RUSSIAN CEMETERY

While hundreds of thousands of Russians perished from hunger and misery in German prisoner-of-war camps, the captured Georgians were treated with a certain benevolence. Georgia was one of the last states to be annexed by the Soviet Union. Therefore, the German military leadership speculated that the Georgians could be more easily persuaded to defect than the Russians. Because a longer stay in captivity could also end badly for the Georgians, they allowed themselves to be used as auxiliary troops of the enemy. Thus, the 822nd Georgian Infantry Battalion was formed, which arrived on Texel on February 6, 1945. The battalion consisted of about 800 Georgians and 400 Germans.
When it seemed that the Germans would lose the war, the Georgians feared for their future upon returning to their homeland, but also for the invasion by the Allies. At the moment when the situation seemed favorable for this, the battalion of Georgians on Texel revolted.
Naturally, the Germans quickly sent reinforcements to the island to suppress the Georgians' rebellion. In this fierce battle, 565 Georgians, 120 locals from Texel, and about 800 Germans lost their lives. A large portion of the fallen and executed Georgians is buried at the ‘Loladse’ cemetery. Schwalma Loladse was their commander. The 228 surviving Georgians returned to their homeland.

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