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In late April and early May 1945, in Tannenbergsthal, the Wehrmacht from the region and from northern Bohemia (the border is only a few kilometers to the southeast) was demobilized (disarmed, registered, taken prisoner of war) in the valley basin. This is why you see dozens if not hundreds of Wehrmacht vehicles, equipment and also refugees from the East. As is known, the Vogtland did not remain in the American zone, but came to the SBZ/GDR, like all of Saxony. Most if not all of the footage is not shot in Czechoslovakia or even Sudentenland, but in Tannenbergsthal and Jägersgrün in Vogtland/Saxony. Tannenbergsthal would soon become part of the soviet zone and later of the GDR. The deep forest surrounding Jägersgrün and Rautenkranz was also home to some alleged Werwolf activity around the time of the total surrender, albeit some argue, that it was just Nazi-lumberjacks and their hunting rifles. Reaching the US Army in the Vogtland was very important to a lot of German soldiers in Bohemia, which probably explains the heavy frequentation of the Vogtland camp. /// Thanks to Sven Schubert for the background information about this footage. /// 0:13 Panzerkorps member, wearing the black Panzer-jacket 3:40 Hanomag 1300 4:31 Gasthof zur Tanne, Tannenbergsthal Music track “Retribution“ by courtesy of Antoine Marsaud Spotify: iTunes Music: Subscribe to chronoshistory: Find more impressive videos in our playlist “Spirit of Liberation“:
