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We note quite a number of photographs taken by German combat correspondent and photographer Max Ehlert. Unfortunately we have been able to find little information about him. We note his photograpjs from Poland (1939), Norway (1940), and we think the Soviet Union (1941). He survived the War and had a comfortable life as a photographer for Der Spiegel. Given that he was a correspondent, he must have been a proponent of the War, otherwise the Wehrmacht woukd not allowed him to photograph and write about it. There is a vast German photographic record of the war, including snap shots taken by individual soldiers. Elhert was, however, a an offical combat photographer and correspondent and wore a German military uniform. He worked for the Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht (Armed Forces Propaganda Company - PK). The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) Wilhelm Keitel and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels signed an "agreement on the implementation of propaganda during the war" (early-1938).
The Propaganda Ministry (RMVP) wanted a regular supply of suitable material to use for war propaganda. Goebbels wanted to influence both the German people as well as enemy countries. The PK units were organized and ordered to use their camers 'as a weapon'. The agrement betweem the Propaganda Ministry (RMVP) and OKW preserved Goebbels control over propaganda even during war time apparently following Hitler's personal orders. Many of the images clearly were taken for prpaganda purposes. Others were more like historical images to document the conduct of the War and expeiences of German soldiers. There are also images dicumenting war crimes. It is unclear just what OKW planned to do with those images showing war crimes. And we are not sure the PK photographers were actually ordered to take such images. The PK units were initially set up in the Signal Corps. There were five PK units, although we are not sure just what these division were. Later the PK units were made a separate service branch--Hinsicht der Amtsgruppe für Wehrmachtpropaganda (Official Group for Wehrmacht Propaganda--WPr). THe WPr was commanded by Major General Hasso von Wedel (1898-1961). He reportedly directly to General Alfred Jodl head of Wehrmachtführungsstab (OKW Operations Staff -- WFSt.). The number of PK units were increased. Von Wedel's task was to mediate between OKW/PK units and the RMVP. These photographs have been archived by the Budesarchiv, the German National Archive. We do not know if some images were destroyed, but there are plenty of images showing the Wehrmacht commiting terrible attrocities. There were captions to many of thee images, although we are not sure. In the chaos of the last few months of the War, the WPr may not have destroyed many images. We are not sure where they were stored. It may not have been Berlin, as the Soviets did not seize the archive. The Bundesarchiv does not include the PK/WPr captions, some of which are offensive, at least in the internet postings we have found.
We note quite a number of photographs taken by German combat correspondent and photographer Max Ehlert. Unfortunately we have been able to find little information about him. We note his photograpjs from Poland (1939), Norway (1940), and we think the Soviet Union (1941). He survived the War and had a comfortable life as a photographer for Der Spiegel. Given that he was a correspondent, he must have been a proponent of the War, otherwise the Wehrmacht would not allowed him to photograph and write about it. There is a vast German photographic record of the war, including snap shots taken by individual soldiers. Elhert was, however, a an offical combat photographer and correspondent and wore a German military uniform. He worked for the Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht (Armed Forces Propaganda Company - PK).
The Propagandakompanien der Wehrmacht (Armed Forces Propaganda Company - PK) was the Wehrmacht's corps of war correspondents and photographers. The Chief of the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) Wilhelm Keitel and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels signed an "agreement on the implementation of propaganda during the war" (early-1938).
The Propaganda Ministry (RMVP) wanted a regular supply of suitable material to use for war propaganda. Goebbels wanted to influence both the German people as well as enemy countries. The PK units were organized and ordered to use their camers 'as a weapon'. The agrement betweem the Propaganda Ministry (RMVP) and OKW preserved Goebbels control over propaganda even during war time apparently following Hitler's personal orders. Many of the images clearly were taken for prpaganda purposes. Others were more like historical images to document the conduct of the War and expeiences of German soldiers. There are also images dicumenting war crimes. It is unclear just what OKW planned to do with those images showing war crimes. And we are not sure the PK photographers were actually ordered to take such images. The PK units were initially set up in the Signal Corps. There were initially five PK units, although we are not sure just what these division were. Later the PK units were made a separate service branch--Hinsicht der Amtsgruppe für Wehrmachtpropaganda (Official Group for Wehrmacht Propaganda--WPr). THe WPr was commanded by Major General Hasso von Wedel (1898-1961). He reportedly directly to General Alfred Jodl head of Wehrmachtführungsstab (OKW Operations Staff -- WFSt.). The number of PK units were increased. Von Wedel's task was to mediate between OKW/PK units and the RMVP. von Wedel was arrested by the americans after the war and held for about a year. He was not pricecuted and was released (1946).
These photographs have been archived by the Budesarchiv, the German National Archive. We do not know if some images were destroyed, but there are plenty of images showing the Wehrmacht commiting terrible attrocities. There were captions to many of these images, although we are not sure. In the chaos of the last few months of the War, the WPr may bnot have destroyed many images. We are not sure where they were stored. It may not have been Berlin, as the Soviets did not seize the archive. The Bundesarchiv does not include the PK/WPr captions, some of which are offensive, at least in the internet postings we have found.
Von Wedel, Hasso. Die Propagandatruppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht. (Propaganda troops of the Wermacht).
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