Reviving the ‘Spirit of the Elbe’ Today

Dec. 30, 2019 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump has been invited to attend next year’s celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the April 25, 1945 meet-up at Torgau, Germany on the River Elbe of the Soviet and American armies fighting to liberate Germany from the Nazi regime.

Those veterans still living, of both nations, who met that day at the Elbe still celebrate yearly the joy and camaraderie which ensued at that meeting, as soldiers and officers celebrated the nearing of the end of their common fight to defeat fascism. The spirit of that meeting was immortalized in the solemn toast made there, which became known as the “Oath of the Elbe,” described by a U.S. soldier present, Pfc Joseph Polowsky, in his diary:

“At this historic moment of the meeting of nations, all of the soldiers present—ordinary soldiers, Americans and Russians—solemnly swore that they would do everything in their power to prevent such things from ever happening in the world again. We pledged that the nations of the world would and must live in peace. This was our Oath of Elbe.

“It was a very informal, but solemn moment. There were tears in the eyes of most of us. Perhaps a sense of foreboding that things might not be as perfect in the future as we anticipated. We embraced. We swore never to forget.”

In 1998, the Memorial Fund for the U.S. 69th Infantry Division (which had arrived at the Elbe) and the Soviet Elbe River Veterans association commissioned a bronze relief for Arlington Cemetery, celebrating their famous handshake. The accompanying plaque explains that the link-up of the Allied and Soviet forces on that day “resulted in creating the ‘SPIRIT OF THE ELBE’ dedicated to the peoples of all nations resolving their differences without war, and should be an eternal beacon to light the future courses of all Nations working together for the benefit of all peoples” (emphasis in original).

The invitation issued by American University in Moscow’s Russia House—Kontinent USA, for the 2020 celebration in Germany likewise emphasizes:

“The ‘Meeting on the Elbe’ signaled the approaching end of the Nazi regime and was heralded around the world. Today, the joyfulness created by that open display of comradeship between East and West is needed more than ever.

“For many years, American and Russian veterans, as well as public organizations, have kept the spirit of that Elbe River linkage alive with commemorations and reunions and by erecting monuments, plaques, and statues in our two countries....

“The upcoming anniversary may be the last for many of the remaining veterans and witnesses of that tremendous event. Our goal is to recognize these veterans and commemorate their achievement in a way that honors them and the spirit of cooperation [at] the Elbe River [as] an inspiration to our soldiers of today. At the same time this event can be a great opportunity to engage in a long-awaited dialogue in view of unprecedented tensions that threaten the security of our two nations and the world.”