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{{Short description|Apocryphal German sniper}} |
{{Short description|Apocryphal German sniper}} |
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'''Erwin König''' was reported to have been a German ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' sniper killed by the Soviet sniper [[Vasily Zaitsev (sniper)|Vasily Zaytsev]] during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]].<ref name=Zaytsev>{{cite book |last=Zaytsev |first=Vasily |author-link=Vasily Zaitsev (sniper) |title=Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad |url=https://books.google.com/books/?id=d-RWAAAAYAAJ |editor-last=Okrent |editor-first=Neil |publisher=Frontline |year=2010 |pages=193 |isbn=9781848325654}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Craig |first=William |author-link=William Craig (author) |title=[[Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad]] |publisher=[[Reader's Digest Press]] |pages=457 |isbn=0141390174 |oclc=613817}}</ref> Due to the lack of any Nazi records proving the existence of König and his achievements there is some doubt as to whether he existed at all was just |
'''Erwin König''' was reported to have been a German ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' sniper killed by the Soviet sniper [[Vasily Zaitsev (sniper)|Vasily Zaytsev]] during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]].<ref name=Zaytsev>{{cite book |last=Zaytsev |first=Vasily |author-link=Vasily Zaitsev (sniper) |title=Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad |url=https://books.google.com/books/?id=d-RWAAAAYAAJ |editor-last=Okrent |editor-first=Neil |publisher=Frontline |year=2010 |pages=193 |isbn=9781848325654}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Craig |first=William |author-link=William Craig (author) |title=[[Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad]] |publisher=[[Reader's Digest Press]] |pages=457 |isbn=0141390174 |oclc=613817}}</ref> Due to the lack of any Nazi records proving the existence of König and his achievements there is some doubt as to whether he existed at all or was just an invention of Soviet propaganda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-09 |title=The Mythical German Sniper From the 'Enemy at the Gates' Who Challenged Vasily Zaitsev |url=https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-truth-about-erwin-konig-sent-to-stalingrad-to-take-on-the-very-effective-soviet-snipers.html |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=warhistoryonline |language=en}}</ref> |
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König is mentioned both in Zaytsev's memoirs ''Notes of a Sniper'' (a "Major Konings", potentially ''[[SS]]'') and [[William Craig (author)|William Craig]]'s 1973 non-fiction book ''[[Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rbth.com/arts/2013/02/28/the_stalingrad_battle_how_snipers_boosted_soldiers_moral_23337.html |title=War mentality: How a man boosted the morale in Stalingrad |last=Naughton |first=John |author-link=John Naughton |date=28 February 2013 |access-date=9 July 2018 |newspaper=[[Russia Beyond]]}}</ref> According to Zaytsev, the duel between him and König took place over a period of three days in the ruins of Stalingrad.<ref name=Zaytsev/> In a post-war visit to Berlin,{{when|date=November 2018}} Zaytsev was allegedly confronted by a woman who told him that she was König's daughter, with Soviet authorities quickly evacuating Zaytsev to avoid any confrontation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.facts.kiev.ua/2007/02/02/05.htm |title=Vassili Zaitsev (Russian) |accessdate=29 April 2009 |work=Fakty |language=Russian}}{{dead link|date=August 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |
König is mentioned both in Zaytsev's memoirs ''Notes of a Sniper'' (a "Major Konings", potentially ''[[SS]]'') and [[William Craig (author)|William Craig]]'s 1973 non-fiction book ''[[Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rbth.com/arts/2013/02/28/the_stalingrad_battle_how_snipers_boosted_soldiers_moral_23337.html |title=War mentality: How a man boosted the morale in Stalingrad |last=Naughton |first=John |author-link=John Naughton |date=28 February 2013 |access-date=9 July 2018 |newspaper=[[Russia Beyond]]}}</ref> According to Zaytsev, the duel between him and König took place over a period of three days in the ruins of Stalingrad.<ref name=Zaytsev/> In a post-war visit to Berlin,{{when|date=November 2018}} Zaytsev was allegedly confronted by a woman who told him that she was König's daughter, with Soviet authorities quickly evacuating Zaytsev to avoid any confrontation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.facts.kiev.ua/2007/02/02/05.htm |title=Vassili Zaitsev (Russian) |accessdate=29 April 2009 |work=Fakty |language=Russian}}{{dead link|date=August 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 13:06, 15 April 2023
Erwin König was reported to have been a German Wehrmacht sniper killed by the Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev during the Battle of Stalingrad.[1][2] Due to the lack of any Nazi records proving the existence of König and his achievements there is some doubt as to whether he existed at all or was just an invention of Soviet propaganda.[3]
König is mentioned both in Zaytsev's memoirs Notes of a Sniper (a "Major Konings", potentially SS) and William Craig's 1973 non-fiction book Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad.[4] According to Zaytsev, the duel between him and König took place over a period of three days in the ruins of Stalingrad.[1] In a post-war visit to Berlin,[when?] Zaytsev was allegedly confronted by a woman who told him that she was König's daughter, with Soviet authorities quickly evacuating Zaytsev to avoid any confrontation.[5]
In popular culture
A fictionalized account of the duel in the film Enemy at the Gates portrays Erwin König—played by Ed Harris—as the head of the Wehrmacht Sniper School.[6] He is sent to Stalingrad to take on the increasingly aggressive Soviet snipers.[7] Initially he is successful, killing four of Zaytsev's partners, but eventually he is outwitted by the Russian, portrayed by Jude Law.[8]
König appears in the 1999 novel War of the Rats by David L. Robbins in which he is an SS Colonel named Heinz Thorvald.
Ramón Rosanas wrote a comic about the conflict between Zaytsev and König.[9]
References
- ^ a b Zaytsev, Vasily (2010). Okrent, Neil (ed.). Notes of a Russian Sniper: Vassili Zaitsev and the Battle of Stalingrad. Frontline. p. 193. ISBN 9781848325654.
- ^ Craig, William. Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Reader's Digest Press. p. 457. ISBN 0141390174. OCLC 613817.
- ^ "The Mythical German Sniper From the 'Enemy at the Gates' Who Challenged Vasily Zaitsev". warhistoryonline. 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Naughton, John (28 February 2013). "War mentality: How a man boosted the morale in Stalingrad". Russia Beyond. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ "Vassili Zaitsev (Russian)". Fakty (in Russian). Retrieved 29 April 2009.[dead link]
- ^ MP Film Management. "Famous snipers in history". CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. p. 10. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (28 March 2001). "Ed Harris in Enemy at the Gates". NY Press. Straus News. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ Jones, Robert (30 September 2016). "Best Netflix films: top movies to check out now". T3.com. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ Jiménez, Jesús (19 August 2013). "Ramón Rosanas lleva al cómic al famoso francotirador ruso Vasili Záitsev". Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 January 2019.