A woman in Berlin. Notes from 1945 – the dark side of liberation

The moment the Russian forces entered Germany, the tragedy of German women began. About 2 million German women were victims of mass rapes in 1945. As many as 100,000 cases of sexual violence took place in Berlin alone. Author of the journal Woman in Berlin she was not only an observer, but above all a victim of brutal sexual attacks by the Russians. Marta Hillers, under the guise of an anonymous journalist, reported on the events that took place in the city from April 20 to June 22, 1945. After the book was published in the 1950s, her story was met with great condemnation and a lack of understanding of the extent of the harm done to defenseless women. In Germany, efforts were made to keep the topic of war rape hidden, as it was considered a disgrace to a woman’s good name. As a result, millions of victims did not find support even among their own countrymen, and the rapes they had to endure were even compared to prostitution.

Paper is the healing of the soul

April 20, 1945 – Hitler’s last birthday. The date was extremely eloquent, which this time had nothing to do with the grand celebration of his holiday. On the other hand, it heralded the approaching settlement of the war clashes, for which the Germans had to pay a bitter price. The end of the war was really just the beginning of the ordeal. Such a picture is presented by an anonymous thirty-year-old German woman who experienced firsthand the brutality of Russian soldiers. The Journal of a Woman in Berlinit is a terrifying testimony to the brutal experiences that lonely, defenseless women of the fair sex had to deal with. After the Russian troops entered Berlin, German women became a scarce human commodity. The Russians saw them as a prey – only a sexual object. It could be said that they were a hand-to-hand reward that they simply deserved. There were mass rapes, regardless of the age and health condition of the victim. They were gang-raped, in ambushes, in dark corridors or in their own homes. Women were attacked after drinking alcohol and with a gun on their shoulder. They were dragged out like animals and heartlessly disgraced. The author of the diary was repeatedly experienced by hostile troops and had to learn to function according to new rules. She stated that she would not allow her body to be an open commodity. She was to decide to whom she could offer her closeness. For her, and for many other women, surrender in exchange for protection was the only possibility of survival. Those who were clever built pragmatic relationships with higher-ranking commanders. Security in exchange for intercourse, an emotionless defense mechanism that is a way to survive. The remaining ones, less attractive or infirm, were doomed to mass attacks by the privates.

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Despite the events presented, we cannot describe this journal as a collection of emotional experiences. All because of renouncing drasticity and not pouring out regrets. The very fact that a woman found her own recipe for releasing herself from the cruel reality was healing. The narrative is rough, cool, without much emotional involvement. The information about rapes is concise, without even details. The journalist was able to remain objective and, interestingly enough, she tried to find deeper values ​​in the Russians. She was educated and well-read, she knew Russian, which allowed her to communicate with the perpetrators. Therefore, she was considered a woman of high society among them. She was aware of the crimes that the Germans had committed in the East and humbly endured every blow aimed at her: “No victim can wear his sufferings like a crown of thorns. In any case, I have a feeling that what happened to me made the score a bit more equal. ” Any unwanted intercourse made her even more distant. The woman lost her emotions and her body was a prison for her. After all she had been through, she loathed her face, to wash off this impurity, she would have had to peel off her own skin. She could not love, therefore the relations with the Russians were empty. They were just a deal. she felt disgusted with her face, to wash off this impurity, she would have to remove her own skin. She could not love, therefore the relations with the Russians were empty. They were just a deal. she felt disgusted with her face, to wash off this impurity, she would have to remove her own skin. She could not love, therefore the relations with the Russians were empty. They were just a deal.

Book Woman in Berlinapart from the testimony of the abuse over the Germans, it is a kind of account of the period of the bombing of Berlin, as well as of the times of the newly reborn nation. The problem of hunger, lack of living conditions, general breakdown and resignation – these are all significant. From the moment of keeping the diary until its end, the internal transformation of society has been documented. The journalist entered into social moods and their reactions to the new reality. In a ruined city, the only salvation was work. However, acute hunger was devastating them from within, causing both adults and children to deteriorate in health many times over. At the time when nursing women lost their food, the city usually lacked milk supplies, which resulted in newborns being sentenced to death. In the moment of a personal tragedy – multiple, often brutal rapes, the author of the journal did not focus to a large extent on herself, but, inter alia, on social issues, changing women’s attitudes towards men or comparing Russians to Germans. This book is more than just a diary of that hard time. She gives hope that despite the advent of real misfortune, people can survive everything and be reborn anew.

A melodrama on human tragedy

Book Woman in Berlinwas first published in Germany in 1959. The whole thing was changed in such a way that no one would be able to recognize the private data of the author of the journals. Unfortunately, with the publication in the country, the work was considered an attempt to defame the good name of women. The personal experiences of many thousands of German women faced enormous condemnation, and the cases of war rape were overshadowed and shrouded in mystery. All because of the then prevailing view that a woman cannot allow herself to be promiscuous and must be faithful to one partner. After a wave of criticism, the author of the book banned it from being re-published until her death. She wished to remain anonymous until the very end. This proves the gravity of the tragedy experienced by an ordinary woman. Distortion of history, lack of understanding

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After the author’s death, the book was screened. The film adaptation was made in 2008, directed by Max Färberböck, who unfortunately turned a human tragedy into a melodrama. The film A Woman in Berlinit is interesting in itself. Admittedly, it perfectly illustrates the moment of the bombing and the moment when Russian troops entered Berlin. Its initial rhythm and character are really decent and can introduce the viewer to the atmosphere of that period. However, out of the dark, cool facts of vile sexual violence, the director created a romance infused with strong emotions. The feeling that was created between the main character and one of the Soviet soldiers was so strong that it rose above the divisions. Through the creativity of the filmmakers, the whole tone of this cruel story has been changed. The events that affected thousands of ordinary, defenseless women were made love on the screen. In the memoirs of the anonymous author, the fact of having sex with the Major was an ordinary arrangement. It is true that the man evoked the most positive feelings in her, for she could find a common language with him, but it was still a mutual profit relationship. The heart-touching screen romance in this case has nothing to do with historical facts, which in my opinion is unfair. Of course, it is known that in film productions, the creators introduce their own plot, but there should be some limits. Falsifying history, changing the course of a story under the pretext of viewing figures or one’s own intentions is an infamous feature of pop culture. One should consider what the author of the book would feel when watching the screening of her traumatic experiences? Was the distortion of the authenticity and the change of course of events a necessity in this case? Personally, I don’t think so. I just hope that the story that is unfolding before our eyes in Ukraine, will be presented in the future without unnecessarily distorting its image, and the topic of war rape will no longer be treated with some reserve. In the case of German women, it is difficult not to judge them through the prism of the atrocities committed in Poland. However, it should be remembered that these were only defenseless women representing the civilian population, and as you know, ordinary people always suffer the most in war.

Falsifying history, changing the course of a story under the pretext of viewing figures or one’s own intentions is an infamous feature of pop culture.

The Woman in Berlin looks at the actions of Soviet liberators from a different perspective. We see a picture stuck in the eyes of the victims of brutal attacks of sexual violence. The dark side of the fight for freedom is not an invention of an anonymous journalist, but a real problem that has affected thousands of defenseless women. Unfortunately, at this point innocent Ukrainian women are raped by Russian soldiers. It is worth exploring the topic of sexual violence in armed conflicts more closely and trying to feel the importance of these harms. Among all war crimes, sexual assaults should not be underestimated. Therefore, I encourage you to read the book by Marty Hillers, so as not to be indifferent to such a sad issue.