But there was one who didn’t shoot (4 photos). Joseph Schultz: But there was one who did not shoot Who is he, Joseph Schultz
In July 1941, German troops defeated the Palanatsky partisan company on Mount Gradishte near the village of Vishevets. In the Serbian village of Smederevska Palanka, the Germans captured 16 Yugoslav partisans from the same company and sent them to prison - to the stables of the 5th Cavalry Regiment named after Queen Maria Karadjordjevic. The military court sentenced all 16 people to death; the sentence was to be carried out on the evening of July 19.
The same stable was chosen as the place for execution - the prisoners were placed with their backs to a haystack, and the partisans were first blindfolded. But just before the execution, Joseph Schultz, who was included in the firing squad, suddenly threw his rifle to the ground and exclaimed:
I won't shoot! These people are innocent!
Original text (German)
Ich schieße nicht! Diese Männer sind unschuldig!
The commander of the firing squad, upon hearing this phrase, froze in shock: the division soldier refused to carry out the order. The decision was made immediately - Schultz was recognized as a rebel, and for failure to comply with the order he should be shot. The sentence was carried out immediately. Josef was buried next to the executed partisans.
Facts about Joseph Schulz
Josef was considered by his colleagues to be a calm person who could maintain fun in any company. He was not hot-tempered, reckless or aggressive, and was more often considered gentle. He was fond of playing the piano, and was also a good artist - he was excellent at reproductions of paintings by Dutch artists.
The letters that Joseph wrote to his family and friends were not preserved: during the bombing of the city, the apartment with all its property burned to the ground. Among the property were not only letters, but also over 200 gramophone records.
Doubts about the authenticity of the circumstances of the execution
The veracity of the fact that Joseph Schulz was executed for attempting to intercede on behalf of civilians has been and is disputed by some historians. Some argue that in fact Schultz did not participate in the execution, and his name was simply assigned to one of the partisans in order to create the impression of an anti-Nazi mutiny in the division. However, identification of the remains of buried soldiers showed that a German soldier was indeed buried in the village.
On August 9 of the same year, Josef's mother, Bertha, and younger brother, Walter, received a notice of the death of Josef Schultz, which supposedly happened the day before the events, and the place of death was named Visevica, and not Smederevska Palanka. The letter was issued by the unit headquarters with field mail number 42386 °C. According to the funeral text, Josef was mortally wounded in the lung while fighting against Tito's partisans. The personal belongings of the deceased were listed. The full text of the letter is as follows:
| External images | |
| Shooting of Joseph Schulz | |
| Partisans before execution. A guy and a girl are holding hands, everyone is blindfolded. The photographer is to the left of the firing squad. | |
| Joseph Schultz a few minutes before his death (indicated by an arrow). Josef stands in front of the partisans, there is no longer a weapon in his hands, and there is also no helmet on his head. On both sides are his armed colleagues. The photographer is to the right of the firing squad. The identification of the figure in this particular photograph as Schultz is disputed by a number of historians and biographers. | |
| Monument to Joseph, 1960-70s | |
| Monument at the site of the execution of 16 partisans and Wehrmacht soldier Joseph Schultz | |
A simple (modest) cross adorns his grave! He died like a hero! During a fierce firefight, he received a ricochet bullet in his right lung. Then the arriving reinforcements put the gang of communists to flight, and your son was bandaged. But any possible help was in vain. He died within minutes.
Wallet with contents: 12 Reichsmarks, 2 keys and a wedding ring
Various empty envelopes
Medallion containing various photographs
A bar of soap for washing, a 4-piece cutlery
A bar of shaving soap, 4 handkerchiefs
Automatic pencil (silver plated), one pad
Glasses, letters from home
Harmonica, letter home
Scissors, letter home
Exita brand watches
Pocket mirror and combFor all questions of social security and assistance, you should contact the relevant Wehrmacht departments, the location of which will be readily communicated to you at any military institution. We mourn with you the loss of our son, since he was, to all of us, a valuable and reliable comrade. He will forever remain in our memory.
Signature: Gollub
Oberleutnant, company commander.
Original text (German)
Ein schlichtes Kreuz ziert sein Grab! Er starb als Held! Bei einem Feuergefecht erhielt er nach heftigem Feuerkampf einen Querschläger in die rechte Lunge. Durch inzwischen eingetroffene Verstärkung wurde die Kommunistenbande in die Flucht geschlagen und Ihr Sohn verbunden. Jede menschliche Hilfe war jedoch vergeblich. Der Tod trat nach wenigen Minuten ein.
1 Geldbörse mit Inhalt: 12.- RM 2 Schlüssel u. 1 Traumatization
1„ leer Diverse Briefe
1 Nähkasten mit Inhalt Diverse Bilder
1 Stück Waschseife Essbesteck 4teilig
1 Stück Rasierseife 4 Taschentücher
1 Drehbleistift (versilbert) 1 Notizbuch
1 Brille Briefe aus der Heimat
1 Mundharmonika Brief zur Heimat
1 Schere 1 Brief zur Heimat
1 Armbanduhr Marke Exita
1 Taschenspiegel u. Kamm
In allen Fürsorge- und Versorgungsfragen wird Ihnen das zuständige Wehrmachtsfürsorge- und Versorgungsamt, dessen Standort bei jeder militärischen Dienststelle zu erfahren ist, bereitwilligst Auskunft erteilen. Wir trauern mit Ihnen um den Verlust Ihres Sohnes, denn er war uns allen ein liebwerter und treuer Kamerad. Er wird uns unvergessen bleiben.
Unterschrift: GollubOberleutnant und Kompaniechef
In the 1960s, German weeklies Neue Illustrierte And Quick published photographs from the scene of the execution, and one of them showed a soldier without a weapon and without a helmet. The Germans were questioned about who this man could be. Bundestag deputy Wilderich Freiherr Ostmann von der Leye, having studied the photograph, soon stated that the photograph actually depicted Joseph Schultz - the source was the diary of division commander Friedrich Stahl, which was provided by his son, who worked in the military archive of Freiburg. However, Josef’s colleagues, who shot the partisans, argued the opposite: the photograph did not depict a dead soldier at all. Members of the commission investigating Nazi crimes made similar statements in Ludwigsburg. Although the date of Shultz’s death was not in doubt (after the battle with the Yugoslavs on July 19, 1941, the death of the division commander was reported at 2 a.m. on July 20), archivists stated that the incident in the village was an invention of Yugoslav propaganda.
Perpetuation of memory
Soon in 1972, Joseph's brother Walter traveled to Yugoslavia to get acquainted with the details of his brother's death. Having studied the photograph in question, Walter confirmed that it actually depicts Joseph Schultz. As it turned out, the family was sent a falsified “funeral”, which was created by German officers, most likely to hide the fact of the mutiny in the division. Yugoslav journalist Zvonimir Jankovic also managed to find a photograph from the scene of the execution, which showed an arguing Wehrmacht officer and soldier; although that soldier was in a German uniform, there were no distinctive insignia of the Wehrmacht on it. Apparently, this was the same Joseph. In 1973, journalists from the Yugoslav newspaper Politika visited Walter Schulz in Germany, who gave an interview and talked about his brother.
In Yugoslavia, the German soldier was actually made a national hero and a symbol of anti-fascist resistance. In Serbia, two monuments were erected to him: one is located in the village of Lokve (dedicated to himself), and the other in the village of Smeredyanska-Palanka, at the site of his death (dedicated to 16 executed partisans). The partisans themselves opposed the construction of a monument to the German, and the writer Mina Kovasevich, who supported the idea of installing the monument, even went to prison. In 1997, German ambassadors to Yugoslavia Horst Grabert and Wilfried Gruber participated in commemorative ceremonies: both laid flowers at the monuments to Joseph
The German Wehrmacht left a bad memory of itself. No matter how its veterans denied numerous war crimes, they were not only soldiers, but also punishers. But the name of this Wehrmacht soldier in Serbia is pronounced with respect. A film was made about him, his name is on the pages of a Serbian history textbook.
In July 1941, a partisan detachment was defeated in Serbia near the village of Vishevets. After a heavy battle, a clean-up operation was carried out, during which 16 local residents suspected of supporting and sympathizing with the partisans were arrested. The military trial was quick, its verdict was predictable: all 16 were sentenced to death. A platoon from the 714th Infantry Division was assigned to carry out the sentence. The convicts were blindfolded and placed in front of a haystack. The soldiers stood against them and took their rifles at the ready. Another moment - and the command “Feuer!” will sound, after which 16 people will join the endless list of victims of the Second World War. But one of the soldiers lowered his rifle. He approached the officer and declared that he would not shoot: he was a soldier, not an executioner. The officer reminded the soldier of the oath and presented him with a choice: either the soldier returns to duty and, together with others, fulfills the order, or he stands at the stack with the convicts. A few moments and the decision is made. The soldier put his rifle on the ground, walked towards the Serbs sentenced to death and stood next to them. This soldier's name is Joseph Schultz. 
A photo taken by one of the executioners has been preserved: a Wehrmacht soldier goes to the Serbs
Who is he, Joseph Schulz?
There is nothing heroic in the biography of Corporal Joseph Schultz. His father died in the First World War, Joseph remained the eldest in the family and began working early. Trade school, work as a window decorator. According to his brother's recollections, Josef was neither hot-tempered, nor reckless, nor aggressive, but rather soft and sentimental. I was never involved in politics, was neither a communist nor a social democrat.
He was ready to serve his homeland and the Fuhrer. At the time of his death he was 32 years old, a man with a fully formed worldview. He knew very well how a soldier who refused to carry out an order was punished in wartime. Why didn't he just shoot into the air? After all, no one would have known that his bullet flew past. But then, in the eyes of everyone else, he would become a murderer and would remain so forever. Unlike many, neither the oath nor military duty could become an excuse for him. Quite consciously, he decided to die with clean hands and name.
There were such people
In Serbia, at the site of the tragedy there is a monument to the victims. There is a plaque on the monument with the names of those executed. 17 surnames: 16 Serbian and 1 German.
Soviet film director M. Romm said: “You need to have considerable courage to give your life for your Motherland. But sometimes you need to have no less courage to say “no” when everyone around you says “yes”, in order to remain human when everyone around you has ceased to be human. Still, there were people in Germany who said “no” to fascism. Yes, there were few such people. But they were."
Was it or wasn't it?
For a long time, the very fact of Joseph Schultz’s refusal to participate in the execution of civilians and his subsequent execution was questioned. It was claimed that this whole story was communist propaganda. The Schulz family received official notification that Corporal Joseph Schultz gave his life for the Fuhrer and the Reich in a battle with Tito’s “bandits.” But the commander of the 714th division, Friedrich Stahl, described this incident in detail in his diary. Photographs taken by one of the members of the firing squad were even found. In one of them, Joseph Schultz, without a weapon and without a helmet, heads towards a haystack to stand among those being shot. The exhumation of the remains of the victims in 1947 put an end to the dispute. Among the 17 buried, one was in the uniform of the Wehrmacht troops. Joseph Schultz did not die in battle, but was shot. The division command decided to hide the shameful fact of the soldier’s failure to comply with the order, and the company commander, Oberleutnant Gollub, sent Schultz’s mother in Wuppertal a notice of the heroic death of her son in battle.
Monument to those executed
Then whose name is on the obelisk? Yugoslav partisan with German roots? Vryatli... Partisan villagers from the outback with surnames indigenous to Serbs...
I think so. And the Germans do not dispute the presence of Schulz’s name on the memorial plaque...
Last edited: 24 Feb 2016
The myth is common in Serbia, where Joseph Schulz is considered an anti-fascist hero. In the city of Smederevska Palanka, a street was named after him in 2009.
The plot of the story
In July 1941, German troops on Mount Gradište near the village of Vishevets defeated the Palanack partisan company, and 16 captured partisans were taken to the Serbian city of Smederevska Palanka. They were all shot on July 20. However, according to a widespread legend, just before the execution, 31-year-old Corporal Joseph Schultz, who was part of the firing squad, threw his carbine to the ground and said: “No, I won’t shoot!” For this act, Schultz was allegedly shot and buried next to the executed partisans.
The story was further developed after the SPD member of the Bundestag Wilderich Baron Ostmann von der Leye (Wilderich Freiher Ostmann von der Leye)“identified” the soldier from the photograph as Corporal Joseph Schultz, who died on the same day, a mention of whom was found in the diary entries of the commander of the 714th Infantry Division. Next, Ostmann found Joseph Schulz's brother Walter and inspired him to travel to Yugoslavia in 1972. Based on the photograph and the story from the diary, Walter Schultz allegedly identified his brother, although Joseph Schultz’s colleagues confirmed the soldier’s death at the hands of partisans in an interview with the Wuppertaler Tageszeitung newspaper. (Wuppertaler Tageszeitung) .
However, the story was further spun by the efforts of individuals capitalizing on the stories of the legend of Soldier Schultz. A certain Zvonimir Jankovic appeared as a witness, claiming that he saw an officer irritably talking in a raised voice to one protesting German soldier without insignia. Against the backdrop of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Germany and the SFRY, Schultz was turned into a symbol of the “other Germany”. Now both German states have found their “good Germans” for symbolic rituals: in the GDR in memory of “left-wing ethnic Germans and defectors in the village of Mikleusz”, and in the Federal Republic of Germany - in honor of Joseph Schulz in the city of Smederevska Palanka. Since then, it has even been suggested that the Schulz case could be classified as an example of the operation of legal rules on the forced execution of an (illegal) order (German: Befehlsnotstand). In Yugoslavia, the story of a German soldier who refused to shoot at the partisans was replicated in numerous publications and even included in school textbooks. In Germany, the story about Schultz was reflected in the book of the historian Künrich-Hitz (Deutsche bei Titos Partisanen 1941-1945). the case of Corporal Joseph Schultz is a “most bizarre” page of the German-Yugoslav past. According to him, this myth found many supporters, mainly in Yugoslavia. The historian saw the potential for the realization of the legend, especially among the Germans, in the desire to overcome the past and achieve agreement between Germany and Yugoslavia.
Swiss historian Andreas Ernst, a specialist in the countries of South-Eastern Europe (Andreas Ernst) in 2011, he stated in a review of the book “A Hero’s Search” that the Schulz case is not only a false story, but also an example of the conflicting interests of politics and justice in “overcoming the German past.” From a political point of view, this was a desirable argument for building bridges between countries, since the Schulz case denied the collective guilt of the Germans and promoted reconciliation. From the point of view of the justice authorities, the legend of the soldier Schultz was a stumbling block, because it substantiated the thesis of the forced execution of criminal orders. In Germany, the legend of the “good soldier” dissipated only many years after its refutation. For a long time it seemed too good not to be true.
In the Bryansk region, the story of the destruction of Hatsuni on October 25, 1941 by punitive forces is widely known. After the opening of the memorial, V.V. Putin’s visit to it, and broadcast on television, this tragic story became known outside the Bryansk region, although one of the main documents - a report on the punitive action in Hatsuni - was brought to Bryansk by S. Shtopper, already known to us, even before the opening of the memorial .
Recently, on the Internet, I “caught” another story, which shows that not all Germans were monsters. I present this story to your attention. There were a little more than three months left before the events in Hatsuni...
Joseph Schultz, a simple Wehrmacht private who served in Yugoslavia in 1941 as part of the 714th Infantry Division.
On July 19, 1941, after the defeat of the Serbian village of Orahovac, his platoon was ordered to join the firing squad and execute a group of detained “partisans”. Joseph silently but resolutely refused to carry out the criminal order - throwing away his weapon, he stood in line with the condemned and was immediately shot by his colleagues along with the hostages.
The photograph shows Joseph Schultz walking towards death...
Excerpt from Karl Bethke's article "German Anti-Hitler Resistance in (Former) Yugoslavia":
The most extravagant pages in the history of German-Yugoslav relations are devoted to the case of Corporal Joseph Schulz from Wuppertal, who on July 20, 1941 allegedly refused to participate in the execution of 16 partisans in Smederevska Palanka, as a result of which he was executed himself. The story was questioned (H. Lichtenstein, A. Rückerl, F. Stahl), because examinations from the research center in Ludwigsburg and the Freiburg military archive prove that Schultz died the day before; already at two o'clock in the morning on July 20, a report of his death was received by the army command, and a photograph of the fallen was sent to his relatives. Therefore, the statement that the Schultz case is an illustrative example of the so-called. Befehlsnotstand (failure to comply with a criminal order) raises legitimate objections. Nevertheless, in Yugoslavia, as well as among the Germans, who value friendship with Yugoslavia and the Serbs, the myth of Schultz has many supporters - which contributes to its popularity. The poet Antonje Iskaovich witnessed the execution in Palanka and described it in the story “Satovi”, however, he does not mention the German soldier, but only the 16 partisans who were shot. In addition, he claims that he saw photographs of the execution at an exhibition organized by the commission for the investigation of war crimes back in 1945 in Belgrade.
According to the director of the factory (then serving as a barracks), on the territory of which the execution took place, Caslav Vlajic, after the war, during the exhumation, which he attended as a schoolboy, German shoe nails and pieces of buckles were found - apparently, there was a German soldier in the grave, identifying the sign was then lost. They decided to immortalize the story of a soldier who, for ethical reasons, opposed his own people - a classic plot of a heroic epic - on a monument erected in 1947, for which they Germanized the name of the Croatian worker shot that day. Marcel Mezhich became Marcel Mazel - because of the foreign-sounding name, they decided that he was of German origin. The story of the shot German surfaced again in 1961 in the Yugoslav press; in December of the same year, German magazines (Neue Illustrte, in 1966 Kwik) published photographs from the military archive. They depict the execution of hostages in the countryside, with one showing the blurry figure of “a German soldier whose military insignia is unidentifiable.” Without a helmet or belt, perhaps with his hands tied, he appears to be heading towards the victims to stand in line with them. The magazines asked readers if anyone had witnessed this incident. The film, according to an archive worker in Palanca, was taken by a local photographer, and after the division was transferred to the eastern front, it remained in Palanca. It is curious that in the book about the history of Palanca, photographs were published, but not a word was said about the story of Schultz.
SPD Bundestag member Ostmann, based on the combat log of the 714th Infantry Division, “identified” the photo as the shooting at Palanka, and the shot as Schultz, who died that day. Ostmann found Schulz's brother Walter and organized a trip for him to Yugoslavia in 1972. After reviewing the details, Walter Schultz decided that the photo was his brother. However, Schultz's comrades assured the Wuppertal Tageszeitung that they had seen with their own eyes how Schultz died in battle with the partisans (Heinz Ufer said that he found a seriously wounded Schultz in his truck, and Chaplain Brown recalled that Schultz was buried with military honors) . An examination of the research center in Ludwigsburg in 1972 unequivocally refuted the legend of the execution. The director of the factory, Vlaich, who spoke German and gave interviews to numerous media outlets, then maintained business contacts with German companies; in a conversation with the author, he confirmed that by promoting the “Schulz case,” among other things, he wanted to attract tourists. Today he tells the Serbian press that the story is “still a big mystery” for him. To overcome doubts, another witness was brought forward - Zvonimir Yankovic - he saw how the officer spoke angrily and “in a raised voice” to a German protester without insignia. Against the background of the resumption of diplomatic relations, Schultz began to be used by both sides as a symbol of the “other Germany”. In Yugoslavia, history, set out in many publications and even in a school textbook, dampened post-war anti-German protests, which did not fit in with the views of the younger generation and the development of economic ties. Bonn in Schultz from Smederevska Palanka found its “good German”. Predrag Golubović filmed the story of Schulz in 1972. The short film, commissioned by the Zastava army film studio, was shown as a magazine in cinemas and shown at international festivals in Oberhausen, Atlanta, Birmingham, etc. It is curious that the director creatively reworked the critics' argument about the missing insignia in the photo. In the film they are theatrically torn down. Mira Aleshkovich composed poems about the hero; the intention to name a street in his honor was not realized. In the late seventies there was a scandal. When Mina Kovacevic sculpted the figure of Schultz in 1978, local politicians and the union of veteran partisans protested. The litigation lasted until 1981 and ended in the defeat of the sculptor. The local community council said that a sculpture depicting a foreign soldier, especially a German, despite his heroism, does not fit into the official paradigm. However, colleagues in Belgrade supported Kovacevic, and when she turned to the German embassy for help, even Stern drew attention to the “stubbornness of comrades from the Serbian hinterland.”
In the summer of 1981, German Ambassador Horst Grabert, together with Yugoslav Foreign Minister Vrbovec, laid wreaths at the old monument, after which he reported to Genoscher that all of Yugoslavia was “on Schultz’s side.” The research center in Ludwigsburg informed the German embassy of the legend's contradictions, but Grabert, appealing to the witness Jankovic and other evidence, made it clear that he "did not want to go against local beliefs." In 1997, Grabert revisited the story and called Schultz a "devout Catholic." In Yugoslav newspapers after 1973, when journalists visited Schulz’s brother Walter, new details also constantly surfaced: the artistic talent of the murdered corporal was emphasized, and later he even became a member of a secret anti-Hitler organization. A few meters from the old monument, a new one was erected in the early 80s, on which the name of Schultz was added (and the name of the Croatian Mezic was corrected). On July 20, 1997, German Ambassador Gruber spoke in front of the monument; footage of the speech was shown on television. Over the past 40 years, dozens of articles about Schultz have been published in Yugoslavia, most of which make passing mention or no mention at all of the reasoned objections of German historians. The figure of Schultz is firmly ingrained in the collective consciousness of the Serbs, regardless of the veracity of the original story. For example, in 1999, during demonstrations in Vojvodina, the leader of the local Social Democrats, Canak, called on Serbian police officers to follow the example of Josef Schulz and come over to their side.
Joseph Schulz(German: Josef Schulz (Schultz), Serbo-Croatian. Jozef ulc / Joseph Schultz; 1909, Wuppertal - July 19 or 20, 1941, Smederevska-Palanka) - German soldier, participant in the Second World War, Wehrmacht corporal. Presumably, he was shot in the Serbian village of Smederevska-Palanka on July 20, 1941 for refusing to participate in the execution of hostages. In the countries of the former Yugoslavia he is considered an anti-fascist hero
In German historiography, the case of Joseph Schulz (German: Der “Fall Schulz”) is treated as a myth.
Biography and characteristics
The eldest son in the family (there were three children in total). My father died during the Second Battle of Ypres. During the interwar period, he studied at a vocational school in Wuppertal and worked as a window dresser, earning some money for his family. In 1939 he was drafted into the army, in 1941 he was sent to Yugoslavia. He served in the 714th Infantry Division and rose to the rank of corporal. Lived in the Barman quarter.
Josef was considered by his colleagues to be a calm person who could maintain fun in any company. He was not hot-tempered, reckless or aggressive, and was more often considered gentle. He was fond of playing the piano, and was also a good artist - he was excellent at reproductions of paintings by Dutch artists. The letters that Joseph wrote to his family and friends were not preserved: during the bombing of the city, the apartment with all its property burned to the ground. Among the property were not only letters, but also over 200 gramophone records.
The plot of the story
In July 1941, German troops defeated the Palanatsky partisan company on Mount Gradishte near the village of Vishevets. In the Serbian village of Smederevska Palanka, the Germans captured 16 Yugoslav partisans from the same company and sent them to prison - to the stables of the 5th Cavalry Regiment named after Queen Maria Karadjordjevic. The military court sentenced all 16 people to death, the sentence was to be carried out on the evening of July 19 (according to other sources - July 20).
The same stable was chosen as the place for execution - the prisoners were placed with their backs to a haystack, and the partisans were first blindfolded. However, according to a widespread legend, just before the execution, Joseph Schulz, who was included in the firing squad, suddenly threw his rifle to the ground and exclaimed:
I won't shoot! These people are innocent!
Original text (German) Ich schiee nicht! Diese Mnner sind unschuldig!
The commander of the firing squad, upon hearing this phrase, froze in shock: the division soldier refused to carry out the order. The decision was made immediately - Schultz was recognized as a rebel, and for failure to comply with the order he should be shot. The sentence was carried out immediately. Josef was buried next to the executed partisans.
Historians' assessments
German historian Karl Bethke in 2002 calls the case of Corporal Joseph Schulz the “most bizarre” page of the German-Yugoslav past. He notes that this event was questioned by a number of researchers (Heiner Lichtenstein, Albert Rückerl, Friedrich Stahl), since the examination of the Central Administration of the Land Offices of Justice for the investigation of Nazi crimes (German: Zentrale Stelle der Landesjustizverwaltungen zur Aufklrung nationalsozialistischer Verbrechen), as well as The Federal Military Archive in Freiburg testified that J. Schulz died the day before the described execution of the partisans. Since then, there has been an opinion that the Schultz case could be classified as an example of extreme necessity in the application of a criminal order, but, in fact, the myth of Corporal Joseph Schultz found many supporters mainly in Yugoslavia. The historian sees the reason for this in the desire to overcome the past and achieve agreement between Germany and Yugoslavia.
A specialist in the countries of South-Eastern Europe, Swiss historian Andreas Ernst, in 2011, states in a review of the book “The Search for a Hero” that the Schulz case is not only a false story of a hero, but also an example of the conflicting interests of politics and justice in “overcoming the German of the past". In Germany, the legend of the “good soldier” dissipated only many years after its refutation. For a long time it seemed too good not to be true. In Serbia, however, it has survived to this day.
Memory
In Yugoslavia, the German soldier was actually made a national hero and a symbol of anti-fascist resistance. In Serbia, two monuments were erected to him: one is located in the village of Lokve (dedicated to himself), and the other in the village of Smeredyanska-Palanka, at the site of his death (dedicated to 16 executed partisans). The partisans themselves opposed the construction of a monument to the German, and the writer Mina Kovasevich, who supported the idea of installing the monument, even went to prison. In 1981 and 1997, German ambassadors to Yugoslavia Horst Grabert and Wilfried Gruber participated in commemorative ceremonies: both laid flowers at Joseph's monuments. In 1973, a short 13-minute film by Predrag Golubic “Josef Schulz” was shot about the events in the village. The film featured archival footage of German war photographs and video chronicles.
