Women as spoils of war at the end of World War Two | DW Documentary

DW Documentary

May 8, 2024

In early 1945, at least 860,000 women and girls in Germany were sexually abused by Allied soldiers. The victims, and the children they bore after being raped, suffer trauma to this day. Many remained silent throughout their lives and took their stories to their graves.

The German army rampaged through mainland Europe for six years until early 1945, when World War Two was brought to an end on the continent and the Nazi regime was defeated. But there’s a chapter in this story that’s been largely forgotten to this day: Hundreds of thousands of women and girls in Germany were sexually abused by Allied soldiers. Many remained silent out of shame and fear, particularly when the perpetrators were members of western armies.

The documentary hears the stories of some of these victims, talks to their children and grandchildren, as well as historians to reveal how the trauma has affected them throughout their lives. The documentary also shows how important it is to confront the taboo head on: After all, sexual violence against women and girls is still very much part of modern warfare.

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