Page 456 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo I

456 XXXIV Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

Community’) himself . It portrayed the non-German volunteers’ brotherhood in arms with
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the Germans of the Waffen-SS on a common historical background of Western culture .
69
Riedweg wrote several articles in it. In one from 1942, entitled Rasse und Universalismus
(Race and Universalism), he wrote that with the National Socialists takeover a new spiritual
era was born because the race is always the central issue. Then, he went on to demonstrate
that universalism was impossible because of ‘racial differences’ . In his following article,
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Rasse und Auslese (Race and Selection), he continued with the ‘differences of races and the
praise of the Germanic race’ . in the second issue, Riedweg wrote about the ‘Germanic
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man’ at the front, in an article entitled Erbe und Zukunft (Heritage and Future). According
to him, in the fight against bolshevism at the front the renaissance of the ‘Germanic man’
took place. Even though the men had different nationalities, their ‘Germanic heritage’ was
above their differences. They rediscovered their ‘Germanic values’ like obedience, courage
and honour. This ‘Germanic man’ had become the ‘political soldier’, sharing its values with
National Socialism. Finally, Riedweg insisted on the nobility of these ‘Germanics’’ blood
and that their destiny was to lead their homeland towards a ‘Germanic Europe’ .
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At the end of 1942, Riedweg is said to have founded the magazine Aufbruch (Renew), a
monthly publication dedicated to his idea of a Europe based on equality and right wing so-
cialism . Under the same title, he published a collection of ‘Germanic volunteers’’ front let-
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ters, entitled Briefe germanischer Kriegsfreiwilliger (Letters of Germanic Volunteers). This
book – quoting Himmler in the opening – aimed to represent the ‘Germanic volunteers’ as a
community of fate in the fight against bolshevism .
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In February 1943, Riedweg wanted to create a magazine specifically for the ‘Germanic
volunteers’ at the front. The reason was not the soldiers at the front, but the publicity for the
Waffen-SS in the volunteers’ homeland. This magazine – entitled Wiking – was supposed to
be published in German and in every other language spoken in the ‘Germanic corps’ . the
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last of the GL’s publications I know about is the Germanisches Volksgericht (‘Germanic
Peoples’ Court’) which – according to Riedweg – was a photographic collection of which we
do not know the message.

68 AF, E 4320 (B), 1973/87, Bd. 15, Schweizerische Bundesanwaltschaft an den Präsidenten des Bundesstraf-
gerichts in den Bundesstrafsachen Franz Riedweg und 17 Mitangeklagte sowie Theodor Stadler, Beweisein-
gabe, 14. Oktober 1947, p. 8.
69 Seidler, op. cit., p. 450.
70 AF, E 4320 (B), 1973/87, Bd. 10, „Rasse und Universalismus“, gez. F.R., in Germanische Gemeinschaft,
Folge 1, Herausgeber und Schriftleiter Dr. Franz Riedweg, 1942, pp. 16-17.
71 AF, E 4320 (B), 1973/87, Bd. 10, „Rasse und Auslese“, gez. F.R., in Germanische Gemeinschaft, Folge 1,
Herausgeber und Schriftleiter Dr. Franz Riedweg, 1942, p. 48.
72 AF, E 4320 (B), 1973/87, Bd. 10, „Erbe und Zukunft“, gez. Franz Riedweg, in Germanische Gemeinschaft,
Folge 2, Herausgeber und Schriftleiter Dr. Franz Riedweg, 1942, pp. 22-23.
73 AF, E 4320 (B), 1973/87, Bd. 10, Schweizerische Bundesanwaltschaft, Einvernahme Dr. Riedweg Franz, im
Ausland, 13. November 1946, p. 11.
74 AfZ ETH Zurich, Nachlass Franz Riedweg / 5, Aufbruch. Briefe germanischer Kriegsfreiwilliger, Hrsg.: Der
Reichsführer SS, SS-Hauptamt (Germanische Leitstelle), 1942, 101 p., copy.
75 BA Berlin, NS 31/375, Geheim, Chef des SS-Hauptamtes, Germanische Leitstelle, Amt VI, SS-Obersturm-
bannführer Riedweg, an Ostubaf. Dr. Brandt, Reichsführer-SS Persönlicher Stab, betr. Frontzeitung „Wi-
king“, 12. Februar 1943, pp. 1-2.