SS reenactment

Obeying an order that I know to be an illegal order is no defence. There is something unsavoury about attempts to sanitize belligerent forces.

Easier said than done in a police state such as Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. That is what people do not understand and it is wrong to stereotype a whole nation or race. We have the luxury of being able to disobey an order considered to be unethical. Soldiers of a police state have some serious thinking to do prior to disobeying.

 

I do believe most forum members understand the re enactment scene whether they be interested in it or not.

ss re enactment appears to be the issue.

Does re enactment keep history alive and in the public domain,quite possibly.It portrays a specific time line and provides a varied interest at military/county shows.

A 21st Century individual in an ss uniform does not sit well with many people.Even those without an interest in WW2 still relate this uniform to a dark time and a terrible period of history.

 

Totally agree CL. As distasteful as the uniform may be, we must never forget it or what it represented. How many of today's youth know what the holocaust is? We need someone to be in that uniform. We need that person to tell what that uniform represented. As painful as it may be, in my opinion it should be a reminder of what can still happan again. But hey, if all the people want is a censored re-enactment.....well that's entertainment for you.

 

Totally agree CL. As distasteful as the uniform may be, we must never forget it or what it represented. How many of today's youth know what the holocaust is? We need someone to be in that uniform. We need that person to tell what that uniform represented. As painful as it may be, in my opinion it should be a reminder of what can still happan again. But hey, if all the people want is a censored re-enactment.....well that's entertainment for you.

I'm quite sure the majority of youngsters today know about the horrors of the holocaust (at least in these parts) without fellas running around in SS uniforms.

 

Perhaps in Denmark (of which I have visited and absolutely love) but here in the US.....no great marks for our censored education system. Besides gentlemen, it's only my opinion.

 

At the school my nephew (who is 14) goes to, they have covered the holocaust in great detail over the past year. In fact they have had a visit from a holocaust survivor who goes around the schools in West Yorkshire giving talks to the kids.
We weren't taught anything about ww1 or ww2 at school-all I remember about history was William the Conqueror and all that rubbish!

Lesley

 

Here is a link to the annual D-Day re-enactment event in Conneaut Ohio. I have attended this event and it is great. They even have representatives of the Spanish Blue Division there. Not many folks knew about foreign volunteers fighting for the Germans. Like I previously stated, re-enacting is an educational experience.

D-Day Ohio: D-DAY Conneaut 2011

Check out the gallery!

 

I usually do like to see SS re-enactors turn up to events.

Half way through their jaw-jiggling to the public about how good the SS kit/tactics/training was, I like to pop up and remind them that it was the ordinary British Tommy who beat them.

No, it doesn't go down well but hey, you've got to die of something, right?

 

I usually do like to see SS re-enactors turn up to events.

Half way through their jaw-jiggling to the public about how good the SS kit/tactics/training was, I like to pop up and remind them that it was the ordinary British Tommy who beat them.

No, it doesn't go down well but hey, you've got to die of something, right?

Good response!

 

Ike, I suppose most of us will agree that the educational angle is quite fine. Trouble is those people whose motivation is not education but strutting their stuff and their inflated egos. That is what I object against. I remember having read the regulations for some Heer/SS reenacting group that I can't locate now, and they clearly specified that uniforms and equipment were to be worn only in the display area, no horseplay in bars or other public places, etc. due to the distaste that this would (or did) create among the general public outside the reenactment context. That is, acting like fookin nazi Aryan supermen in the main street. You won't legislate against something that doesn't happen, right?

 

Totally agree Za. Just advocating that of all the events I attended that had Waffen SS impersonators, I had not seen anything that came across as pro-nazi or even disrespectful. Also that the vets that were there were not offended, as far as I witnessed, by their presence. I believe that most events have strict rules on conduct so I would be surprised if any of the crazies would be present. But yes, boot any pro-nazi bas****s out.

 

For what it's worth, I've encountered more allied re-enactors with far right political views that their german counterparts. However if a german re-enactor says or does the wrong thing, he's obviously a nazi, but an allied re-enactor could say/do the same thing and no-one would bat an eyelid.

I don't know if that makes sense, but it does in my head!

 

Makes sense to me.

 

Simple question, can re-enactors dressed as SS. strut their stuff in all European countries, or do some have rules or laws in place? seemingly we don't, and I am in no way suggesting we should or should not have.
curious ---------lofty

 

Good question Lofty. One could imagine Germany was somehow strict about these things.

 

As far as I know, it is an issue in Germany.

 

Simple question, can re-enactors dressed as SS. strut their stuff in all European countries, or do some have rules or laws in place? seemingly we don't, and I am in no way suggesting we should or should not have.
curious ---------lofty

Re-enacting in general doesn't really seem to be en vogue in the German speaking parts of Europe, at all.
In Germany most certainly people would cry out in shock if you publicly wore an SS uniform, with little reasoning that it's for educational purposes.
My experiences so far were that you need to be very careful with what you say about 3. Reich, and how you say it. No jokes about it must be made ("don't mention the war!") unless with well informed friends and fellow researchers with a good sense of humour.

 

I seem to recall seeing a number of photos on the web of Russian guys dressed up as German Mountain troops. I though it quite odd that the people from Russia would want to recreate the experience of Nazi occupation and the Great Patriotic War.