Summary
Natalija Dimić
“While rebuilding Yugoslavia, we are working for Germany as well”: German Prisoners of War, Anti-Fascists, Propagandists
Abstract: This paper analyzes political and ideological work among the German prisoners of war in Yugoslavia, as well as the role of German prisoners played in relations between Yugoslavia and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) between 1945 and 1950. Special attention is devoted to the impact of the Yugoslav-Soviet split on the former German prisoners of war in Yugoslavia.
Key words: German Prisoners of War, Yugoslavia, Socialist Unity Party of Germany, Yugoslav-German Relations
After the end of World War II the Yugoslav authorities initiated political and ideological work among the German prisoners of war in order to form reliable ‘cadres’ who would engage in the ‘democratic’ socialist reconstruction of Germany. The ‘democratic re-education’ of German prisoners of war was initially carried out in full cooperation with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). The (East) German party provided the Yugoslavs with newspapers, journals, brochures, films, film projectors, and other materials to be used for camp libraries, courses, cultural program, and newspapers for the German prisoners in Yugoslavia. One part of the German prisoners already collaborated with the Yugoslav secret service during their imprisonment, and some of them remained in touch with the Yugoslavs even after repatriation. However, the Cominform Resolution marked a break in Yugoslav cooperation with the (East) German party, and many members of the SED came under pressure from the German communist authorities because of their time spent in Yugoslav imprisonment.