Accepting responsibility, not feeling guilt.
Federal President Steinmeier and President Macron honored the atrocity carried out in the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane eight decades ago by the Germans. The ceremony was attended by the granddaughter of a victim and the granddaughter of a perpetrator, which added to the discussion surrounding guilt and responsibility.
The massacre of Oradour-sur-Glane is a heinous crime that defies the human imagination and has become a part of history. Over eighty years ago, the German Waffen-SS nearly annihilated the entire population of the village, leaving bodies and rubble in their wake. The way they treated the victims was inhumane and has haunted the world ever since. People, including men, women, and children, were killed through gunshots and immolation. By the time the day of June 10, 1944, came to an end, 643 people had succumbed to the attack. What remained was a vast city of ashes.
Out of the entire village of Oradour, only 36 people managed to survive. Some of them sought refuge beneath the bodies of their loved ones, while others were understandably absent that day. At the time, the young mechanic Robert Hébras, then aged 19, was one of them. His mother, Marie, his sister Georgette, 22, and sister Denise, nine years old, were among the casualties. His father and oldest sister, Leni, who by then was married and had moved away, were spared.
Given these circumstances, it would have been justifiable for Robert Hébras to hold a grudge against the Germans. They had mercilessly murdered Marie and Georgette, destroyed his community, and killed nearly everyone Robert had known since childhood. Despite being given ample grounds to harbor hatred, Robert Hébras chose a different path. After the war ended, he became an eyewitness in war crime trials. Eventually, he won acclaim as an author and a tour guide, sharing the dark history of his hometown with visitors. Even though he was adamant while identifying the perpetrators, he never held a grudge against the Germans as a whole or their offspring.
Descendant of a Perpetrator
Adolf Heinrich, the grandfather of Karin Eideloth, served as one of the perpetrators of Oradour-sur-Glane. At the age of 17, he shot defenseless men, women, and children. His granddaughter considers him to be a family member who showed her the world but turned out to be a murderer. She has copies of her grandfather's written confession from the 1950s that confirm his involvement in the massacre.
Karin Eideloth, aged 46 and a mother of five, resides near Munich. She found out about her grandfather's wrongdoing six years ago, paving the way for a conscious quest to resolve a deeply buried secret. Her family knew that her grandfather fought in the war, sustained injuries, and was captured. The narrative given was he had been in Hungary. But the grim reality was that he had actively participated in the atrocity.
Adolf Heinrich never disclosed this dark truth to his family. Countless German families faced a similar struggle, where their fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and husbands transformed into perpetrators during World War II. The weight of this burden frequently caused their relationships to crumble. When Karin Eideloth's family learned the truth, her grandfather had already passed away, preventing any direct communication with him. However, Karin took matters in her hands by reaching out to a survivor--Robert Hébras.
It didn't happen instantly, and the process took years. Karin describes it as a gradual, complex journey, "I didn't just decide that overnight. It's a process that started seven years ago, and I'm taking it one step at a time. I also take breaks, as it's stressful for me and my family. I delve deep into this subject because it helps me better understand my family history."
Karin talks about the lingering feeling of guilt, even though she knows she's not liable for the atrocity, "I knew I wasn't responsible. Nonetheless, there was always a sense of guilt that I can't quite put into words. I've never done anything wrong, but I feel a certain responsibility because I'm a part of this family line."
In 2022, approximately 6 years since the truth about her family was revealed, Karin Eideloth was prepared to visit Oradour-sur-Glane - a place synonymous with Nazi terror in France. Here, her grandfather participated in heinous acts. "During this trip, I pondered whether or not I wanted to encounter Robert Hébras. Instantly, I consented. However, I was extremely anxious about our encounters and went to his residence with shaking knees. The experience was inexplicable. One of his initial phrases to me was, 'It's not your fault.' This was like an antidote as I was apprehensive of being blamed for something I had no role in. Nonetheless, Robert Hébras accepted me warmly," Karin Eideloth recounted.
She struggled to articulate her emotions, yet managed to convey them succinctly: "I knew I was innocent. Nevertheless, I often felt a weight of guilt. I cannot explicitly define it. Of course, I am aware that I didn't commit any crime. But I sense a certain accountability due to my birth into this situation."
Much like the perpetrators had descendants, so did the few survivors. Agathe Hébras is the granddaughter of Robert Hébras, pursuing her grandfather's work and illuminating the horrific events of 1944 with no hatred or animosity. For Karin Eideloth, her connection with Agathe Hébras felt like a beautiful coincidence. "It's genuinely gratifying. We've known each other on a personal level since April. We maintain frequent contact. She visited Munich in May, and we met."
The two women reunited once more. On Monday, Karin Eideloth escorted the Federal President to France. Frank-Walter Steinmeier traveled at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to honor the 80th anniversary of the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane. Macron extended an invitation to Agathe Hébras as well.
Ever since, Margot Friedländer, a 102-year-old Holocaust survivor, has encouraged the younger generation to understand they're not responsible for past crimes. "You are not guilty. Yet, it's your obligation to make sure such atrocities never transpire again." Eideloth and Hébras live this sentiment and pass it on to posterity.
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The ceremony at Oradour-sur-Glane was also attended by the granddaughter of a French victim, who hails from the same country as President Emmanuel Macron, where National Socialism during the Second World War led to horrific atrocities such as the one at Oradour-sur-Glane. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Federal President, was also present, representing a nation that was heavily involved in these events.
The reconciliation efforts between descendants of victims and perpetrators serve as a reminder of the importance of acknowledging history, even when it involves difficult topics such as the Second World War and the actions of the German Waffen-SS in France. This process of acceptance and responsible remembrance is significant in preventing the recurrence of such events, as encouraged by Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.
