European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday april 3, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9over Here we infest will recall �?T45 linkup of ., soviet soldiers by Joseph Owen staff writer Tougau East Germany a when And soviet troops first met each other in Tougau near the end of world War ii they were carrying machine guns. Now local officials want the two armies to come Back to the Saxon City carrying saxophones and clarinets. The Thoreau Region has planned a we Klong Celebration to recall april 25, 1945, the Day the 1st army a a 69th inf div advanced eastward to the Elbe River and met the soviets 1st ukr Man army thereby cutting nazi Germany in two. The six year european phase of history a most destructive War ended 13 Days later with Germany a unconditional surrender. Tougau a City of 23,000, has asked the And soviet forces to Send Dixieland jazz bands to stage the Pivotal event on the last Day of the april 24-29 festival a musicals amp map meeting on the Highway Bridge that crosses the Elbe. Tougau county cultural director Rudiger Schmidt said the soviet forces Western group already has agreed to participate and several German bands will also play. A spokesman for the Army in Europe said american officials Are considering the request. The exact moment when the two armies met in 1945 is unknown there Are unconfirmed reports of Contact As Early As april 24. The april 25 a a official meeting included commanders greetings a series of staged photographs and lots of Impromptu music and Celebration. That big encounter also produced the so called a oath of Tougau a a pledge by representatives of the two armies that a War like the one they were fighting must never occur again. Schmidt said festival planners have invited american and soviet soldiers who were present at the 1945 meeting to attend this years events. So far he has confirmation from 30 soviets and 150 americans including soldiers family members. A these War veterans have reached old age and we want to show them that we understood this oath at the Elbe a Schmidt said. Other festival events include East West German american soldiers left and soviet troops Greet each other at Tougau on the Elbe in their historic 1945 meeting. Parties on april 27 and 28, featuring disc jockeys from Bonn and Tougau an afternoon Parade on april 29 and a series of films lectures and seminars throughout the week. Organizers also plan to place a peace memorial in the City cemetery at the grave of Joseph Polowsky a Soldier involved in the original .-soviet encounter. The Chicago native founded an organization that sponsored Many International meetings of War veterans. In accordance with his will Polowsky was buried in Tougau after he died in 1983. Members of his family plan to attend the festival. Veterans reunions have occurred in Tougau on past anniversaries of the .-soviet linkup but they bore the Strong imprint of the communist government then ruling East Germany. In 1985, Lor example authorities of the Central government in East Berlin approved All events. The parliamentary president attended with a crowd of Security personnel. And the government used the reunion for a propaganda thrust contrasting the oath of Tougau with Pershing 11 nuclear missile deployment then under Way in West Germany. This time Berlin has nothing to do with it. A a we re really Happy that we have the Opportunity to organize something ourselves a Schmidt said adding that the recent mass emigration of younger residents has complicated things. A the labor Pool is lacking but we re putting a lot of Effort into a amps Joseph Owen Sas Owen the Elbe is quiet now with barges moored near Tougau a Railroad Bridge is in the misty background. Rudiger Schmidt
