Dying with the Enemy: German War Deaths in First World War Britain

The First World War was always much more than just a history of errant generals or waterlogged trenches on the Western Front, the conflict itself also took place on the British home front. This talk explores two often overlooked aspects of the war at home. The first of these is the history of combat and military death on British soil. The second concerns the experience of the enemy – German and Austro-Hungarians – who lost their lives in wartime Britain either in combat or captivity. As the talk explores, these soldiers (and civilians) were once buried in cemeteries throughout the UK, including in Chester. The very presence of the deceased enemy in local communities encouraged discussions between the British and Germans even as the conflict raged.

Professor Tim Grady has written two books on the history of Germany in the First World War and has also published widely on twentieth-century Jewish history.  He is currently exploring the themes of war, occupation and the environment. His research interests, which are fairly wide ranging, focus on the workings of memory, Jewish/non-Jewish relations in twentieth century Germany, the Holocaust, the First World War and more recently the environment in both East and West Germany.

Speaker:  Tim Grady, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Chester

Date: Wednesday, 4 December, 4:00pm

Venue: Wheeler Building, Room CRV119

Host: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society Historical Society

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