Tragic Accounts of Inhumane Treatment during the War of '45

In a poignant historical lecture, the community of Westhausen gathered to discuss events from 1933 to 1945, focusing on the war events in April 1945, particularly the tragic incident in Lippach.

Norbert Janik, a former teacher and archivist of the community, meticulously researched the events in Lippach. He spoke about the execution of 36 young soldiers, the youngest just 17, who were subjected to a war crime. They were beaten to death with rifle butts, run over by tanks, and some were intended to be sawed apart on a circular saw but were shot instead. This gruesome act led to a three-hour battle, during which the majority of the 300 Germans withdrew, leaving these young fighters behind.

The execution was ordered by SS officer Walter Reder. The event was not spoken about 80 years ago, and the suffering of the affected women was largely unacknowledged. Janik noted the silence that surrounded these tragic events.

Jörg Brehmer, a historian, presented a biography of Reinhold Maier during the lecture. Maier, who served as the first Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, found refuge in England for his Jewish wife and their two daughters during a time of crisis. Brehmer also discussed Maier's diary entries during his presentation.

On April 22, 1945, American soldiers arrived in Lippach after "contact with the enemy" and senseless resistance from German SS units. The arrival was documented by Reinhold Maier in his entries.

89-year-old Karl Weizman from Westerhofen, who witnessed the withdrawal of German fighters and American liberators on his parents' farm, was given the opportunity to speak. He shared his experiences of that fateful day.

The lecture also touched upon a processing of an American war crime in Lippach and a scandal that occurred during the annual wreath-laying ceremony by the community of Westhausen in 1987.

Deputy Mayor Winfried Krieger made an appeal to stand against radical, democracy-destroying tendencies in society. The historical lecture served as a reminder of the past, urging the community to learn from it and strive for a better future.