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JOSEPH STEPHANY
1921: born in Huldange (L)
1940: joins the Luxembourg “Volunteer Company”
March 1941: possibly forced entry into the Waffen-SS
June 1941: participation in the invasion of the Soviet Union, severe war injury
1942: special leave and desertion; joins the Lëtzebuerger Patriote-Liga resistance movement (LPL), later the Armée blanche in Belgium
1944: arrest by German military police, imprisonment in Torgau-Fort Zinna (D) and other locations
1945: escape during evacuation of the prison and return to Luxembourg
Work
On 20 May 1941, Joseph Stephany joined the Waffen-SS, the armed arm of the SS.
After his “retraining” in Weimar, Joseph Stephany became a soldier in the Waffen SS. Whether this is due to a thirst for adventure or to threats cannot be completely clarified. In any case, Stephany took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union with the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking”, where he was severely injured. He remained in medical treatment for a long time. In June 1942, while on convalescent leave, he deserted. He joined a resistance group in Marloie (B) and took part in sabotage missions and in efforts to hide escaped Soviet forced labourers. He was caught by the Germans in March 1944. Contrary to expectations, Joseph Stephany was not shot for “desertion” like many other convicted Luxembourgers. He was sent to various German prisons and managed to escape in April 1945.
Ihr Kopf, der wackelt! Ich würde keine zwei Pfennige mehr auf Sie wetten!
Interrogation officer to Joseph Stephany, quote from Joseph Stephany’s diary, 18 May 1944
Lt. Watson’s crew and their B-17 bomber were shot down over Belgium. Joseph Stephany, by this time already active in the Belgian maquis, helped some of the survivors, 6 Feb. 1944
Ich war nicht freiwillig in der SS. Ich bin hineingezwungen worden, weil ich immer Widerspruch gegeben habe. Als Folge einer Diskussion mit unserem Instruktor bin ich viermal zum SS-Polizei-Oberleutnant Schmoll gerufen worden. Beim letzten Mal sagte er mir: „Sie kommen zur Waffen-SS, dort wird man sie schon kleinkriegen. Wenn nicht zur SS, dann ins Gefängnis. Sie wissen ja warum. Wegen Zersetzung der Wehrkraft!“ Ich habe mich nicht geweigert und bin in die SS gegangen, auch weil uns gesagt worden war, wir kämen zurück nach Luxemburg. In dem Moment habe ich mit der Möglichkeit gerechnet, von Luxemburg aus zu desertieren.
Joseph Stephany, letter to Mr. Retter, 1 Oct. 1945
Stephany and his three siblings (Jacques, Josette, Jean) were active in the Belgian resistance
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