corporal, and I became the squad leader. They tried to promote me all the time, to make me an officer, but I didn’t want that. In addition, for this it was necessary to undergo an internship in a combat unit at the front, and, to be honest, I didn’t want it at all. I liked the work of a radio operator, a radio station. We had a student-musician in the communications department. He masterfully understood the "radio salad" that was happening on the air, and found the necessary station. Management relied heavily on him. It was strictly forbidden to tune the radio station yourself, but we had a technician, a radio amateur, who did it anyway, and we could listen to foreign radio stations, although it was forbidden under pain of death, but we listened anyway. Nevertheless, I was in Italy twice, participated in the hostilities, but there was nothing special. In the spring of 1945 I became chief huntsman. My commander, when he promoted me to chief huntsman, and we were alone, asked me if I had any desire. I told him that I want this to be my last military rank.

At were you HIVI in your company?

Yes, several people. There were also those who fought on the German side. There was even a Russian division. I somehow had to deliver one soldier there. I don't know where they fought, I only met them when I was at home in Germany.

- Were there lice?

And how much! It was a disaster! We were totally overwhelmed. We couldn't bathe or do laundry. During the offensive, in spring or autumn, our clothes were damp, and we slept in them so that they would dry on us. Under normal conditions, one could get sick from this, but in war the resources of the body are mobilized. I remember we entered a house after the march, absolutely wet, it was impossible to turn on the light, I found some box that suited me surprisingly well, and went to bed in it. In the morning I discovered that it was a fob.

- Russian soldiers received vodka in winter. Did they give it to you?

No. To keep warm, we only had tea. There were no warm clothes. In Germany, they collected warm clothes for soldiers at the front, people handed in their fur coats, hats, mittens, but nothing came to us.

- Did you smoke?

Yes. Cigarettes were given out. I sometimes changed them for chocolate. Sometimes there were marketers, it was possible to buy something. Basically it was ok.

- What can you say about the preparation of the army for war?

I must say that the army did not meet the conditions of the war in Russia. As for the Russians, a single soldier was not our enemy. He did his duty on his side, and we on ours. We knew that the Russian soldiers were under pressure from the commissars. We didn't have that.

- The most dangerous Russian weapon?

In 1942, aviation was the most dangerous. Russian planes were primitive, but we were afraid of them. We mountain rangers had pack animals, mules. They noticed very early that planes were flying, and they simply stopped, did not move. It was the best tactic - not to move, so as not to be seen. We were afraid of Russian bombs because they were filled with nails and screws.

- Did the Russian planes have nicknames?

The night bomber was called the "sewing machine". I don't remember anymore... We forgot a lot about the war, because after it we didn't talk about it. Only in recent years have I begun to remember where and what dangers I have been. Memories come back and become alive. But in general, I can say that when we look into the past, we see it in an enlightened, blissful light. There are a lot of things we just laugh at now. The sharp corners have rounded, we're no longer mad at what it was then. Now we have a completely different look, even on former enemies. We have been to France many times, met soldiers there. The French and I understand each other very well, although in the past we have been very hostile towards each other. I remember that during the war we came to some city, we didn’t walk in a column, but simply, as if on a walk, towards the cathedral, and as we walked, people in the houses, seeing us, closed the windows with a curse word “ bosh", although we behaved very decently.

- Have you heard about the existence of the "Order on Commissars"?

No. I honestly can't say anything about such things.

- Have your brothers returned home?

They returned a little later. I returned home ten days after the end of the war. My older brother returned three weeks after me, and my younger brother three months later. But we all three returned. When I returned, we did not celebrate it at home, my mother said that we should wait for the rest of the brothers. When they returned, we celebrated, and my mother said that she knew about me that I would return home, she was absolutely sure of it.

- Did you receive a salary as a soldier?

Yes, the soldiers received cash, and the non-commissioned officers received their salaries into the account. In Russia, we sometimes lived in cities, in huge luxury apartments on the big streets, and behind them was poverty. We didn't have that.

- What did you do in your free time at the front?

We wrote letters. It was very important for me that I had something to read. We only had cheap novels, they did not interest me, but I had to read a few so that I had something to talk about with my comrades and so that they would not ask why I did not read them. I wrote letters to practice my German. I wrote a letter, and if I didn't like the way it was written, I tore it up and wrote a new one. For me, it was a necessity to stay spiritually alive.

I am very sorry that it didn't work out. We knew that everything ends and that there are impossible people at the top. I then had the impression that most of the population thinks the same way. Why didn't anything happen to him?

- What awards have you received?

- "Ice-cream meat" for the winter of the 41st. The award for the wound and the Iron Cross of the second class, almost everyone had it, we were not particularly proud of it.

Where were you at the end of the war?

Before the end of the war, I was transferred to a military school in Mittenwald, to an officer's position. It's right next to my house. I was very lucky, no, not lucky, it was the beloved Lord who did it, what happened the way it happened. The war is already over. I continued to be the leader of a 12-man squad. In the barracks in Garmisch, we were engaged in household things: we loaded food, worked on the house. The barracks was to be handed over in its entirety to the Americans, who were slowly advancing from Oberammagau towards Garmisch. It was forbidden to leave the barracks. I stood on guard with my squad, the chief was a lieutenant, whom I knew from Munich. I explained to him that I would like to go to the local monastery. The chief lieutenant let me go, I said goodbye, but he told me that I was still a soldier and should return in the evening, by seven o'clock. I went to the monastery and got caught by an officer's patrol. It was deadly, I could have been shot on the spot. They stopped me and asked where I was going. I said I'm going home. They were two intelligent young people, and they let me through, I was very lucky. A sign was given from heaven that I was still needed.

- Is the war the most important event in your life or is the post-war life more important?

Yes, of course, during life there were events that were much more important than the war. The war has forged us young people. We are ripe for war. I am grateful to fate that I survived it and went my own way.

My name is Wolfgang Morell. This is a Huguenot surname, because my ancestors came from France in the 17th century. I was born in 1922. Until the age of ten, he studied at a folk school, and then for almost nine years at a gymnasium in the city of Breslau, now Wroclaw. From there, on July 5, 1941, I was drafted into the army. I just turned 19 years old.