"Shortly after sunset on 24.December the German lanterns placed on the walls of their trenches and started singing, "writes the British soldier J.Selby Grigg home after the first Christmas party in the First World War."The fire was hired on both sides, and both - Germans and English - crawled out of their trenches.The next morning, shortly after sunrise, small groups met from both sides in the no man's land between the enemy lines.“Grigg was also there in the winter of 1914, together with his comrade Turner, who has a small camera with him.
Grigg puts a few snapshots from Flanders with the letter home.Also the photo that is shown above.He can probably be seen in the background - second from the right - in the background.A total of nine soldiers look into the camera.Only specialists like historians Christian Bunnenberg recognize who is Brit and who is German: "There are two British soldiers in the picture."They are on the right and left of the only one that immediately stands out as a German because he wears a typical Prussian pimple hood.
"Without any appointment"
Flashback: The war for the Germans begins with victory reports.They overrun Belgium, but then the offensive in the west gets stalling.In November 1914 Allied and Germans were opposed.Rifle trenches are excavated."Heavy rains took place shortly before Christmas and the water rose in the trenches," writes the German officer Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony.To attach the positions, the soldiers must give up the cover.This is how very amazing happens days before Christmas: “Without any appointment, it was found that you couldn't take each other anymore."Then everything went very quickly."You worked without a rifle, looked at yourself, waved up, greeted yourself and offered mutually cigarettes."
"In the vicinity of the Belgian city of Ypry, English and German soldiers were opposed to the trenches," said an English newspaper later."Sounds of the song 'Silent Night' came from the German line.In the end, the Germans called: 'Come on, Tommy, now it's your turn!'Suddenly the British soldiers discovered the outlines of a German in front of the winter sky.He approached them and sang 'Silent Night, Holy Night'.Slowly and with understandable caution, soldiers of both sides crawl out of their trenches."
Exchange of souvenirs, trenches-sightseeing, football game
In this way, unofficial ceasefire starts at various sections of the approximately 750 kilometer western front.There was not a comprehensive Christmas peace, but many local peaceful encounters."So it may be that there was calm in a section, the soldiers exchanged food and souvenir, while only a few trenches continued to continue the war in undiminished hardness," says historian Bunnenberg.
The longer is not fought, the more warm the handling becomes.In a front section at Armentières, an English soldier called Charly offers guided tours through the British trenches."I was aware of experiencing something that is very a few, namely visiting the opponent in the war," recalls a German officer.A football game is said to have taken place in the fields of Flanders.The exact location is not handed down, but the result: the Germans are said to have won 3: 2 against the British. Als Erinnerung daran weiht UEFA-Präsident Michel Platini am 11.December 2014im Belgian Ploegstert a monument.It consists of a cross where there are many balls on the foot.
Commander prevent ceasefire
In the longest case, the ceasefire takes two weeks."There may be a dozen authentic pictures of Christmas peace," says historian Bunnenberg.However, film recordings did not exist.In addition to notes in letters and diaries, there are still some newspaper articles about it - especially in British leaves."While there was a ban in Germany in January 1915 from the highest army management that no press reports may be printed on it anymore."But peace states are not wanted on the British side either:" It was ordered to replace the troops immediately, "recalls an English soldier."The new regiments received strict command to shoot on every German, which also happened."
Status: 24.12.2014
Program tips:
On WDR 2 you can always do the key date around 9.Listen 40 p.m..Repetition: from Monday to Friday around 17.40 p.m. and on Saturday at 18.40 p.m..The deadline can be called up as a podcast after the broadcast.
"Time signs" on WDR 5 (9.05 a.m.) and WDR 3 (17.45 a.m.) reminds on 24.December 2014 also at Christmas peace in the First World War.The "time sign" is also available as a podcast.
