Right then, can I get you opinion on something. Abuse in of women in post war Berlin

[girlylala0807]

Good evening,

Im studying history at university. We have recently been discussing the rape of German women by the Red Army. As im sure you understand, it is a very sensitive topic. However, ive beena bit shocked by the attitudes of fellow students. I dont know if its because im older, well im 30 most of them are 21.

So the stance most of them had was that rape in this case was acceptable and that Berlin women could not be considered to be victims.

They said it was acceptable when you viewed it in the context of the Holocaust. They also said that basically all Germans were guilty of some kind of Nazi crime so they deserved what they got.

This does not sit well with me. Can you share your thoughts with me on this one ladies.

I'm a bit late to this now but just wanted to make a recommendation to you, girlylala, that you can read an eyewitness and victim's account of the Soviet war crimes in Berlin by an anonymous female who was in Berlin during the Soviet invasion and was raped. It's called 'A Woman in Berlin' and the author is 'Anonyma' (anonymous in German). It's available on Amazon in English or if you read German, it's even better as it is really well-written ('Eine Frau in Berlin' is the German title). The book was also made into a film recently in Germany and it is also very good. I saw it at a German film festival in London earlier in the year and I thought it was excellent, a very sensitive portrayal of a difficult topic and not graphic or sensationalist at all.

The saddest part of the book is when the writer's fiance comes back from the front and reads her diary. When he realises what's happened to her, he blames her and is disgusted with her and leaves her. She expresses her anger at male hypocrisy and German men's failure to do their duty for German women and protect them. She is a very good writer. At the time, in the 1950s when she published her book, she was reviled for bringing shame to German women by openly talking about her experience but now the book has had a revival and is a very good primary source for a history class. Maybe if some of the idiots in your class could read it, they might empathise with the author as a real person who had to suffer horrible things through no fault of her own, like any other victim of war.

prime this book and film played a big role in finally recognising the mass suffering in germany post war.
by mass suffering I mean the direct implications of the rape as well as the suffering of the families after. my grandmother had serious mental health issues which made for a difficult childhood for my mother and her siblings.

I just wanted to say thank you to you all again for this. Im going to have my say through my essay which will be marked. When I get it back in Januuary I will let you know what his comments were.

Thanks again, you have helped me a great deal.