“Unearthing the Dark Secrets of Germany’s WWI Corpse Factories: What History Has Forgotten”
On April 25, 1917, the British satirical magazine Punch brought forth a cartoon featuring a serious Kaiser Wilhelm II who ominously reassured a young soldier that, “your Kaiser will find a use for you—alive or dead.” What a delightful sentiment, right? But this cartoon tapped into a ghastly rumor brewing during World War I: that Germany, faced with shortages of essential raw materials, had resorted to bizarre practices like turning the corpses of fallen soldiers into soap and other goods. I mean, it sounds more like the plot of a macabre horror movie than a historical reality! The so-called “corpse factories,” or Kadaververtungsanstalten, became a symbol of the supposed heartlessness of Imperial Germany, rallying Allies in their fight—but here’s the kicker: these factories never actually existed. Fueled by grotesque rumors and stoked by propaganda, this tall tale snowballed into one of the war’s most infamous hoaxes. Curious about how a little bit of fear and misinformation can morph into a widespread belief? Buckle up, because we’re diving deep into the Great War’s most theatrical fabrication! LEARN MORE
On the 25th of April, 1917, the British satirical magazine Punch ran an evocative political cartoon. In it, a stern Kaiser Wilhelm II, dressed in full regalia, stands before a young German army recruit. Pointing out the window to a giant factory belching black smoke, he declares: “And don’t forget that your Kaiser will find a use for you—alive or dead.” The ominous image referred to a disturbing rumour which had been circulating since the beginning of the Great War: that Germany, chronically short of fats and other raw materials, had taken to processing the corpses of its own fallen soldiers to produce soap, candles, lubricants, explosives and other vital war materiel. The facilities where this gruesome process was carried out – known as Kadaververtungsanstalten or “corpse factories” – became symbolic of the brutality, callousness, and depravity of Imperial Germany, and did much to inspire the Allies to fight on until the end. There was only one problem: the corpse factories didn’t actually exist. Starting as a morbid soldier’s rumour and stoked by British and French propaganda, the corpse factory myth was a stark example of how a big enough lie, told often enough, can come to be accepted as truth. This is the fascinating story of the Great War’s biggest hoax.
