World History

steve2470

(37,468 posts) Tue Mar 27, 2018, 07:57 AM Mar 2018

Rapes during the Battle of Berlin, and my Reichstag guide [View all]

Last edited Thu Mar 29, 2018, 06:41 PM - Edit history (4)

As most of you WW2 history buffs know, there WAS a massive epidemic of rapes of Berlin women during the Battle of Berlin. During my recent tour of the German Reichstag, the male guide brought up the point that many women served in the Soviet Army. I then wondered, in response, what those women knew about the rapes. I'm guessing most of the rapes occurred in units with no women.

The guide admitted that the rapes did occur but claimed that the incidence had been inflated by the Allies. I was shocked he said that, and just kept my mouth shut to avoid disrupting the tour.

From what I know, there is no definitive number on the rapes, but I've read in the neighborhood of 100k births 9 months later that are attributed to it. On my phone or I'd provide a link.

eta:

Estimates of rape victims from the city's two main hospitals ranged from 95,000 to 130,000. One doctor deduced that out of approximately 100,000 women raped in the city, some 10,000 died as a result, mostly from suicide. The death rate was thought to have been much higher among the 1.4 million estimated victims in East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia. Altogether at least two million German women are thought to have been raped, and a substantial minority, if not a majority, appear to have suffered multiple rape.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/may/01/news.features11

eta2:

At least 100,000 women are believed to have been raped in Berlin, based on surging abortion rates in the following months and contemporary hospital reports,[10] with an estimated 10,000 women dying in the aftermath.[13]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_occupation_of_Germany

18 replies

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Rapes during the Battle of Berlin, and my Reichstag guide [View all] steve2470 Mar 2018 OP

The evidence of the 100k births proves unwritten history is lying. democratisphere Mar 2018 #1

War is an insane and inhumane experience by definition. JayhawkSD Mar 2018 #2

War does not give one license to engage in totally f'ing barbaric behavior. democratisphere Mar 2018 #5

License? War is, repeat IS, "totally f'ing barbaric behavior." JayhawkSD Mar 2018 #6

Unfortunately, it often does Pope George Ringo II Mar 2018 #9

I've seen and read interviews of German rape survivors thucythucy Mar 2018 #11

Of course there were rapes during the sack of Berlin. JayhawkSD Mar 2018 #3

yes of course steve2470 Mar 2018 #4

"...and just kept my mouth shut to avoid disrupting the tour." JayhawkSD Mar 2018 #8

thanks! steve2470 Mar 2018 #10

East Prussia might actually have gotten it worse Pope George Ringo II Mar 2018 #7

When was your tour? thucythucy Mar 2018 #12

a few weeks ago steve2470 Mar 2018 #13

Interesting. thucythucy Mar 2018 #14

he was in his fifties like me, so not that older really nt steve2470 Mar 2018 #15

You'll probably never know. thucythucy Mar 2018 #16

yep saw Potsdam and two of the palaces steve2470 Mar 2018 #17

Sounds great! thucythucy Mar 2018 #18