Black Edelweiss
Encyclopedia
Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS is a book by Johann Voss (a pseudonym
) detailing the experiences of a soldier in the Waffen-SS
.
Voss served in SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich", part of the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord
. Written in English, the book is mainly an account of his combat service against the Soviets
in northern Karelia
and Finland
during the Second World War, with a shorter section describing combat against US forces in the Vosges
and in the Saar-Moselle triangle in 1945. Voss also recalls his experiences of being a POW in the US from 1945-1946, when he wrote his memoirs.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
) detailing the experiences of a soldier in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
.
Voss served in SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich", part of the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord
6th SS Mountain Division Nord
The 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord" was a German unit of the Waffen SS during World War II, formed in February 1941 as SS Kampfgruppe Nord ....
. Written in English, the book is mainly an account of his combat service against the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in northern Karelia
Karelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
during the Second World War, with a shorter section describing combat against US forces in the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
and in the Saar-Moselle triangle in 1945. Voss also recalls his experiences of being a POW in the US from 1945-1946, when he wrote his memoirs.