German War Graves Association

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/4758367.htm

Posted on Tue, Dec. 17, 2002

Allied officers honored for saving World War II archive

Associated Press

BERLIN - Two allied officers were celebrated Tuesday for saving millions of documents at the end of World War II that helped relatives trace the remains of millions of German soldiers killed across the continent.

Officials revealed a plaque in honor of Maj. Henry Sternweiler of Cleveland and Maj. Armand Klein of France, who in 1946 persuaded their superiors to drop orders to destroy the detailed records kept by Hitler's army.

Files had been kept on every soldier drafted, detailing where they were deployed and where those who died had fallen - information used since 1939 to help relatives locate their remains and bury them.

"This act of exemplary courage has made it possible that even today the fate of millions of German soldiers can be uncovered," said the German War Graves Association, which co-sponsored the plaque next to the Berlin archive which today holds the documents.

Sternweiler, 84, attended Tuesday's ceremony along with his wife and son. Two cousins of the late Klein were also present, along with officials from France, the United States and Germany.

Swelled with documents that become available after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the archive today holds some 20 million files on soldiers and others who died fighting for Nazi Germany.

The war graves association tends some 1.9 million graves in 800 cemeteries outside Germany.

 

G'day

Indeed it is worth honouring these men, thinking of the future of Germany in total destruction of the Reich. The next of kin of fallen German soldiers do have a right to know where they are buried and the only way of knowing that is by these records. I think the allies weren't too carefull of Nazi stuff exapt a Luger of course.

Popski

 

Indeed those guys are worth a ceremony or two!

When they did save those archives I am sure many told them " What the **** you give about some krauts, are you nuts?"

Glad they managed to save the files, and totally deserve the credit!