The death of a Polish Wehrmacht soldier in Russia: Bernhard Switon (1923-1942)

Conclusion
 

For Bernhard Switon, as for many other conscripted soldiers, participation in the Second World War was a fate that people were not able to avoid at the time. It must have been a conflicting situation for many young people from the Ruhr area, who belonged ethno-culturally to Poland although they were German nationals, because in all likelihood they were brought up in both the spirit of the ideology of the Third Reich, and with Polish cultural values, traditions and language within their families, and were suddenly conscripted into a war in which they also had to march through occupied Poland. The conscription to military service was compulsory for those with German citizenship and enforced naturalisation for this purpose was not uncommon. But at the same time, the presence of people of Polish origin in the ranks of the Wehrmacht was at odds with the race ideology of National Socialism. This led to discrimination, but there is no evidence of any discrimination towards Ruhr Poles.

Bernhard Switon was one of these people and, as a very young man – almost a child still – was sent without any extensive training to the Eastern Front in 1942 where he fell a short time later. Ultimately, it is not clear whether he was drawn into the war voluntarily because he was brought up within the relevant ideology, or whether he was forced into it, as was so often the case with Polish citizens in Poland after 1939. One thing is certain, however, that his story is probably not unique, but is likely representative of many young men of Polish origin from the Ruhr area who were in the Wehrmacht and on the Eastern Front, whose life stories have not yet been thoroughly addressed. Overall, research into the history of people of Polish origin from the Ruhr area who were in the Wehrmacht still seems to be very limited – and the culture of remembrance in the neighbouring countries brings with it the potential for conflict when it comes to this subject matter. One thing is clear: The name of Bernhard Switon remains linked to a place he never belonged.

Kathrin Lind, December 2020

A special thanks goes to the photographer Dmitry Grigoryev for the images of the German military cemetery in Nowgorod Welikij that he provided.

Особую благодарность выражаем фотографам Дмитрию Григорьеву и Олегу Тиняеву за предоставленные фотографии Немецкого военного кладбища (Новгород Великий).