Ukrainian nationalists marched to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Galychyna Division.
The 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of Nazi Germany’s Waffen SS, also called the Galychyna Division, was a World War II German military formation, initially made up of volunteers from the region of Galicia with Ukrainian ethnic background but later also incorporated Slovaks, Czechs and Dutch volunteers and officers.
Formed in 1943, it surrendered to the Allied army by May 10, 1945. In Ukraine, many people see members of the Galychyna Division as national heroes because they fought for Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Some historians have stated that elements associated with the Galychyna Division were involved in attacks on civilians and other atrocities. However, despite being declared a criminal organization during the Nuremberg Trials, the division was not convicted of any crimes.
