Children to a Degree - Growing Up Under the Third Reich (12 page)

Harold was undaunted. “I said already that we were not allowed to ask questions. We were, however, told that the elimination of the drifters was only the beginning to rid the nation of unproductive elements. The next wave would be the elimination of unproductive intellectuals and disloyal civil and military administrators.” He hesitated for a moment before he proceeded.

“As for the scientists, we were told that they need to become members of the Nazi party. If they object they will also be eliminated. Our country does not have the resources to support slackers or nonconformists. They will no longer be tolerated. This is also the underlying reason to report any subversive conversation of our parents or relatives.”

Karl was getting upset and walked back and forth in the living room, but the grandfather remained stable. “There is nothing really new about the heavy handed enforcement of the rules by the rulers. The history is rich with examples. However, what bothers me is that Hitler is encoding the minds of children. If they don’t learn how to tell the difference between good and evil, I don’t want to be around when they become adults. The whole country will experience a rude awakening.”

“They are not conditioning me,” objected Karl, sitting down again.

“Maybe yes and maybe no, just remember what I told you about being long enough in the rain.” Karl’s grandfather was visibly worried. “Just listen to the way your friend tells us about his indoctrination. If I did not know him, I might already suspect that he is a little programmed.”

Harold thought again before he spoke. “I have to agree with your grandfather, Karl. He is right about the rain. This is the very reason that I want out of the Napola, before I am getting good and wet. I, for one, did not study to become all of a sudden brain-dead.”

While Harold defended himself, the grandfather wanted to hear some more examples of how the teachers programmed the students.

“I heard some stories against advertising. Did your instructors have anything to say about that?” he pressed Harold.

“Yes,” answered Harold, “I remember one of the SS instructors who told us that advertising was a hoax invented by the Jews. He explained it this way: If you have something of value to sell then you don’t need to advertise it. All you have to do is state what it is and then name your price. And once you name your price it is not subject to any negotiations. He told us that all of the drifters, nomads and gypsies are schacherers (dealers). They name a price but fully expect to deal. This is in strict violation of the German law.”

The grandfather had to agree that even under Prussian law it was strictly forbidden to negotiate for a price. Going all the way back to 1772 when the Kingdom of Prussia was founded, any price negotiation was unlawful. This not only extended to the price but also to the hours allocated to the merchants.

Nobody was allowed to set their own business hours. Every merchant had to open and to close their business at strictly enforced Ladenschlusszeiten (business hours).

Even the lunch hours were regulated. From noon until 1:30 PM, all the stores had to be closed. The only exceptions were the newspaper vendors in the railroad station and the airport. The merchants were held responsible for any customer who remained on the premises after 12:00 noon. The customers could not be waited on and had to leave the store. Any merchant who was found to be in violation of this law was severely fined by the Gewerbepolizei (trade police). The fine ranged from monetary fines to revoking the business license.

The prices were set by the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt, the trade observation authority. If a merchant was found guilty of undercutting the competition, the penalties could be severe and ranged from losing the business license all the way to prison terms.

The old man knew that this had been a bone of contention ever since the Jewish traders started to open stores in Germany. They not only undercut prices but also sold items on credit. Hitler claimed that the practice of the Jewish jewelry stores and furniture dealers of selling their merchandise on credit led to the debt stricken public. He proclaimed that every citizen should only buy what he could afford. If he did not have the money to pay for the regulated price he should not enter the store in the first place.

The old war veteran had his own ideas why the public was indebted to merchants but this was not the subject of their conversation.

“I agree that the set prices should be observed. But did the instructor compare the merchandise advertising to the governmental propaganda? Did he even mention something in this regard?”

“Oh, yes, Herr Veth. There is a tremendous difference between advertising and propaganda. We received several lectures on this subject,” Harold responded excitedly. “First of all, advertising is only needed if you desire a competitive edge over your competition. If every merchant sells the same butter for the same price then advertising is unnecessary. But if your advertising claims that you are the best butter dealer in Berlin or in a given territory, you are creating the impression that your butter might represent a better value for the money. Just to create the impression is most certainly against the law because the merchant who does not advertise is already thought of as inferior in his product. Our German laws assure equality for every merchant. That is also the main reason for uniform and regulated business hours”

Harold knew something about this subject because he had debated it with some of the other students. Karl, on the other hand, had never heard of a comparison between advertising and propaganda and was glued to his seat. His eyes told Harold that he wanted to hear more and Harold really went into gear.

“Every advertiser is a fraud because he creates an illusion and therefore he deserves to be arrested. He should be beaten and condemned to hard labor.”

The old man looked at the boy and wondered if this was Harold’s idea or if he had been already conditioned by the Nazi school.

“What is your personal take on this Harold?” he asked.

“My personal take? I think that an advertiser creates no value and is only self-serving. Now whether it is good or not, to be self-serving, I have not thought about. But, I do know that it is against our laws.”

“Come on Harold, tell us how it differs from propaganda.” Karl really wanted an answer from his friend.

“Your grandpa said already that propaganda is a governmental function. It has nothing to do with business. Furthermore, the government needs to bring its ideas across to the public and needs to resort to effective methods. Therefore, it encourages gifted speakers to explain the government plans. Besides that, the government is most certainly allowed to stick signs on billboards. Since the signs reflect the doctrine of the government it is not against the law.”

“Harold, think about it. Are you saying that the government can proclaim whatever it wants because it makes the laws and therefore is able to get away with outright lies?” Karl’s grandpa wanted to be sure that he understood what Harold had been taught.

“I don’t know about outright lies, but yes, our government is allowed to make the laws. Therefore, it is able to proclaim or to deny without coming into conflict with the laws.” Harold was unyielding.

The old man Veth nodded in agreement. “Alright, Harold, now think before you answer. Considering your previous point about advertising would you now come to the conclusion that the propaganda of our government is self-serving?”

Harold did not miss a beat. “Of course our government is self-serving. I don’t think that there is any difference between our government and other governments. They are always self-serving.”

“Then you don’t even think about the fact that Herr Hitler can say what he wants, but that we citizens are in jeopardy if we don’t agree with him.” Herr Veth wanted to turn this conversation into a lesson.

Harold showed that he was indeed already too long in the rain. “No Herr Veth, Herr Hitler does not say what he wants. He is only taking measures to assure that we are building an eternal empire. It will last at least a 1,000 years because we will eradicate the mentally ill by not permitting them to reproduce and also by sterilizing their roots. We will also abolish any vagrants and quacks, regardless of their faith, by sending them to labor camps. If any nonproductive person does not like our restraints they are free to migrate to other countries, which will suffer by this fact and therefore will never be of any competition to our disciplined nation.”

Karl was stunned by Harold’s outpouring. “Harold, what is the matter with you? Don’t you realize that you are sounding like a member of the Nazi party?”

Harold turned to face his friend. “No, Karl, I don’t sound like a Nazi. Discipline and productivity are the hallmarks of our Prussian culture and upbringing. There is nothing wrong with it.”

Herr Veth intertwined. “There is something wrong with using the Prussian discipline to control young minds. Herr Hitler is using the very core of our heritage by exploiting it and using it as a tool for his ambitions.”

“Alright, maybe he is,” allowed Harold. “But, if he is using it as a tool, and if he is not using it to create a pure and productive nation, then what exactly is he trying to achieve?”

Herr Veth felt challenged. “Herr Hitler is the very person he wants to eradicate. He might have started out with good intentions, but he is mentally unbalanced and now almost insane.”

“Then how come he is loved by the whole nation?” Harold interjected.

“His first programs of building the Autobahn, of installing the Reichsarbeitsdienst (national labor service) were almost strokes of genius. This endeared him with our people suffering from unemployment. Then he promised things which he is unable to deliver. His hypnotic power as an orator causes the people to cheer. They don’t love him. They are simply mesmerized by a charlatan.”

The old man answered carefully. He was not sure of Karl’s friend. It could very well be that the boy was spying for the SS.

“So, Opa, what do you think Herr Hitler’s goals are?” Karl tried to follow the thinking of his friend but had a problem with the word sterilization. He did not know what it meant and he would have to talk to him when they were alone.

“I don’t know what his goals are or what to think. All I know is what I see. We are assaulting other countries and forcing our belief system on other cultures. We invaded Poland and France and all of the lower countries and Scandinavia. We build bridges will the full intent of burning them by executing a non-aggressive agreement with the Soviet Union and then attacking them. Our troops are all the way into Africa and we are suffering casualties by the millions in addition to the millions we are killing in the name of war.” His grandfather was again choosing his words carefully.

“There is no doubt in my mind that our country will suffer greatly from Herr Hitler’s action. Our troops are already retreating in Russia. We are running out of food and material. The western allies will bomb our civilian population without mercy and bury us under the rubble of our cities.”

Harold was trying to relate what he had been told at the Napola with what he just had heard. “There is the promise of the wonder weapons we are developing. What do you think about that, Herr Veth?”

The old man shook his head. “I heard the same stories and even know about our experiments with rocket propelled bombs and planes. However, even if we have the most advanced minds in Germany working on a wonder weapon, it cannot change the outcome.” He got up from his chair to retrieve an atlas from the top of the living room cabinet. He opened a large map of Europe and pointed to the small country of Germany. “Here, see for yourself.” He drew with his finger lines connecting Germany and all the occupied countries. He started in France and Belgium and then traced all of Scandinavia and going through Poland and Hungary far into Russia. “How do you suppose a wonder weapon would help to maintain our supply lines? Alone the logistics are against us and I cannot even show you on this map the position of our troops in Africa.”

The boys were used to studying the advances of the German troops. It was the daily school subject of history. But no one had ever told them about the logistics of getting food, material, ammunition and replacements of vehicles and weapons to the front lines. Alone the comparison of the tiny outlines of Germany and the vast areas of the occupied countries spoke silently for the impossibility of the supply task.

“Don’t forget,” continued the retired cavalry officer, “our weapon manufacturing facilities are now also coming under the bombing attacks of the western allies.”

“What about our allies?” asked Karl.

“Our allies?” the old officer laughed. “Now that is a joke. You are talking about the Italians, right? I think they are great artists and singers, but soldiers?” He shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. However, the Japanese are a formidable force, but they have enough to do with the Americans. They are unable to supply us.”

He took the atlas from the boys and got up.

“If you are able to come back tomorrow I will have something to show you.”

The boys agreed to come back the next day and spent the rest of the day traveling the subway to the center of the city.

***

Karl wanted to see the area of the Tiergarten, a park in the city of Berlin, where the Jungvolk and the HJ was to practice as a human cordon to keep the masses of the population in check during an upcoming parade. It was supposed to be a mass demonstration of the newest tank battalion of the SS. As the boys approached the vicinity where Adolf Hitler was to review the passing of the troops, they marveled at the giant swastika flags which were draped from the top of massive columns which lined the length of the avenue.

On the very top of the columns were huge flat bowls and Karl remembered faintly that before the war, the bowls were filled with oil and set afire. Not every day of course, but he remembered seeing the columns ablaze like giant torches, especially in 1936 during the Olympic Games.

Now, it seemed that all the city workers were tasked to conceal the wide avenue from observation from above. Huge nettings with artificial shrubs spanned from column to column and across the streets in this particular area of the city.