Re: Letter from Ed Behrendt
Melinda Whitton (msw6294@GRIFFON.MWSC.EDU)
Wed, 12 Nov 1997 14:39:45 -0600
I was just wondering what the job of Hitler's Youth was? I don't know
much about that group except for watching things in movies. Were they
that bad, and were they treated good by Hitler's men?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mindy Whitton Missouri Western State College
St. Joseph, Missouri
http://www.mwsc.edu/~msw6294
______________________________________________________________________________
On Sat, 8 Nov 1997, Tom Holloway wrote:
> Eddy Behrendt of 'Children of the Holocaust' has asked
> me to post this for him.
>
> Tom Holloway
>
> ------------------
>
>
> Beautiful piece of writing by Walter Felscher. I am sure
> that it was a lot of work. However, as nice as it may
> sound, much of it is wishful thinking.
>
> We should after so many years now be able to tell our youth
> the real and honest facts of what occurred in those days,
> and who was responsible to doing what to whom. I say this
> not to blame or accuse anyone of anything, but only to lay
> the honest facts before those that are interested in hearing
> them.
>
> I too lived in Germany in the 1930's, and was well aware of
> the inner workings of the Hitler Youth. It was never an
> official compulsory type organization. In other words,
> young people were not forced to join, but did so eagerly and
> enthusiastically.
>
> It is true however, that there was a great deal of peer
> pressure, so that many kids were afraid not to join because
> they wanted to be "like every else". I know of several kids
> who stood up and did not join and nothing all that serious
> ever happened to them, other than that they had few friends
> and did not participate in many social functions.
>
> It was sort of a little similar to the Nazi Party. That
> certainly was not compulsory and, as a matter of fact, was
> considered a privilege. Percentage wise, very few Germans
> were actual members of the party, and yet most participated
> in the horror that went on at that time. No one was ever
> harmed because they did not join the Nazi Party.
>
> The Hitler Youth can in no way be compared to organizations
> such as the Boy Scouts. That would be a gross miscarriage
> of justice and far from the truth. The Boy Scouts are an
> organization whose entire purpose is to do good in the
> world. The Hitler Youth did just the opposite. Mainly real
> evil! The Hitler Youth were even taught to turn on their
> own parents, and many did just that. Then when their
> parents were caught, the Hitler Youth kids spoke against
> them and then watched with glee as their own parents were
> punished and even sent to concentration camps. These are
> facts that I witnessed myself.
>
> Of course it was often Hitler Youth members who terrorized
> Jewish children. They chased and beat them on the streets,
> threw stones at them and generally made their lives
> miserable. Not only did no one punish them for doing such
> things, but they were encouraged to act in that manner and
> when the police saw them do so, they stood by and laughed.
> This too I saw, many many times.
>
> So when we learn about the Hitler Youth, let's learn the
> facts and remember what an evil organization it was. Let us
> make sure that there is never such an organization anywhere
> in the world again.
>
> Eddy Behrendt
>