In 1941, soldiers of the division were involved in the torture and murder of Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, a Soviet partisan, in Petrishchevo.

The division was activated on 1 December 1939 in the Posen region in Wehrkreis XXI as a division of the seventh Aufstellungswelle, using personnel from the replacement personnel of Wehrkreis XII (Wiesbaden) stationed in the Posen area at the time.

[4] During the Battle of France, the 197th Infantry Division was part of the mostly static Army Group C along the prewar Franco-German border, opposite the French fortifications at the Maginot Line.

[1] Only on 14 June, during the final weeks of the campaign in France, did the 197th Infantry Division advance against French positions in the Maginot Line.

[1] On 7 May 1941, the III./347 battalion was transferred from the 197th Infantry Division to the forces of the German Africa Corps on the North African theater, where it became the 1st battalion of the Light Infantry Regiment (Motorized) 200 of the 90th Light Afrika Division.

[1] In June 1941, the 197th Infantry Division was sent to the Eastern Front, where it was assigned to the central sector.

[6] On 29 November 1941, members of the 197th Infantry Division were involved in the execution of Soviet partisan Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya (and subsequently, likely in the mutilation and desecration of her corpse as well as the attempted cover-up).

[1] Its last commander, Hans Hahne, went MIA during the final days of the division; his remains were never found.