Werner Haupt (military writer)

Werner Haupt (born February 5, 1923 in Marienberg ; † October 4, 2005 in Djerba , Tunisia ) was a German librarian and non-fiction author focusing on the German military in World War II . He also published in right-wing extremist publishers and relevant series of novels such as Der Landser . Historians proved to Haupt that among other things he suppressed or denied the suffering and death of the civil populations of the areas affected by German occupation and instead spread the narrative of the “knightly struggle of the Wehrmacht” (compare “ Clean Wehrmacht ”).

Career and professional background

Haupt spent childhood and school in the Ore Mountains . After graduating from high school , he took part in the Second World War from 1941 to 1945. Most recently he was a company commander with the rank of lieutenant in Panzerjägerabteilung 181 of the 8th Infantry Division . As a member of the 18th Army , he took part in the siege of Leningrad , and published on this too. In 1949 he completed his specialist library training in Leipzig with the state examination . He then went to West Berlin, where he worked as a librarian at the Ibero-American Library from 1949 to 1960 . From 1961 he worked in the upscale library service at the well-known private library for contemporary history in Stuttgart (this was called the World War Library until 1948 , since it was founded in 1915). The German National Library has 99 books by Haupt, mainly on German war history of the 20th century, which were published between 1959 and 2010 (status at the end of 2011) in its catalog. He also published on the local and home history of his place of residence Waiblingen . He was chairman of the Waiblinger SPD for eight years and was represented on the local council's culture committee. From 1980 to 1989 he was local councilor for the village of Neustadt an der Rems . He died on a vacation trip.

Places of publication

Haupt's book publications can be found, in addition to popular scientific militaria publishers or series, such as Motorbuch Verlag , Dörfler Verlag or Podzun-Pallas Verlag , in the booklet novels by Der Landser and in a number of explicitly right-wing extremist publishers, for example Die deutsche Schutztruppe 1889–1918 ( Türmer-Verlag , Berg am See 1989), Baltikum 1941 ( Kurt Vowinckel Verlag , Neckargemünd 1963), Baltikum 41. The story of an unsolved problem (= Volume 37 of the series Die Wehrmacht im Kampf ). Kurt Vowinkel Verlag, Neckargemünd 1963 and Emilio Esteban-Infantes : Blue Division . Spain's volunteers on the Eastern Front (translation from Spanish by Werner Haupt; Druffel-Verlag , Leoni a. Starnberger See 1977).

Haupt worked for the national newspaper . Articles by him can also be found in the " German Soldier Calendar " (Schild-Verlag) published by Helmut Damerau , the founder of Schild-Verlag , for example in 1998 ("General der Gebirgstruppe Hans Schlemmer" and "When the Russian winter came ...") and 1999, but also 1982 or 1977.

Haupt's works are also sold in right-wing extremist internet shops such as Deutsche Demokratie -versand.

reception

Political reception

In the mid-1960s, Haupt was positively received in the East Prussian Gazette: "Victory without laurels". The western campaign in 1940 (Gerdes, Preetz / Holstein 1965) was reviewed as follows:

“After several other works on war studies, the author now presents a captivatingly written book about the French campaign, which he experienced himself as a young soldier. He leads us to the front as well as to the higher staffs, reports on the heroism and readiness of the common soldier and the young officer `` in front '', who, in cooperation with a modern strategy and new tactical knowledge, made this one-of-a-kind lightning campaign against an in outdated military ideas made possible frozen opponents. "

- East Prussia Gazette 1966

Regarding Haupt's book Baltikum 41 (= Volume 37 of the series Die Wehrmacht im Kampf , Kurt Vowinckel Verlag Neckargemünd 1963), the Ostpreußenblatt notes on the attack on the Soviet Union that Haupt stated that “the Soviet Union was by no means completely unprepared for the German attack as is often still claimed today ". (compare preventive war thesis ) The Ostpreußenblatt continues:

"Haupt sees the failure of solving the 'Baltic problem' indicated in the subtitle in the fact that - similar to the Ukraine - we failed to grant freedom and independence to the Baltic peoples who were oppressed by the Soviet Union and belong to the Western European culture."

Mainly delivers a "captivating description of the battles carried out with soldierly clarity". There are also numerous advertisements by Kant Verlag for Haupt's books in the Ostpreußenblatt.

The third edition of the Brown Book refers to an article by Haupt with the title “The clocks showed 3:05 am. Army Group North on June 22, 1941”, published in the HIAG organ Der Freiwillige (Issue 6/61), as an example for West Germans referenced militaristic tendencies.

The book Acquittal for Germany: Foreign historians and publicists refute anti-German historical lies ( FZ-Verlag , Munich 1998 ³ ), published by Robert L. Brock , refers very positively to the book published by the “British military writer” JKW Bingham and “German war historian Werner Haupt” The Africa campaign : 1941–1943 (Podzun-Verlag, Dorheim / H. 1968). The advertising of the publisher keeps its word: “The former opponents of the war worked together a book of impressive objectivity. 200 original photos, many maps and sketches, an exact, rousing description of the course of the fight. This is a new style of war history book ”. Both authors would attest "the respective former enemy side fair and knightly fighting style". "The authors offer a whole range of 'witnesses' to downplay the German responsibility for the murder of Jews and the World War," says Jürgen Langowski.

Scientific assessment

In their research report on the German-Soviet War 1941–1945 , the military historians Rolf-Dieter Müller and Gerd R. Ueberschär see Haupt as a representative of a history that “offered the interested and retrospective war veteran empathetic descriptions of combat events on the Eastern Front” and an “uncritical Confrontation with the Russian War ”.

The Eastern European historian Jörg Ganzenmüller examined the depiction of the Leningrad blockade in Haupt's book Leningrad - The 900-Day Battle, 1941–1944 (Podzun-Pallas Verlag 1980) in the journal Eastern Europe . As a member of the 18th Army, Haupt had participated in the siege himself. Ganzenmüller notes a number of factual shortcomings and ideological distortions:

• Instead of the established term Leningrad blockade, Haupt use the term 900-day battle , avoiding the term, which is also known in the West as a synonym for the suffering of the Leningrad civilian population. The word “battle” is apparently intended to emphasize the military conflict and reduce the suffering of the starving civilian population.
• At the same time, the main conditions in the starving city are played down. Not a word is said about the approximately one million starving deaths.
• On the other hand, according to Haupt, the Wehrmacht behaved chivalrously and would have been prepared to spare the Leningraders.
• For Haupt, the Leningrad Front became a place of remembrance for the suffering of the German soldiers.

Wehrmacht reports, on the other hand, described hunger and the situation in Leningrad in detail and ruthlessly. Ganzenmüller argues with reference to Haupt and Joachim Hoffmann , who had argued similarly:

“On November 8, 1941, in a speech on the anniversary of the 1923 Hitler coup, Hitler boasted that his troops could easily take Leningrad, but that he was deliberately starving the whole city. In the communicative memory of the former Wehrmacht members, however, the focus was not on the hunger of the Soviet civilian population, but rather on the suffering of the German soldier. The German soldier was stylized as the real victim of the Battle of Leningrad: he had to fight against a superior opponent in terms of personnel and material, suffer the mistakes of inadequate leadership and endure the inhospitable nature of northern Russia. This narrative can be found both in the division histories of the post-war period and in the memoirs of those who participated in the war. "

- Jörg Ganzenmüller 2011

This political tendency continues in other books on other theaters of war. The historian Joachim Staron writes in Fosse Ardeatine and Marzabotto: German war crimes and resistance. History and national myth-making in Germany and Italy (1944–1999) also about the reception of the Marzabotto massacre . Werner Haupt's publication Kriegsschauplatz Italien 1943–1945 , published by Motorbuchverlag in 1977, is one of three examples of right-wing extremist denial of the massacre.

Thomas Morlang, geographer and historian, gave the following verdict in the Military History Journal 2003 published by the Military History Research Office about a new edition of Haupt's Die deutsche Schutztruppe 1889/1918 (first edition 1989):

“Although the author deals in detail with the history of the colonial troops from their beginnings to the end in World War I, he lacks the necessary distance to his subject. The basis for his presentation is primarily the numerous commemorative literature published by colonial officers as well as the no less extensive glorifying books about the protection forces, from which he repeatedly cites in detail, without, however, making it clear which book the quote comes from. He often adopts the terminology of the colonial rulers uncritically. For example, the local population is mostly characterized as 'predatory', which of course murders 'from behind' (p. 138). One reads nothing about the sometimes brutal warfare of the protection forces. Overall, the book conveys a one-sided picture of the colonial military that does not correspond to the current state of research. "

In the context of a collective review of two books from 2005 written by Winfried Heinemann , one of which is based in part on Haupt's description of the "Operations of the 252nd Infantry Division" from 1968, it is noted that "the operation files of the German divisions were not yet available at that time stood ”, thus Haupt's book was an unsuitable and outdated source.

Publications (selection)

• with James KW Bingham: The Africa Campaign, 1941–1943. Podzun-Verlag, 1968 - 160 pp.
• Leningrad - The 900-Day Battle, 1941–1944. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Friedberg 1980, ISBN 3-7909-0132-6 .
• The special collections of the WKB / BfZ . In: 50 Years Library for Contemporary History, World War II Library, Stuttgart: 1915–1965 . Verlag Bernard and Graefe, Verlag für Wehrwesen, Frankfurt a. M. 1965.

literature

• Jörg Ganzenmüller (2011): Secondary theater of memory. The Leningrad blockade in German memory . In: osteuropa Heft 8–9, pp. 7–23 accessed online on January 9, 2012.

Web links

• Literature by and about Werner Haupt in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau 11 (1959), p. 184.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Ganzenmüller 2011.
3. ^ Directory of previous employees . Compiled by Max Gunzenhäuser. In: 50 Years Library for Contemporary History, World War II Library Stuttgart: 1915–1965 . Bernard & Graefe Verl. F. Defense, Frankfurt a. M. 1965, p. 87ff., Here p. 88.
4. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original dated November 23, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
5. ↑ Werner Haupt passed away ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Staufer Kurier. Official Gazette of the City of Waiblingen 30, No. 41 (October 13, 2005), p. 4. 
6. ↑ No. 157, Knight's Cross Bearer. First Lieutenant Albert Blaich [1964]; No. 141 = Knight's Cross bearer. Geyr von Schweppenburg . [1964], No. 130. Panzerjäger on the Daugava . [1963] or No. 316. Storm trip to Riga . [1964].
7. ↑ http://opus.kobv.de/tuberlin/volltexte/2008/1785/pdf/kohlstruck_einblicke.pdf?q=aroma-mobiles (p. 76)
8. ^ German Soldiers ' Yearbook 1998/46 . German Soldiers' Calendar .
9. ↑ Werner Haupt, writer: 100 years ago: The Caroline, Mariana and Palau Islands become protected areas of the empire in 1999.
10. ↑ German Soldiers ' Yearbook 1982/30. German Soldiers' Calendar .
11. ↑ Ostpreußenblatt (PDF; 12.5 MB) from February 19, 1977, p. 11 accessed on January 9, 2012
12. ↑ http://archiv.preussische-allgemeine.de/1966/1966_04_30_18.pdf
13. ↑ ^{a b c} Ostpreußenblatt (PDF; 11.4 MB) of April 18, 1964, p. 3 accessed on January 9, 2012.
14. ↑ Further finds by Haupt in the Ostpreußenblatt: Advertisements for Kurland, the last front , victory without laurel , Baltic States 1941 1966 (PDF; 14.5 MB), advertisement for the 4th edition of Kurland, the last front and victory without laurel 1967 ( PDF; 12.3 MB), advertisement for Kurland, the last front ; Advertisement for Army Group North 1941 to 1945 , The fight in the northern section of the Eastern Front 1941–1945 1967 (PDF; 10.9 MB); Advertisement for The Struggle on the Northern Section of the Eastern Front 1941–1945 1967 ; Advertisement for Kurland, the last front [archiv.preussische-allgemeine.de/1969/1969_12_06_49.pdf 1967], advertisement for Kurland, the last front 1968 (PDF; 12.8 MB). The advertisements were placed by Kant Verlag. Mention as the author of an article for the German Soldiers' Calendar 1977 in a review (1977) (PDF; 12.5 MB)
15. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/23195251/Braunbuch-Kriegs-und-Nazi-Verbrecher-in-der-Bundes Republik-und-in-West-Berlin online version, p. 305.
16. ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/45030577/Robert-L-Brock-Freisrauch-fur-Deutschland-1995 p. 26.
17. ↑ http://www.h-ref.de/literatur/b/brock-robert/freisschul.php
18. ^ Rolf-Dieter Müller / Gerd R. Ueberschär: Hitler's War in the East 1941–1945. A research report . Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 2000, ISBN 3-534-14768-5 , p. 77.
19. ↑ Information on the curriculum vitae at the FU Berlin  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessed on January 9, 2012, plus the doctoral thesis quoted below.  
20. ↑ Joachim Staron: Fosse Ardeatine and Marzabotto: German war crimes and resistance. History and national myth-making in Germany and Italy (1944–1999) . Diss. Paderborn; Munich, ...: Schöningh 2002 Digitized version accessed on December 6, 2011 p. 16.
21. ↑ Short biography at Perlentaucher
22. ↑ Thomas Morlang: Review by Werner Haupt: Die deutsche Schutztruppe 1889/1918 . Order and history, Utting: Nebel 2001. 163 S., ISBN 3-89555-032-9 , In: Military History Journal 62 (2003), p. 288 f.
23. ↑ Review by Winfried Heinemann to: Detlef Bald: "Against the war machine": War experiences and motives of the resistance of the "White Rose" . Essen: Klartext Verlag, 2005. 211 pp. (Paperback), ISBN 978-3-89861-488-7 . and Johannes Tuchel : The forgotten resistance: On real history and perception of the struggle against the Nazi dictatorship , Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2005. P. 279 (paper), ISBN 978-3-89244-943-0 . Published on H-Soz-u-Kult (January, 2006) Only Haupt found on H-Net Google search on the H-Net website on December 6, 2011