Wojtek (Voytek), the companion bear of the 22nd Polish Transport Artillery Support Company (Army Service Corps, 2nd Polish Corps). In the Middle East, a soldier from the company feeds the young Wojtek;
Credit: © Rights holder (HU 16546) / Imperial War Museum
Luxembourg's National Museum of Resistance and Human Rights (MNRDH) in Esch-sur-Alzette has announced the conference “They Had No Choice – The Role and Function of Animals During the Second World War”, taking place on Thursday 24 September 2026 at 19:30.
The conference will highlight the many roles played by animals during the Second World War and examine how their contribution was recognised during and after the war.
According to the museum, animals remained indispensable despite the increasing modernisation of technology and equipment. “They were used when logistics, transport and communication routes failed, or when their sense of smell and hearing proved more reliable than those of humans. At the same time, they provided essential emotional support to many soldiers from all sides and to civilians during a period marked by violence and trauma. In addition, the Nazis deliberately used animals for propaganda purposes and trained dogs to become ‘ferocious beasts’ in order to guard concentration camps and terrorise prisoners.”
The conference will be presented by Charlotte Pinon of the MNRDH in German, with simultaneous translation into French. Admission is free.
For further details and reservations, visit the MNRDH website.
