The Underground Survival of Deserters

Almost at the same time, the Gestapo had increasingly succeeded in exposing and severely dismantling entire resistance rings, even abroad, through informers and traitors. When being arrested, the helpers were threatened with high prison sentences, death sentences and the transfer to extermination camps of the SS.

Through a unique effort of solidarity by thousands of patriots and the Resistance, about 2,500 refractors were able to find secret shelter in the country. Various resistance groups were helpful in this by smuggling up to 1,000 fugitives with forged papers through organized escape routes, at constant risk to their lives, to the less-supervised large-scale foreign countries.

Initially, in winter, hiding places were created in houses, barns, stables, even churches, and later in disused ore mines. During the warm season, secret shelter could be found in about 85 dug-in field and forest bunkers in the country.

Security and rationed food supplies were the greatest challenges, which would not have been accessible without countless anonymous helpers from the population. Occasionally, illegally slaughtered cattle could be procured, or the rationed food supply could be improved by poaching and fishing during the nighttime.

The daily supplies were deposited by locally organized resistance groups at night in certain places, where they were later taken by the fugitives to their earth bunkers. Because of the treacherous smoke, cooking was only allowed at concealed fireplaces at night.

The day-to-day nondisclosure of young fugitives, with different backgrounds and characters, could only be maintained with iron discipline and draconian punishments.

Unfortunately, due to naivety and youthful exuberance, some fatal incidents with fatal outcomes occurred, which plunged entire rope teams of helpers with their families into disaster.

The drama of forced recruitment became a national issue for the country. There was almost no family that was not directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy.

This has been a voluntary solidarity action, which, despite the death penalty, is unparalleled in the history of the Luxembourg country.

This story resonates and links directly to the Monument of Nation Solidarity which is located Ville-Haute, Luxembourg.