Office of Strategic Services Gottfried Schmitt, old Storm Trooper:
"Then this man Hitler got up to speak ....
I saw at once this wass't no common or garden
tub-thumper .... Everything he said was just common
sense and sound. Although I wasn' t one to be won
over all in a moment, it didn't take me no longer
than that first meeting to realize that Hitler was
straight as a die, and a safe one to put your shirt on.
I went to every one of his meetings after that. Bit by
bit he won me round ......knocked the Red nonsense
out of me....
pp. 145/146, Heinz, Germany's H.
In September 1922 the Storm Troops had our first
propaganda outing ..... Hitler rode in front, as usual
in his old trench coat and black velours hat. In fact
I don't suppose he had any other. Not that he could
have worn another if he had owned it. For years he
clung to that old hat.
pp. 149/150, Heinz, Germany's H.
Drexler on Hitler:
"We used to meet, he and I, three and four times at least,
every week, and we'd sit up yo one o'clock in the morning
working out our plans and ideas. Hitler would have come
even oftener, but I lived some way out of the city ... and
he couldn't always afford the tram fare. We'd get to work
the moment he'd turn up, and grind right on until my wife
called us to table for supper....My little girl used to climb
on Hitler's knee; she knew as she was always welcome,
and as he'd share all he'd got with her. He was "Uncle Hitler"
to her - she was only three then-....
p. 160, Heinz, Germany's H.
Joseph Berchtold, editor of the Voelkischer Beobachter:
"HItler had his own method of attaching each and
man to himself. He would appear unannounced in our quarters,
here in these offices in the Schellingstrasse, on a drill night,
and after a word or two with me, he would address the men in
the most comradely way possible. Then he'd inspect the
Company, but not so much like an officer as like a friend. He
would shake each man's hand, and look him squarely in the
eys [sic]. It was this glance, more than anything which
made every trooper Hitler's man to the death.
p.173, Heinz, Germany's H.
Drexler:
"They incarcerated Hitler ... to await trial in the fortress at
Landsberg, and I made a point of going to see him there at the earliest
opportunity. I found him sitting like a frozen thing at the barred
window of his cell. He seemed done, almost broken up over the deaths of
those sixteen of our men on the Odeonsplatz. Everything seemed all to
have been in vain ...... i discovered he'd started a hunger-strike right
from the first. Every time I went it was still going on. He'd got thinner
and thinner and weaker and whiter, every time. Over a fortnight he
carried on this hunger strike until it was hard to recognize him. The
Medical Officer told me....if no one could persuade him to take a drop
or a mouthful anyhow he'd soon be past saving ..... I determined to do
my utmost to make him call it off ..... I begged and prayed of him .....
But I couldn't make any impression .... He was utterly in despair....at
last I said .... without Hitler and his movement Germany was doomed.
...That seemed to rouse him .... Anyway I won him round somehow.
Finally he broke his fast and reconsidered things. He picked up when he
got some solid food inside him and his old spirit reasserted itself. In
fact three months afterwards he was brought back to Munich to stand his
trial ..... Hitler was so full of force and resolution as ever....
pp. 189/190, Heinz, Germany's H.
Oberwachtsmeister [unreadable] about H. in Landsberg.
(identical in most details to [unreadable)
" .... Prisoners had to fetch their own parcels from the
parcel room ana all had to be opened and unpacked in my presence .....
Kriebel .... had a way of wrenchlng off the wrappings.... Weber... would
undo every... knot ....
Now Hitler, again he did differently. It depended whether the parcel
came from a known or unknown source. In the one case it might have
contained sausage, and in the other, an infernal machine. Hitler'd look
them over very carefully himself before he cut the string. With the
other sort he just took the line of least resistance. If there were a
lot of knots he'd cut the string without more ado; if there were few
he'd undo them.'"
p. 200/201. Heinz, Germany's H.
Shortly before twelve o'clock...dinner in the common room,.....Consisted
of but one dish. Everyone waited for Hitler, each standing erect behind
his own chair. When the Leader appeared there was a cry of 'tenshun!'
and he strode to the top of the table, and remained standing, until
every man in turn came forward with his table-greeting. Then all sat
down .....there was seldom any talk of politics...Hitler himself
chatted with his right and left-hand neighbors about .... the
Landsberg
Shortly before twelve o'clock...dinner in the common room,.....Consisted
of but one dish. Everyone waited for Hitler, each standing erect behind
his own chair. When the Leader appeared there was a cry of 'tenshun!'
and he strode to the top of the table, and remained standing, until
every man in turn came forward with his table-greeting. Then all sat
down .....there was seldom any talk of politics...Hitler himself
chatted with his right and left-hand neighbors about such things as the
theatre, or art, or even technical matters....
pp. 221/202, Heinz, Germany's H.
He was quite an adept in mechanics, especially motor mechanics. He was
always getting plans and specificatlons from motor works, new designs
for the chassis, and sketched out a few himself. (It is well known, of
course, that he invented two jolly useful motor gadgets, and patented
them. One was for a rearward reflector which would allow the car to
travel backwardss with facility; and the other was an adjustable lamp
at the driving seat for reading route maps, etc. He made use of both
these contrivances later when touring the country at night on his
political campaigns.).
p. 202, Heinz, Germany's H.
At the end of the meal Hitler would give the signal 'Mahlzeit" answered
by the rest, and then all would sit about ...... Perhaps somebody would
make a little present of some fruit - always gratefully accepted by Hitler.
p 202, Heinz, Germany's H.
Hitler's fine personality, in which no trace of personal vanity was to
be detected, made an impression on all around him. He had a remarkable
love of order and neatness. He possessed an unquenchable spring of energy
within, which, despite his accustomed urbanity, flashed in his eyes
whenever a decision had to be made. ... Hitler's over-ruling influence
and his sense of soldierly discipline...
The uniform politeness with which he treated everyone here... from the
Governor to the man who cleaned his cell, excited universal appreciation.
He knew, too, what sort of a job we warders had, and understood it..his
word simply went with our Politicals ....
p. 211, Heinz, Germany's H.
Landsberg
He was entirely unassuming, and he had few personal requirements. He
took a real pleasure on all those things people contrived to do to show
their loyalty and sympathy. He gave away the contents of parcels sent to
him.... He bore himself in just that comradely way ... which takes no
account of difference in position and upbringing.... As a rule, he was
singularly cheerful and did his best to make evenings in the common room
go with a swing. He even got Hess to make out a list of ...... birthdays,
so that whenever one of these came round, the individual in question
would be invited to coffee with him in his room, and they'd sit and talk
and Hitler'd dish up some little present or other."
p. 212, Heinz, Germany's H.
Landsburg
Stormy weather ... made a difference ... when it poured and howled
outside, .... Hitler grew a trifle thoughtful and anxious. So did he,
too, when bad news came. It knocked him pretty hard to realize how
things had gone to bits in the Party since his imprisonment... At first
he tried ... to keep things going.... but....he gave up the vain attempt
and withdrew himself altogether from politics ....
pp. 212/213, Heinz, Germany's H.
Landsberg
I .... can affirm without the least hesitation that he was an
exceptionally truthful man. He never lied or prevaricated in any way.
He'd even avoid the least dubiousness in what he said .......
p. 223, Heinz. Germany's H.
From 1919 - 1929 Hitler lived in No. 41, Thierschstrasse, in Munich:
A Herr Erlanger is the landlord.... He observes:
"I hadn't much to do with him myself, since ... his room was a sub-let.
And since I am a Jew, I concerned myself as little as possible with the
activities of my lodger.... I admit I liked Hitler well enough. I often
encountered him on the stairway and at the door - he was generally
scribbling something in a noteboo.- when he would pass the time of day
with me pleasantly enough.
Often he had his dog with him, a lovely Wolfshund. He never made me feel
he regarded me differently from other people....
p, 276, Heinz, Germany's H.
Herr Erlanger:"He lodged in my house from ....1919 to 1929. First he took
a little back room, and then an equally small one in the front to serve
as a sort of office and study. The back room, in which he slept is only
8 by 15 feet. It is the coldest room in the house .... Some lodgers
who've rented it since got ill. Now we only use it as a lumber room....
The only 'comfort' Hitler treated himself to when he was here, was a
hand basin with cold water laid on. The room to the front was a bit
bigger, but the small high-set window left much to be desired. It was
very scantily furnished."
pp. 276/277, Heinz, Germany's H.
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
[
Previous |
Index ]
Home ·
Site Map ·
What's New? ·
Search
Nizkor
© The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012
This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and
to combat hatred.
Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.
As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may
include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and
provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist
and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.
Hitler Source Book
Germany's Hitler
by Heinz A. Heinz
(Part 5 of 5)