Mail Correspondence with Soldiers at War (“Feldpostbriefe”): The alleged “dogs” and “barbarians” on the other side – letters from the mother of a German soldier on the Eastern Front in summer 1941 (Published on 23/09/2025)
These days, it seems once again appropriate to emphatically remind ourselves of the catastrophic consequences that political blindness, the hateful dehumanization of supposed enemies, and German megalomania have had in the past.
The following three letters, written by the mother of a German soldier to her son fighting on the Eastern Front after the start of the campaign against Russia on 22/06/1941, are a vivid illustration of this (source: Golovchansky/Osipov/Prokopenko/Daniel/Reulecke, “Ich will raus aus diesem Wahnsinn – Deutsche Briefe von der Ostfront 1941-1945” [“I want to get out of this madness – German letters from the Eastern Front 1941-1945”] (1991), p. 18 f., 26 f. und 29 [translation from German language]):
“Brand, 28/6/41.
My dear boy!
Thank you very much for your lovely letter of the 20th. Yes, my boy, I now know where I am searching for you and Jos. with deepest concern. It is Bolshevism, as we hated it, deceitful and dishonest, brutal and heartless. I do not doubt for a moment that we will be victorious over these dogs, who cannot be called human beings. The few days of operation have already proven that our brave soldiers are facing an animalistic unnaturalness in this people. Today the postal ban was lifted and now my greetings and wishes are rushing to you. Tomorrow we will learn through a special report how and where the barbarians have already been defeated. Dear boy! You know that I am now very worried about you and Jos. If possible, please give me a sign of life; a short card will suffice. Since Monday, Rudi has been working for three weeks as a harvest helper for a mayor who is also a large farmer. He recently had eight days of special leave, which he spent in the Tyrolean mountains. He is one of my boys who is doing well.
But for you, my boy, I can only pray every day that God will bring you back to us safely and happily from this unfortunate land where your poor father fought for three years.
Farewell, and receive warm greetings filled with caring love from your
mother”
“Brand, 8/8/41.
My dear boy!
I was delighted to receive your lovely letter dated the 21st. You can imagine that we always wait with great longing for a few words from the East. There must be fighting there like there has never been on any other battlefield. When you follow the reports from the front and watch the newsreels, you don’t know how anyone can come out of there alive. The terrain there is so terrible that it is hard to imagine how the poor soldiers are managing to advance. Let us hope, my boy, that this murderous struggle will soon be over. When you hear the numbers involved, you would almost believe that the Reds have nothing left at all. Were you at the Battle of Smolensk? Jos. also wrote a few days ago. He still hopes to come to England. That has always been his dream. Rudi and Peter have now also left the good days behind them. Rudi no longer enjoyed being at home because we had to seek refuge in the bunker every night. Compared to the sacrifices of our heroes, this is only a glimmer. However, the war at home against women and children is something abominable. Once it’s over in the East, the Tommies won’t be able to bomb our homeland anymore. Now, my dear boy: Farewell! Everyone sends their warmest regards. I pray daily for your return.
With love and care,
Your mother.”
“Brand, 29/8/41
My dear boy!
Another month has passed since your last letter. These have been weeks of silent submission to the hardships of this cruel war. I hope these lines reach you safe and sound. After everything you are going through, I probably don’t need to ask. The reports from the front paint a vivid picture. Are the Russians still not finished? Who would have thought that they would put up such desperate resistance? Dear boy! I am enclosing some letter paper. Perhaps you don’t even have a piece of paper to send us a sign of life.
Yesterday I received a letter from Jos. He is well. He wrote: I had desperately wanted to storm Moscow with the others, but now I would be glad to get out of this hell. Jakob T. is seriously wounded and has been transported to Germany. Now Peter has also left the French-Swiss border, but I don’t know where he is going. His heart’s desire has been fulfilled. He wrote: “Only now do I feel like a real soldier.” I still haven’t heard from Rudi and don’t have his address. Farewell, dear Stefan. We all send you our warmest regards and our heartfelt wishes that God will protect you.
With love, your mother”
May people in Germany in particular remember where hateful ranting about “dogs who cannot be called human beings” and about the “animalistic unnaturalness” of alleged “barbarians” has led before, and say “No!” this time.
(Head picture: German military cemetery Ysselsteyn/Netherlands,
May 2023)
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