Grandchildren of SS perpetrators gather: No remorse, yet a sense of accountability.
On a Monday, President Steinmeier and President Macron paid tribute to the events that unfolded in the French hamlet of Oradour-sur-Glane eighty years ago. In attendance were the granddaughter of a victim and the granddaughter of a criminal. Responding to the queries concerning responsibility and culpability.
All war atrocities are unbearable. But certain war atrocities are so appalling that they defy human comprehension and embed themselves into our collective memory. The Oradour-sur-Glane massacre unquestionably falls into this category. In 1944, the German Waffen-SS came close to wiping out the entire populace of the French settlement and annihilating it thoroughly. Their actions were cruel and inhumane, enough to leave one speechless even today. Women, men, and children were gunned down or burned alive. Ultimately, by the evening of June 10, 1944, 643 people had met their deaths. The entire village lay in ruins, reduced to smoldering ash.
Out of the 643 people who perished in the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, only 36 managed to survive. They concealed themselves under the cold, lifeless bodies of their loved ones, neighbors, and friends, or they had simply not been present that day. One of these survivors was the 19-year-old mechanic Robert Hébras. His mother Marie, his 22-year-old sister Georgette, and his nine-year-old sister Denise perished. His father survived because he was assisting a friendly farmer outside of the village, and his oldest sister Leni, who was already married and had relocated, was no longer in her hometown.
Robert Hébras harbored every reason to harbor hostility towards the Germans. The occupying forces had mercilessly murdered his mother and two of his siblings, they demolished his village, and they eliminated almost everyone from his childhood. However, Robert Hébras chose a different route. Post-massacre, he became part of the resistance against the Germans, testified as a witness in war trials later on, and perhaps most significantly, he maintained a profound interest in the Oradour massacre. Until his passing in February 2023, the elderly Frenchman led visitors through the ruins of his former home. He dedicated immense time to students and youngsters, providing explanations of the devastating event. He spared the perpetrators, but he never harbored hatred—not for the nation they hailed from, nor for their children and grandchildren.
Descendant of a Villain
One of these descendants is Karin Eideloth, whose grandfather Adolf Heinrich played a disgraceful role in the dreadful Oradour-sur-Glane massacre. At 17, he shot innocent individuals—men, women, and children—under the guise of defense. Her grandfather, whom she deeply cherished, the one who guided her through life, a perpetrator? Yes. Her family in possession of the written confession Adolf Heinrich made in the 1950s, leaves no room for doubt that he was one of the perpetrators of Oradour.
Karin Eideloth, now 46, resides in the vicinity of Munich. She shares her life with five children between the ages of five and 25 and is a self-aware lady. Almost seven years ago, she determined to confront a long-kept secret. Just before Christmas 2017, her hapless family discovered her grandfather was one of the culprits in the Oradour affair. "We knew he had served in the war, been injured, and confined. And the narrative was: The grandfather was in Hungary. And he was there, but only at the end of the war."
From the day Adolf Heinrich passed away in 1985, he withheld the truth about his time alongside the SS and his culpability. Thousands of German families undoubtedly harbor fathers, grandfathers, brothers, sons, and husbands who became perpetrators during World War II and have yet to share their experiences. Many families splinter because of this heavy burden. When Karin Eideloth's family learned the truth, the grandfather had been dead for over three decades. He could not be interrogated. However, what Karin Eideloth could do was assume responsibility for the guilt stemming from her grandfather's deeds and establish a relationship with a survivor. With Robert Hébras.
Not immediately, it took time, as ntv.de relays: "I didn't make up my mind then. It's a process that's been going on for seven years now, and I'm progressing step by step. In between, I also take breaks, as it's also strenuous. For me and also for my family. I'm deeply connected to the matter, though, as it also helps me comprehend my own family history."
Despite knowing that she was innocent, Karin Eideloth experienced a persistent feeling of guilt. "I wasn't guilty, but there was always this sense of guilt within me," she describes vaguely but clearly. "It's hard to explain it distinctly. I know I didn't do anything wrong, but I still feel responsible because I was born into this situation," she adds. Six years after the truth about her family was revealed, Karin Eideloth found herself preparing to travel to Oradour-sur-Glane - a symbol of Nazi terror in France, where her grandfather was involved. She wondered if she should meet Robert Hébras, who had played a role in the 1944 atrocities. Answering yes to that question, though anxious about the endeavor, she explains how Robert Hébras greeted her upon meeting: "It's not your fault." This simple statement seemed to provide a breakthrough for Karin Eideloth as she feared being held accountable for something she didn't do.
Agathe Hébras is the granddaughter of Robert Hébras, now carrying on her grandfather's work to share the terrifying events from 1944 without any hatred or bitterness. Karin Eideloth's relationship with Agathe is a welcome relief and feels like a small miracle. "It's truly touching. We've only known each other in person since April, and we stay in touch regularly," she says.
On Monday, the two women reunite as Karin Eideloth accompanies German federal president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to France for a commemorative event at Oradour-sur-Glane. President Macron had invited Agathe Hébras to be present. Margot Friedländer, a 102-year-old Holocaust survivor, has long urged the younger generations to accept their responsibility: "You are not to blame, but it's your responsibility to guarantee that this never happens again." Karin Eideloth and Agathe Hébras embody this message.
