top of page
21
GEORGES KONEN
1919: born in Binsfeld (L)
1938: joins the Luxembourg “Volunteer Company”
1940-1941: “retraining” in Weimar (D)
Oct. 1941: “partisan operation” in Slovenia
Mar. 1942: rebellion of the entire company
Mar. 1942 - Apr. 1945: imprisonment in Dachau concentration camp (D)
Stonnelaang si mir duerch Meterhéije Schnéi, vun engem jugoslawesche Spitzel ugefouert, op ee ganz an de Bierger ofgeleeënen Haff zoumarschéiert. Kee vun ons huet gegleeft, hei Partisanen unzetreffen. Bei […] enger Scheier si plötzlech an onerwaart Schëss gefall. Ech wor an dësem Moment op der anerer Säit vun der Scheier, an hu Schmierzensschreier héieren, ouni awer ze gesinn wat geschitt wor. Réischt mi spéit si mer gewuere ginn, dass 4 vun onse Komeroden vu Partisanen aus der Scheier erschoss gi waren. Mir aner sinn an d’Haus agedrongen an konnten hei uwiesend Partisane festhuelen. E puer Partisane konnten entkommen. Anerer goufen an der Scheier festgeneelt a si spéider wéi d’ Gestapo d’Scheier a Brand gestach huet, angeblich am Feier ëmkomm.
Georges Konen, describing a partisan operation in Slovenia, Oct. 1941
As a member of the “Volunteer Company”, Georges Konen was forced to serve in German police uniform from 1941 onwards. On 31 October 1941 he experienced his first bloody operation against Yugoslav partisan groups in Slovenia. But after making sure that the local population was aware of their anti-Nazi views, Georges Konen and a small group of Luxembourgers began to secretly warn the partisans of upcoming operations. In March 1942 the entire company rebelled when the group of Luxembourgers was due to be separated and sent to different German units. Together with 17 other Luxembourgers, Georges Konen was deported to Dachau concentration camp on 25 March. Because he had refused to serve in the police force, he was particularly harassed, isolated from the rest of the prisoners and forced to do hard physical labour. Georges Konen survived the concentration camp and was liberated by American units on 29 April 1945.
Work
On 13 December 1941, 47 policemen killed in the course of another “partisan raid” were found by Konen’s unit in the Slovenian mountains.
The German plan was for soldiers of the “Volunteer Company” to be trained in Weimar according to the National Socialist model.
Nodeem d’Haaptportal am K.Z. Dachau sech hannenaus geschlossen hat, hate mir keng eege Perséinlechkeet méi. Mir kruten eng Nummer an d’Hand gedréckt, a ware fir d’Aussewelt gegenstandslos. Wann ee vun ons ugesprach gouf, huet een äntwere mussen „Schutzhäftling N:29581 (meng Nummer ) meldet sich gehorsamst zur Stelle […]. Fir d’SS ware mir Sauhunde oder Drecksschweine.
Georges Konen, contemporary witness account, Oct. 1941
Helmet of the Luxembourg “Volunteer Company” (1940)
bottom of page