In 1944, carried out by Claus von Stauffenberg to assassinate Hitler. Historian Magnus Pahl explains why the special exhibition in the Museum of military history in Dresden, and it explores the backgrounds new.
DW: Why now, in 2019, an exhibition on the 20. July 1944? There are new findings about the Stauffenberg assassination attempt and the attempted coup?
Magnus Pahl: For the German armed forces of 20. July in memory of the assassination attempt on Hitler and the subsequent coup attempt, a timeless theme relevant and of Central importance to their Tradition and their understanding of values.
75. Anniversary takes you in 2019 as an opportunity to pay tribute to the event with a special exhibition to commemorate the civilian and military resistance against the murderous and inhuman Nazi regime.
The exhibition was designed on the basis of the latest scientific findings. The catalogue also contains Essays that present further scientific findings.
Curator and reserve officer Magnus Pahl, here in the exhibition, conducts research as a historian on the history of the 20th century. July 1944
Many of the resistance fighters around von Stauffenberg was – just as he himself for years, ardent supporters of this Nazi regime. What has moved you to want to be their leader at once kill you?
The members of the resistance against Hitler were certainly due to the different personal, political, or religious motives. Together, the fight against a criminal Regime was. In the case of Stauffenberg, the General staff officer, and especially for members of the military resistance military motifs were also included.
After the devastating defeats in Stalingrad and North Africa, these officers have recognized, that Hitler’s war leadership will lead the German Reich into the abyss. After Stalingrad, one has then, to some extent, to the earlier roll-over of preparations from the years 1938/39 and again attached.
Hitler survived the bomb attack on 20 may. July and was only slightly injured. The coup attempt “Operation Valkyrie,” was there ever a Chance of success?
In fact, it was very important that Hitler is killed. This was regarded as a prerequisite for the Success of the coup. The soldiers of the Wehrmacht were sworn in on Hitler and held him to a large extent also the Loyalty. If Hitler would have been killed, they would have been by this oath given birth and the way have been coup-free for a Government.
Replica (a set for the film “Operation Valkyrie”) in the camp barracks, in the führer headquarters “wolf’s lair”, in the Stauffenberg the explosives under the table deposited.
The conspirators lacked a sufficiently reliable force for the coup. Nevertheless, it is especially in the recent research, that the coup had a certain Chance of success. You can judge in retrospect, of course, never quite the same, but there are several indicators, that speak for a possible Success.
One of them is the history of the Coup in Paris. There are around 1200 members of the security service (SD) and the SS were arrested. This shows that the planning of the conspirators was quite promising. And upon the death of Hitler, you would have had, possibly, at the crucial center of Berlin’s success.
After the war, was accused of the conspirators that they have acted out of pure opportunism. When it was clear that the war would be lost, would have some members of the military your reputation – and your head – want to save, it was in the early Federal Republic.
Of the national-socialist Propaganda, of course, was tried, the resistance to devalue. Hitler has set out the guidelines for that: It was only a “very small Clique of ambitious, unscrupulous and at the same time criminal, stupid been officers”. In the course of the investigation, the Gestapo and the Nazi leadership have of course a different picture.
We know today that about 200 people in the civilian and military resistance actively in the preparation and implementation of the 20. July were involved. Nevertheless, the image of a “small criminal Clique” up in the young Federal Republic of Germany.
In spite of the total defeat at the time, many Germans, even in the entirely in the spell of the “third Reich”, the conspirators of the 20. July considered a traitor. Here you can see that the intensive Propaganda, especially in the last months of the war, has had an impact in the collective memory of the German succeeded.
In the courtyard of the bendler block was shot by Stauffenberg, and 4 of his co-conspirators after the coup attempt. Today a memorial here reminds of the resistance fighters of the 20th century. July.
Today, Stauffenberg and his companions are hailed as heroes of the resistance. What has occurred this change of heart in German?
This is not situate exactly. It is established that the image of Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators as traitors a long time in large Parts of the population has been kept in extreme right-wing circles, to this day. The fixation on Stauffenberg, there were, however, from the beginning. Especially because he carried out the assassination attempt himself. In addition, he has been known in the Public – even the coup attempt “Valkyrie” as the chief planner developed and was used on the day of the attack in Berlin in the implementation of the Operation “Valkyrie”.
Today, 75 years later, the 20. July, a reminder to the brave stand for justice and freedom. Of course, the ideas of the conspirators circled around the establishment of a pluralistic society, according to today’s crop. But their Actions can be translated into current models of thought and language, without a doubt, as a commitment to justice and freedom understand. And these are two of the key elements of a democratic culture.
The conversation Felix blow wine led.
Magnus Pahl is a historian, research Director, and a reserve officer in the Bundeswehr. For the military historical Museum (MHM) in Dresden, he curated the special exhibition “‘The Führer Adolf Hitler is dead. Assassination and coup attempt on 20. July 1944”. The exhibition is from 5. July to 3. December 2019, open to the public.