Amerikanische Soldaten während der Ardennenoffensive

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Denkmal zur Erinnerung an die "Wereth-Eleven"

Am 17. Dezember 1944 erhielt das 333. Feldartillerie Bataillon den Befehl sich während der Ardennenoffensive nach Schönberg zurückzuziehen.

Von ihrer Einheit getrennt, gelangten 11 Afroamerikaner erschöpft zum kleinen Bauernhof von Mathias Langer. Nachdem sie mit Essen und Trinken versorgt worden waren, tauchte eine Gruppe SS-Angehöriger auf. Durch diese Gruppe wurden die Afroamerikaner in 1km Entfernung brutal ermordet. Durch den starken Schneefall in diesem Jahr wurden die Leichen der 11 Amerikaner erst im Februar 1945 entdeckt.

Dieses Bild blieb für Hermann Langer, damals 12 Jahre alt unvergessen.

Aufgabenstellung?

Familie Langer

Interview mit Hermann Langer

Interview mit der Tochter Sylvia Langer von Hermann Langer, Solange Dekeyser und Gary Jost

For each guest, a visit to the memorial site is very moving, say employees of C.R.I.B.A., an association dealing with the reconstruction and remembrance of the battle in the Ardennes. The idea of creating such a monument for discriminated and oppressed people was created in Wereth. Thanks to donations in 2002, the USA Wereth Memorial was established (this institution enabled the purchase of real estate). In 2004, the annual commemoration ceremony took place. This is the only monument dedicated to African-American soldiers in Europe. The most important founders of the memorial site are: the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and the European Department of The Rocks Inc. - community of interests of African-American soldiers. Thanks to General E.Kip, the monument in Wereth is under the protection of the American Memorial Commission on the Battle. Thanks to donations to The Rocks, membership is guaranteed for the next 30 years.

ungekürzte Variante zu dem Thema von Dr. Herbert Ruhland

Ruhestätte von sieben angehörigen der "Wereth-Eleven"

The names of 11 murdered African-American soldiers:

Seven of the eleven American soldiers were buried at the American Military Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. The coordinates next to their names show the location of the graves.

ADAMS Curtis - Henri Chapelle: C-11-41
BRADLEY Mager - Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
DAVIS George - Henri Chapelle: D-10-61
FORTE Thomas - Henri Chapelle: C-11-55GREEN Robert - Highland Park Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio
LEATHERWOOD Jim - College Hill Cemetery, Pontotoc, Miss
MOSS Nathaniel - Henri Chapelle: F-10-8
MOTEN G.W. - Henri Chapelle: E-10-29
PRITCHETT W.M. - Mc Castar Cemetery, Wilcox, Alabama
STEWART James - Henri Chapelle: C-11-2
TURNER Due - Henri Chapelle: F- 5- 9

Wissensfragen zum amerikanischen Soldate

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The case of Wereth

There has never been a serious attempt to find the perpetrators, trial or conviction. The investigation was stopped in 1948. There was no information about the perpetrators except that they belonged to the 1st SS Panzer Division. It is now believed that the perpetrators were members of the Knittel group. "Maybe everything happened because the murdered soldiers were of different skin color" said Mr. Langer. He clearly stated that he would recognize one of the perpetrators based on the scar on his face.

TESTIMONY OF THE WERETH MASSACRE IN DECEMBER 1944