Frage der beiden Gefangenen (Russland)

  • Dear colleagues!

    My name is Anna Dergacheva, I am a research associate in Science-research independent expertise (Moscow, Russia). Our organisation is occupied by the expertise of art works (painting, drawings, engravings, sculpture etc.).

    I am very sorry for this message in English language, because I don’t speak German. I have decided to write here, because I need information about two German soldiers who lived in USSR in 1946. We need this information for the research of a portrait of a German prisoner that was made by a German artist. I would be very grateful if you help me learn the information about these persons. I already wrote to all Russian archieves of the II World War. Also I made requests to German Red Cross and Deutsche Dienststelle, but I have no answers now. I hope so much that somebody will give advice where I should write more to get this information, what organizations and forums in Germany I should ask.

    Now we have a portrait of a German prisoner of war in our research. The art work is made by water colors on paper and has two sides. On the first side it is a portrait of a young man with the following inscriptions: Peter Johnen (or Johmen), 19 Jahre // Düren RhW // Hammerau 7; RMauke // II.46 // Pleskau. On the second side it is a landscape with a church and the following inscription: RMauke // 1945 // Pleskau // ………

    Accordingly to subject, place and inscriptions the first side is likely a portrait of the prisoner of jail in Russian town Pskov (Pleskau). It existed in 1945-1949 and there lived several thousand of captured german soldiers. As long as prisoners could not send postal cards to their relatives to Germany, we can suppose that this portrait was made instead of photo and intended to be sent to the family of a young soldier. The prove of that is the exact address on a drawing, that has been existing till now in German town Duren.

    Finally I try to find information about two people – Peter Johnen and R. Mauke – about the existence of men with such names and in Wehrmacht army, their lives and destinies. Etc.
    In attach is the image of this art work.

    I will be very grateful for collaboration!
    Best regards,
    Anna Dergacheva, Moscow

  • Dear Anna,
    there is an entry for a Peter Johnen in the telephone directory of Düren.

    May it is the Peter Johnen of Pskow, today about 87 years old.

    i dont know how to handle this matter further, but someone in this Forum will know it.

    Regards

    Paul


    G-W-G'