The Daily
The Sunday Read: ‘Unburying the Remains of the Third Reich’
Apr 13, 2025
Nick Casey, a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine based in Madrid, dives into the unsettling journey of a couple uncovering the hidden past of their new home in Poland. They discover connections to the Meinecke family and risks of finding German soldiers' remains, sparking a debate about memory and moral responsibilities. Casey explores the Volksbund's mission to repatriate soldiers’ remains, the controversies surrounding Nazi cemeteries, and how personal histories clash with national memory amid rising far-right sentiments in Germany.
50:19
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Quick takeaways
- The discovery of mass graves in Europe, such as that under the Van Beunigen home, highlights the complex intertwining of personal and national histories.
- The Volksbund's mission to recover and inter the remains of German soldiers raises ethical dilemmas about memorializing individuals linked to war crimes.
Deep dives
The Ongoing Search for War Remains
Europe is described as a vast cemetery due to the wars that have left millions of bodies scattered across the continent. Each year, tens of thousands of remains are discovered in various locations, including backyards and construction sites, exposing the haunting legacy of the two World Wars. A notable organization, the Volksbund, is dedicated to finding and properly burying the remains of German soldiers, even those classified as Nazis. Their work has sparked conversations about the implications of exhuming such remains and the moral complexities involved in honoring the past.
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