Latest news with #Wehrmacht
UPI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
'Der Tiger' anti-war film to screen in German theaters
July 28 (UPI) -- Amazon MGM Studios is previewing Der Tiger, a German anti-war film with a limited theater run in Germany beginning Sept. 18. A preview released Monday shows soldiers facing various dangerous situations on the Eastern Warfront during World War II. The movie is set in 1943. "The five-man crew of a German Tiger tank is sent on a secret mission far behind the heavily contested front line. As they journey eastward, the soldiers not only find themselves deeper in enemy territory but must also face their own fears and inner demons," an official synopsis reads. "Stimulated by Wehrmacht methamphetamine, their mission increasingly becomes a journey into the heart of darkness," the description continues. The film stars David Schutter, Laurence Rupp, Leonard Kunz, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Yoran Leicher, Tilman Straub and Andre M. Hennicke. Dennis Gansel and Colin Teevan penned the script. "This special film deserves the biggest stage, said Philip Pratt, an executive at Amazon MGM Studios, per Deadline. "Dennis is not only an award-winning director, but with films like Napola and The Wave, he has proven that he has a special sensitivity for this subject matter." Der Tiger will also stream on Prime Video, but a specific release date has not yet been announced.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
The overlooked ‘Oxford of Belgium' that deserves more tourists
From the bell tower of Leuven's university library you get a great view across the mottled rooftops of my favourite Flemish city, but an even greater wonder is that this dramatic landmark is still here at all. Destroyed by the German army during the First World War, and then again by Hitler's Wehrmacht, it's been completely rebuilt twice over – initially in the 1920s, and then again after the Second World War. Its immaculate reconstruction is a tribute to Leuven's indefatigable spirit, and the never-say-die attitude of its illustrious university, which celebrates its 600th birthday this year. In most cities such an anniversary would be a rather niche affair, a celebration for students and academics rather than the general public. But in Leuven the university is an integral part of daily life. Many of its institutions are open to all-comers, including its iconic library, its quaint and eerie zoological museum and its tranquil botanical garden, founded in 1738. Established in 1425, the Catholic University of Leuven (aka KU Leuven) is the Oxbridge of Belgium – and like Oxford and Cambridge, it consists of lots of colleges, scattered all around town. The city and its historic colleges are so closely intertwined that it's hard to walk anywhere without taking a handy shortcut through one or two of them. KU Leuven is the oldest university in the Low Countries, but the ambience is friendly and inclusive. There's no snobby separation between town and gown. Over the last 600 years, Leuven University has been a magnet for some of Europe's brightest boffins, and the brightest of them all was Erasmus of Rotterdam, one of the greatest thinkers of the Renaissance. Over 500 years since he departed, his friendly ghost still looms large in this studious yet unpretentious place. Erasmus was great friends with Sir Thomas More (immortalised in Robert Bolt's timeless play, A Man for All Seasons), and in 1516 he published More's Utopia here in Leuven. More is best known in Britain as the saint and martyr who lost his head rather than recognise King Henry VIII's newfangled Church of England, but in Leuven he's best known as the author of this fascinating, idealistic work of fiction, which foresaw a future society in which education was free for all, and private property had been abolished. Leuven has always been a forward-thinking place. Arguably its most progressive (and certainly its most picturesque) feature is its medieval Beguinage – a city within the city where a community of independent women lived and prospered, entirely without men. It sounds like some sort of hippy feminist collective, but it was founded way back in the 13th century and endured and thrived for over 700 years. The buildings are now owned by the university, and are no longer solely for single women, but their antique ambience has been perfectly preserved. It's like stepping into a painting by Breughel. Leuven's greatest artist is Dierec Bouts – relatively unknown outside his native Flanders and therefore all the more fun to discover. Born in Haarlem in 1415, he spent most of his life in Leuven, dying here in 1475. Leuven's user-friendly M-Museum has a good collection of his intricate, realistic paintings, but his greatest hits are around the corner in St Peter's Church – a gorgeous slice of ornate Gothic architecture, now a World Heritage Site. Bouts' undisputed masterpiece is The Last Supper, renowned for its innovative use of perspective, but art lovers with more sadistic appetites will relish his Martyrdom of St Erasmus – no relation – in which the stoical patron saint of stomach ailments (appropriately enough) is meticulously disembowelled with the aid of a trusty windlass. If culture and academia were all that Leuven had to offer, it'd be a rather dry and worthy place. Thankfully, its students give it a youthful, optimistic air. There are loads of cool bars and cafes, and bicycles absolutely everywhere. This is the home of Stella Artois and though it may be just my imagination, I feel sure their crisp draught lager tastes better here than it does anywhere else on earth. You can visit the modern brewery for tours and tastings, but my favourite spot is the old brewery, De Hoorn, which is now a suave events space and a lively bar and restaurant. For something smarter head across the street to Gastrobar Hop, where the debonair tasting menu is paired with a scrumptious selection of Belgian beers. On my last day, I walk out to Arenberg Castle, on the green edge of town. Remarkably, this imposing stately home is also part of the college campus. My expert guide, Marlene Verboomen, really brings the place alive. She explains the castle's many ups and downs – from fortress to mansion, from seat of nobility to seat of learning. It's an enchanting place, a bucolic refuge from the urban bustle, surrounded by ancient woods and lush meadows. There are lots of students here, but just as many visitors. We stroll back into the town through leafy parkland. The student halls of residence are hidden among the trees. It must be wonderful to come and study here, but what's so special about Leuven is that its venerable university is a playground for everyone – locals and outsiders, young and old. We finish up at Bar Eclektic, a stylish little café on Hogeschoolplein, one of Leuven's nicest, smartest city squares. A short walk to the station, a local train to Brussels and a few hours later I'm back in London. Leuven isn't as dynamic as Antwerp. It isn't uniformly beautiful, like Bruges. It's low-key yet full of interest, and that's why I like coming here. More than any other Flemish city, for me it's a place that feels like home. How to do it Travel from London St Pancras International to Brussels Midi with Eurostar and then on to Leuven with SNBC. The London to Brussels leg takes two hours. Trains from Brussels Midi to Leuven depart several times an hour and take about half an hour. A single ticket costs €6.70. Stay at the Begijnhofhotel, a quiet and cosy modern four-star with a lovely little garden, on the edge of the UNESCO listed Great Beguinage. Doubles from €150, including breakfast.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Hikers dressed as Nazi soldiers stopped by police and ordered to remove offensive symbols
A group of hikers dressed in Nazi uniforms — including some from America — were stopped by police in the Swiss Alps and ordered to remove their offensive outfits. The hikers were wearing Wehrmacht uniforms with Nazi insignia — including swastika armbands — when they sparked alarm on Friday in the Bernese Alps, Swiss public radio outlet SRF reported. Video shows them marching brazenly past stunned onlookers. 'The group consisted of around 25 people from various European countries and the United States,' Deborah Zaugg, a spokesperson for Bern cantonal police, told SRF, without saying how many of them were from the US. Hikers dressed in Nazi soldier uniforms were stopped in Switzerland. 20 Minuten / News-Scout Police confronted the hikers the next day and ordered them to take off their jackets with Nazi symbols, because 'we wanted to prevent any sudden confrontations with third parties,' Zaugg said. The men's personal details were taken by the police, but not released. Switzerland, unlike neighboring Germany, Italy, France, and Austria, does not prohibit people from wearing Nazi symbols — which has been blamed for a rise in far-right extremist meetings there, SRF said. The men wore Wehrmacht jackets with swastikas and other Nazi insignia. Bettmann Archive Last year, both the National Council and the Council of States voted for a ban in the European nation.
Observer
7 days ago
- Observer
Italy receives back ancient mosaic stolen during WWII
A two-millennia-old mosaic, which was stolen by a member of the Nazi armed forces, has been returned to Italy more than 80 years after the end of World War II. The piece will now be displayed on the site of the ancient city of Pompeii near Naples, which was buried in the year 79 AD during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the director of the museum site, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, said. 'Every returned stolen artefact is like a wound that heals,' Zuchtriegel, a German national, said. The intricately crafted piece depicts a man and a woman. According to the museum, the mosaic most likely originates from the region around the volcano and may have once adorned the floor of a bedroom. It is believed to have been created in the first century BC or AD. According to the Carabinieri Police Force for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, the mosaic probably came into the 'wrongful possession' of the Wehrmacht member during the German occupation. The soldier gifted it to a German. His heirs approached the Italian state to return the mosaic. They said that the Wehrmacht member was an officer, the Carabinieri spokesman said. Documents regarding the theft, the gifting, names, or similar have not yet been found, he said. The mosaic was brought back to Italy in September 2023 through the Italian Consulate General in the south-western German city of Stuttgart. After the armistice between Italy and the Allies in September 1943, the German Wehrmacht occupied large parts of the country. The approximately 20-month occupation period was marked by violence. At the same time, numerous art and cultural objects disappeared from public collections or archaeological sites. — dpa
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Valkyrie: 81st anniversary of plot to kill Hitler
Operation Valkyrie: 81st anniversary of plot to kill Hitler Eighty-one years ago, on July 20, 1944, at 12:42, a bomb went off in the conference room of the Wolf's Lair military headquarters in East Prussia, the easternmost province of the German Reich until the end of World War II. It was supposed to kill Adolf Hitler, and had been planted by German army officer Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. The former ardent National Socialist now no longer saw any other option apart from murdering the dictator. "There is nothing left but to kill him," he had told his closest confidants a few days earlier. Stauffenberg was not only the assassin, but also the most important organizer of a large-scale coup attempt by people from conservative circles, which included high-ranking military, diplomatic and administrative officials. Shortly before the time bomb exploded on July 20, 1944, the officer had left the barracks. He flew in a military aircraft toward Berlin, believing the "Führer" was dead. In the German capital, "Operation Valkyrie" was underway. Originally devised as a Wehrmacht plan to suppress a possible uprising, the conspirators — who held key positions throughout the Nazi state apparatus — wanted to repurpose "Valkyrie" for their own coup. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like SRM Online MBA – Empowering Future Leaders SRM Online Enquire Now Undo Doomed to fail But Hitler suffered only minor injuries. The heavy oak table and the fact the barracks' windows were opened wide due to the hot weather had dampened the force of the explosion. Despite this, the chance for a putsch would not yet have been completely lost — if everyone involved had followed through with Operation Valkyrie unswervingly. But there were delays, breakdowns and insufficient planning. In addition, facing the enormous pressure of possibly being discovered, some of those involved remained passive or even changed sides. By the evening, the coup attempt had failed. Hitler went on the radio to broadcast to the people and spoke of the "providence" which saved him. Stauffenberg and several co-conspirators were arrested and executed by firing squad that night. Others were only discovered later. In total, about 200 resistance fighters were killed. Historian Wolfgang Benz believes the main reason for the failure was because "none of the famous military leaders" from that time, such as General Erwin Rommel, took part. "At least one of them needed to have been at the helm, so that then the people would say: 'Aha, Rommel also sees it that way, that Hitler is a criminal,'" he said. An enduring symbol Despite its failure, the resistance to Hitler on July 20, 1944, became a strong symbol. A few days before, Stauffenberg's co-conspirator Henning von Tresckow had concluded that success was no longer what mattered: The important thing was "that the German resistance movement had dared to risk its life in front of the world and in front of history." There were other resistance operations, such as the narrowly failed attempt by carpenter Georg Elser to kill Hitler using a homemade bomb in a Munich beer hall in 1939, or the leaflet campaign by a group of young friends known as the White Rose. They were later unjustly overshadowed by "the late, not to say belated, resistance of the conservative elites," as Wolfgang Benz judged the July 20, 1944 plot. 'The Holocaust did not interest them' The remembrance of Operation Valkyrie and the assassination attempt has shifted over time. For a long time after the war ended, its initiators were still regarded as traitors. Stauffenberg's wife, for example, was initially refused the pension received by widows. Later, the conspirators were officially designated as heroes: Streets, schools and barracks were named after them, and public buildings were decorated with flags every July 20. Swearing-in ceremonies for Bundeswehr armed forces recruits were held on the anniversary: The military of democratic Germany invoked the resistance fighters surrounding the former Wehrmacht officer Stauffenberg. But there was always criticism of those involved in the plot. Stauffenberg biographer Thomas Karlauf pointed out that the group first acted in the European summer of 1944, shortly after the Allies landed in Normandy. Following Germany's rapid military victories over Poland and France in 1940, Stauffenberg had enthused: "What a change in such a brief time!" He and the other men who participated in the military resistance took a "very, very long path to reformation," said Benz, adding: "The Holocaust did not interest them at all. " Faced with a looming military defeat, they wanted to try to "save what can be saved" for Germany by initiating a coup. Stauffenberg, not a democrat? Fellow historian Johannes Hürter is of the view that Stauffenberg was no democrat: He had an authoritarian form of government in mind for Germany if the assassination had been successful. Wolfgang Benz makes a slightly less harsh judgment: "Under any circumstances, Germany would have become a constitutional state again. But democracy as we know it, as it was established in the Basic Law constitution, was not the vision of the July 20 conspirators." Many Germans today think first of July 20, 1944, when it comes to the resistance against National Socialism. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, as a result, has become its face. But there were many other heroes who rebelled against the terror of the Nazi regime: Jews, communists, people in the church, artists, partisans. There were certainly also people who resisted in silence and whose deeds, unlike those of the July 20 attackers, have since been forgotten.
