Die Gesamtzahl sowjetischer Kriegsgefangener - Eine weiterhin ungelöste Frage

Die sowjetischen Kriegsgefangenen des Zweiten Weltkriegs sind in der westlichen Welt eine fast schon vergessene Opfergruppe. Dabei wird die Zahl derer, die in deutschem Gewahrsam umgekommen sind, auf etwa drei Millionen Menschen geschätzt. Doch gibt es dafür nur wenige, wirklich valide Angaben. Meist völlig unbekannt ist das, was genau in den einzelnen Lagern geschah. Reinhard Otto, Rolf Keller und Jens Nagel, die mit zentralen Aktenbeständen zu diesem Thema gearbeitet haben, berechneten erstmals präzise Zahlen für die einzelnen Lager. Ihre Ergebnisse stoßen nun auf Kritik.
Abstract: This article is a response to a paper published in VfZ 4/2008 under the title Soviet Prisoners of War in German Custody 1941-1945. Data and Dimensions. This paper was based on project material accumulated up to 2005 by the Saxon Memorial Foundation (covering approximately 350,000 persons), with the help of which the authors calculated the total amount of Soviet prisoners of war in German hands during the Second World War. However in 2009, an examination of their method as well as their results by the project managing organisation did not result in confirmation. Rather, an examination on the basis of material relating to a figure almost twice as large (covering approximately 700,000 persons) showed that prisoners of war were registered in many more camps than the material accumulated by 2005 suggested. Additionally, a strictly schematic application of their method would lead to the conclusion that more than 11 million Soviet prisoners of war were registered by German authorities within as well as outside the territory of the Reich, not to mention prisoners of war who were not registered before their death. This is inconsistent with all that historical research has established so far, even if one presupposes a relatively large variance between the different hitherto published figures. The exact figure or order of magnitude of the Soviet prisoners of war remains unresolved.

Object Details

• Alternative title: The Total Figure of Soviet Prisoners of War - Still an Unsolved Question
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Die Gesamtzahl sowjetischer Kriegsgefangener - Eine weiterhin ungelöste Frage ; volume:58 ; number:3 ; year:2010 ; pages:393-401 ; extent:9 ; Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte ; 58, Heft 3 (2010), 393-401 (gesamt 9)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Haritonow, Alexander ; Müller, Klaus-Dieter

Further information

• DOI: 10.1524/vfzg.2010.0020
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023040314232818881166
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:54 AM CEST