RARE German Document WWII Russian Soviet POW Michael Korshan Death & Burial Record – Dec. 31 1944

Original WWII German “Nachweis über Sterbefall eines Kriegsgefangenen” — an official death and burial record for Soviet prisoner of war Michael Korshan, who died suspiciously on new years eve at 4 am of “circulatory failure” while in German captivity on December 31, 1944, only months before the end of the war in Europe.

This is another particularly sobering Soviet POW document recording the identity, medical cause of death, POW identification information, exact time and place of death, and subsequent burial of an individual Russian soldier.

Prisoner Information

Surname: Korshan
First Name: Michael
Nationality: Sowj. Russe — Soviet Russian
Rank: Soldat — Soldier
Birthplace: Appears typed as Ordschenikidse / Ordschonikidse
POW Identification: XII F
Prisoner Number: 4810

The original typed birth date appears to have been subsequently corrected or annotated. A handwritten notation reads “PWI 10-6-1899.” Because of the conflicting entries, the photographs should be consulted for the exact recorded information.

The handwritten next-of-kin section also appears to contain the name Solomija Korshanowa together with a Soviet/Russian address.

Death Information

The document records Korshan as having died:

December 31, 1944
4:00 AM
Rheinzabern

The recorded cause of death is:

“Kreislaufschwäche” — circulatory weakness / circulatory failure

Under “Art der Krankheit” (type of illness), the document states:

“Herzkrank” — indicating heart disease / a heart condition.

Thus, according to the German record, Korshan died from circulatory failure associated with a heart condition.

Burial Record

The document records his burial at:

Rheinzabern, Pfalz
Kreis Germersheim

Cemetery: Rheinzabern
Grave / Plot No.: 2

Date of Burial: January 1, 1945
Time: 9:00 AM

Remarkably, the record therefore documents his burial at 9:00 AM on New Year’s Day 1945, only about 29 hours after his recorded death.

Official German Stamps

The lower portion carries impressive original Third Reich administrative markings, including two large eagle-and-swastika ink stamps, together with signatures and an official Kreiskontrolloffizier designation.

The stamps appear associated with the Landesschütz administrative structure, adding another interesting military/POW administrative element to the document.

The form itself is identified at bottom as:

Formbl. Nr. 7 – P/0110

Historical Context

This document is an individual surviving record of the enormous human cost suffered by Soviet prisoners of war in German captivity.

Approximately 5.7 million Soviet military personnel were captured by Germany during WWII and roughly 3.3 million died in German custody. Starvation, exposure, disease, inadequate medical care, forced labor, deliberate mistreatment and executions all contributed to this extraordinarily high mortality.

Korshan’s death on December 31, 1944, is particularly noteworthy because it occurred during the closing months of the war.

The official cause given here — Kreislaufschwäche (circulatory weakness/failure) with Herzkrank (heart disease) — should be recorded as the stated German medical finding rather than interpreted by itself as proof of the circumstances that produced his death.

However, surviving documents such as this become particularly important when studied as groups. Multiple records documenting Soviet POW deaths in late 1944 and early 1945 can potentially reveal patterns in age, location, POW number, stated cause of death, medical terminology and burial practices that are not apparent from an isolated document.

Together with other surviving Soviet POW death records, it represents valuable primary-source material for research into the treatment, mortality and burial of Soviet prisoners held inside Germany during the final phase of WWII.

Condition

Original WWII-era document showing expected age toning, handling, minor staining and edge wear. There is some edge loss/chipping, particularly toward the lower right edge. The typed information, handwritten additions, signatures and official ink stamps remain well displayed.

Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition and individual entries.

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