French students explore the story of Rothenburg's soldiers!

French students explore the story of Rothenburg's soldiers!

A little piece of history comes to life when you hear the experiences of the Rothenburg native Eveline Neumann. On July 1, 2025, she tells of her 94-year-old mother, who lived a fulfilling life and was able to look forward to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Eveline looks back on her childhood, which she spent with Willi Hirsch, a Wehrmacht soldier who fell as a 18-year-old in World War II while surviving for many years. This is not only the story of a loss, but also a revision of the memories that combine today's generation with the horrors of the war. Sächsische.de reports that history teacher Matthieu Delatte from Nancy with his students processes the story of Willi Hirsch and tracked the effects of war.

By chance, a neighbor of Delatte met with old documents from Wehrmacht soldiers who left their lives in Lorraine in World War II. This was the starting point for the students who not only deal with the past, but also come into contact with the bereaved of the fallen. The students turned to the Volksbund Deutsche Wargräberfürsorge and searched for more about Willi Hirsch and his history.

The moving research

The students found that Willi Hirsch was born in Rothenburg on May 21, 1926 and was in November 1944. This led them to his relatives, including his niece Doris Mätzke from Spremberg. She handed over family photos to the students who further round off this moving story. Karin Gerdesius, another descendant, also became aware of the research by a classmate and is now also active.

The students from Nancy planned a trip to Saxony to further document the story of Willi Hirsch on site and get to know his descendants. In the Rothenburg town hall, they handed over personal documents to the relatives, including letters from Willi's sister Elli, who were written in Sütterlin and contained personal wishes. This brought an emotional moment for everyone involved when the humanity of the soldiers came to the fore and showed how important it is to keep these memories alive.

a look into the past

The commitment of the students is part of a larger context of the culture of memory. In May 2020, Ancestry published a database that comprises the loss and grave reports of German soldiers from 1939 to 1948. The data comes from the German Federal Archives and are accessible via a search mask. This database is a valuable collection for all those who want to learn more about their ancestors in the war, even if not all fallen soldiers are recorded. According to ahnenschichte.de , the data collection will continue to be added to illuminate the fate of the missing soldiers.

Memory work is an important concern of the Volksbund, which campaigns for peace, reconciliation and a united Europe. Every person who lost his life in war has the right to be reminded, even if the circumstances of his deeds are tragic. Each loss is a reminder and requires a sincere handling of history to prevent future conflicts and create a better world.

The personal things by Willi Hirsch, who were entrusted to the students, are handed over to the Rothenburg City Museum to ensure that they are not lost and that future generations can serve as a testimony of the past. At a time when the war and tyranny are still available, this commitment to remember is not only important, but necessary.