The Young Hitler I Knew

by August Kubizek

  ‘This war is robbing me of my best years,’ he went on, ‘You know, Kubizek, how many things I have planned, what I still want to build. But I would like to be around to see it, understand me? You know better than anyone how many plans I have carried with me from my youth. So far I have only been able to realise a few. I still have an enormous amount to do, but who will do it? Time will not stand still. We are getting older, Kubizek. A few more years and it is too late to do what remains to be done.’

  That strangely excited voice which I knew from my youth, trembling with impatience, now began to describe the great projects for the future: the spread of the autobahns, the modernisation of the commercial waterways and railway network, and much else. I was scarcely able to keep up with it all. Again I received the impression that he wanted to justify his intentions to the witness of his youthful ideas. I might be only an insignificant civil servant, but for him I was the only person who remained from his teenage days. Possibly it was more satisfying for him to lay bare his ideas to a simple compatriot who was not even a Party member than to the military and political decision-makers who surrounded him.

  When I attempted to return the conversation to our common erstwhile reminiscences, he seized at once on a loose remark I made and continued: ‘Poor students, that is what we were. And we starved, by God. With nothing more than a chunk of bread in our pockets we would set off for the mountains. But things have changed now. A couple of years ago, young people sailed aboard our ships to Madeira. See, over there is Dr Ley together with his young wife. He built up the organisation.’ Now he broached his cultural plans. The crowds before the Festival Hall might be calling for him to appear, but he had the bit between his teeth now and would not break off. Just as in his monologues in the dark room at old Frau Zakreys’s house, he knew that as soon as he started on the problems affecting art I would be with him whole-heartedly.

  ‘The war is tying me down but not for much longer, I hope,’ he said, ‘then I can get back to building and creating what is still to be created. Then I will send for you, Kubizek, and you will always be at my side.’

  Outside, the Wehrmacht band struck up, indicating that the performance was about to resume. I thanked the Reich Chancellor for his kindness and wished him good luck and success in the future. He accompanied me to the door, then stood and watched me leave.

  After Götterdämmerung concluded, I walked down the drive and saw that the Adolf-Hitler-Strasse was cordoned off. I stood at the entrance to watch the Reich Chancellor pass. A few minutes later his cavalcade came in sight. Hitler was standing up in his car receiving the ovation of the crowd. On either flank drove the vehicles of his military escort. What happened next I have never forgotten. The general music director, Elmendorf and three ladies who had been at Haus Wahnfried came up and congratulated me. I had no idea why. The convoy of vehicles was almost abreast, moving at slow speed. I stood by the cordon and gave a salute. At that moment Hitler recognised me and gave his driver a signal. The cavalcade stopped, and Hitler’s car sheered over to my side of the street. He smiled, reached out his hand to me and said, ‘Auf Wiedersehen’. As his car rejoined the convoy, he turned and waved. Suddenly I was the centre of all the hubbub and attention. Hardly anybody knew who I was or what had merited me such attention from the German leader.

  23 July 1940 was the last time I saw Adolf Hitler. The war developed in extent and intensity. There was no longer an end in sight for it. My employment took up all my time; my sons were conscripted. In 1942 I joined the National Socialist Party. It was not that my basic attitudes to political questions had changed; my superiors in office considered it right and proper, now that the struggle was one of national survival, that municipal leaders should show their colours. Naturally I was outwardly a supporter of Adolf Hitler, but not politically. But this was war, and I had to do what was expected of me.

  ‘Has the Führer never asked you about your Party membership?’ the Bürgermeister enquired one day. I told him that the question had never arisen. There had been just one sly dig once in 1939 when I was presented to Frau Wagner. Hitler pointed out that I wore no Party badge nor medals and, knowing that I was secretary of the Linz branch of the Richard-Wagner-Bund deutscher Frauen, remarked, ‘That is Herr Kubizek for you. He is a member of your League of German Women. Very nice!’ What he implied was: ‘The only society to which my friend belongs is – a women’s organisation. That is enough to show the man he is.’

  The war cast a long shadow. To the general misery and woe came personal disappointment and bitterness – I am thinking here especially of Dr Bloch. The good ‘poor people’s physician’ as they called in him Linz was by now a very old man. He wrote to me through the intermediary of Professor Huemer, Hitler’s former form-master, asking that I intercede with the Reich Chancellor on his behalf and let an old Jew be, since it was he who had attended to Frau Hitler in her last illness. To be an advocate for him seemed to me the right thing to do. I did not know Dr Bloch personally, but I wrote at once to the Reich Chancellery enclosing the old doctor’s letter. After a few weeks Bormann replied, expressly forbidding me to intercede in future on behalf of third parties. As for Dr Bloch, he could tell me that the matter had been assigned to ‘the general category’, whatever that was. This was a Führer instruction. Whether Hitler had seen my plea I had no idea. The fact that Dr Bloch, so far as I could determine, continued to be left in peace was not really reassuring. All I saw from this was that I could not approach Hitler without getting to him face-to-face, and that was impossible so long as the war lasted.

  In time the end came. The war was lost. I listened to the radio transfixed in those fearful days of May 1945 as the Reich Chancellery fell and the European conflagration terminated. The closing scene of Rienzi came to mind in which the Volkstribun dies in the flames of the Capitol.

  … the Volk abandon me also,

  whom I elevated to be worthy of the name:

  Every friend abandons me,

  who created for me my luck.

  Though basically an unpolitical being who had not identified himself with the political events of that epoch which ended in 1945, I was resolute that no power on earth could force me to deny my friendship with Adolf Hitler. My first and immediate concern in this respect was the memorabilia. Come what may these items had to be preserved for posterity. I had wrapped the letters, postcards and sketches in cellophane years previously; now I placed them in a leather case and slipped them behind the brickwork in the cellar of my Eferding house. After the mortar was carefully reapplied, there was no trace of the hiding place. It was none too soon, for the next day the Americans came. I spent the next sixteen months in the notorious Glasenbach internment camp. The Americans searched my house for the memorabilia but left empty handed. They also interrogated me on two occasions, at Eferding and Gmunden, where I made no secret of my friendship for Adolf Hitler. Eventually I was released from custody on 8 April 1947.

  * Rabitsch, Hugo: Jugend-Erinnerungen eines zeitgenössischen Linzer Realschüler: also Aus Adolf Hitlers Jugendzeit: Deutsche Volksverlag, Munich 1938.

  * * *

  Index

  Page references in italics refer to illustration captions.

  Academy of Art (Vienna) 10, 73, 124, 129–30, 141–2, 157–8, 160–1, 163, 169, 174

  Anschluss 10

  Bach, Johann Sebastian 201–2

  Bauernberg 107

  Bayreuth 10, 12, 25, 76, 80, 85, 107, 113–4, 118, 186, 188, 197,

  Beethoven, Ludwig van 176, 197, 199, 202

  Bellini, Vincenzo 187

  Benedictine Order 76, 80

  Benkieser (nickname for Stefanie, q.v.) 73, 74

  Bethlehemstrasse (Linz) 94

  Bloch, Dr Eduard 14, 133–4, 259

  Blütengasse (No. 9) 89, 100, 127–8, 135, 137, 138, 216, 253

  Bormann, Albert 247

  Bormann, Martin 247, 252, 259

  Boschetti, Professor 156, 174

  Bosnia 162

  Brahms, Johannes 196<
br />
  Braunau am Inn 46, 47, 49, 54

  Brauneis, Prof. 58

  Bruckner, Anton 42, 196–7, 202, 249–50

  Brünhilde 76

  Budweis 90

  Burg Theatre 120, 126, 166, 178, 181, 213, 241

  Capuchin Order 90

  Carmelite Order 95, 148

  Cichini, Edler von 61

  Commenda, Hans 60

  Conservatoire (Vienna) 10, 22, 121, 141, 145, 146–7, 13, 154, 156, 158, 160, 174, 179, 183, 188, 189, 194, 196, 204–5, 208, 221, 222, 230, 232, 233, 240, 243

  Custozza, Battle of 162

  Dante Alighieri 61, 181

  Danube, River 29, 32, 33, 38, 39, 40, 71, 89, 108, 109, 110, 112, 115, 123, 135, 137, 208–9

  Dessauer, Heinrich 25, 34

  Dinkelsbühl 109

  Döllersheim 53, 54

  Donizetti, Gaetano 187

  Drasch, Heinrich 60

  Eferding 10, 11, 19, 243–4, 246, 249, 251, 254, 260

  Elendsimmerl 41

  Elsa 68, 76, 81

  Engstier, Max 60, 63

  Eva 76

  Ernst, Otto 181

  Fischlham bei Lambach 58, 144

  fliegende Holländer, Die 85, 121, 126, 187, 254, 256

  Franz Josef, Emperor 45, 52, 56, 162, 226

  Freinberg 12, 31, 33, 39, 116–19, 245

  Fuchs, Albert 201

  Ganghofer, Ludwig 181

  Gissinger, Theodor 63–4

  Glasl-Hörer, Anna, see Hitler, Anna

  Gluck, Christoph 201–2

  Goebbels, Josef 252

  Goethe, Johann von 181, 185

  Göllerich, August 25, 78, 85, 196

  Götterdämmerung 254, 256, 258

  Gounod, Charles 187

  Gramastetten 41

  Grieg, Edvard 197

  Grüner, Leonhard 76

  Grünmarkt (No. 19, Steyr) 61

  Gutheil, Gustav 153, 196, 232

  Hafeld 54

  Habsburg monarchy/state 65, 88, 90–1, 114, 162, 164, 204–5, 213, 222, 226, 229

  Hamann, Brigitte 14

  Händel, Georg Friederic 201–2

  Hanslick, Eduard 196

  Haydn, Franz 202

  Hermannskogel 208

  Hess, Rudolf 42, 253, 254

  Hiedler, Johann Georg 47–8, 53, 54

  Hiedler, Johann Nepomuk 47–8, 54

  Hitler, Adolf:

  anger of 32, 34, 68, 69, 71, 78, 107, 114, 126, 134, 155–60, 177

  appearance 28, 36–7, 38, 105, 135, 150, 212–13, 221

  and architecture/town planning 14, 55, 73, 80, 96–115, 100, 102, 127, 130, 158, 165–7, 172–3, 174–5, 177–9, 186, 222, 236–7, 248–9

  and art 14, 31, 34, 35, 61, 222

  attitude to work 30

  and civil servants/service 34, 38, 52, 56, 160

  and the Church 93–5, 228

  composes opera 78, 189–95

  correspondence with Kubizek 10, 22, 63, 73, 103, 106, 120–3, 129, 148, 206, 235–9, 245–6, 250, 260

  development of political views 55, 63, 87–95, 116–19, 127, 172–3, 197–9, 218, 222–31

  eloquence 32–3, 37–8, 117,

  financial resources 14, 39, 88, 102, 111–12, 125, 129, 144, 155, 183, 242

  frugal lifestyle 39, 144, 155, 194, 257

  as Führer and Chancellor 10, 80, 118, 245–60

  and homosexuality 219–20

  and Jews 12, 13, 93–4, 155–6, 229–31

  and the military 56, 57, 92, 183–4, 204

  and music 14, 76–86

  and mythology 62, 82–4, 176, 181, 182, 187, 190

  and painting/drawing 30, 40, 41, 62, 73, 96, 105, 125, 151, 169, 175–7

  school/schooldays/schoolfriends 30, 31, 36, 54, 58–65, 69, 77, 89, 93, 95, 98, 99, 137, 251

  sense of humour 42–3

  and sex 212–21

  siblings (deceased) 23 47, 49, 50, 53

  writings of (see in addition Mein Kampf) 31, 40, 62, 68, 158, 189, 229

  Hitler, Alois 32, 34, 36, 38, 44–50, 51–7, 60, 61, 69, 70, 77, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 97, 99, 124, 126, 128, 135, 137, 143, 159, 228

  Hitler, Alois (jun.) 45, 47

  Hitler, Angela, see Raubal, Angela

  Hitler, Anna 47, 54

  Hitler, Franziska 45, 47, 54

  Hitler, Heinz 46

  Hitler, Klara 13, 14, 23, 31, 32, 36, 37, 44–50, 51, 53, 54, 60, 61, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 88, 89, 94, 95, 97, 102, 116, 123–9, 132–8, 141, 142, 144, 146, 148, 157, 159–61, 214, 259

  Hitler, Paula 14, 23, 26, 44, 50, 62, 71, 95, 125, 127, 129, 132, 133, 135, 137–8, 142, 159

  Hitler, William Patrick 46

  Hofmannsthal 164

  Hof Library 127, 180

  Hof Museum 120, 166, 222, 236

  Hof Opera 80, 82, 120–2, 151, 152, 166, 183–5, 212–3, 241

  Holzpoldl 41

  Huemer, Eduard 60, 63, 206, 259

  Humboldtstrasse (No. 18) 28, 44, 45, 46, 62, 73, 74, 78, 82, 88, 122, 138,

  Hüttler, Johanna, see Pölzl, Johanna

  Ibsen, Henrik 181

  Isak, Richard (brother of Stefanie) 67, 70, 140

  Isak, Stefanie, see Stefanie

  Jentsch, Max 232

  Jetzinger, Franz 9, 11, 13, 14, 216

  Jurasek 90

  Kaiser, Director 153, 232

  Karslkirche 166

  Kirchengasse (No. 2) 112–3

  Klagenfurt 65, 243

  Klammstrasse (No. 9) 25, 27, 82

  Königgratz, Battle of 162

  Kopetzky, ex-Sgt-Maj 24–5, 77

  Krimhild 40

  Kubizek, August:

  anti-semitism 12

  father 23–7, 32, 37, 41, 43, 79, 133, 140, 141, 146–9, 171, 205–6, 234, 243

  interned by Allies 10, 21, 260

  meets Hitler 27–8

  military service 10, 204–7, 215, 233, 239, 243

  mother 23–5, 27, 32, 37, 41, 78–9, 137–40, 141, 144–6, 148–9, 205, 235, 235, 240, 243

  siblings (deceased) 23

  work as upholsterer 22, 25, 26, 30, 31, 35, 78–9, 96, 132–3, 145–7

  writes book about Hitler 11, 19

  writes official account of Hitler’s life 10

  Lambach 45, 54

  Lambach monastery 76, 80, 94, 157

  Landsberg prison 92, 245

  Landstrasse (Linz) 29, 34, 66, 67, 124, 127, 151, 178

  Lavantthal 65

  Leonding 31, 46, 49, 52, 54, 59, 77, 125, 137, 139, 142, 143, 144, 253

  Leopold Stocker Verlag 11, 19–20

  Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim 181

  Lichtenberg 96, 109

  Lichtenhag 41

  Linz (generally, see also various streets and districts) 9, 14, 29, 54, 90, 106–9, 114–15, 127, 173

  Linz Landestheater 27, 80–2

  Linz School of Music 24, 25, 153

  Liszt, Franz 25, 78, 185

  Lohengrin 30, 68, 80, 84, 126, 184–5, 187, 235, 236

  Lowe, Ferdinand 196

  Ludwig II, King of Bavaria 85

  Lueger, Karl 228

  Mahler, Gustav 186, 230

  Marburg an der Drau 10, 64, 243

  Matzelsberger, Franziska, see Hitler, Franziska

  Mayrhofer, Josef 31, 125, 142–3, 144, 145

  Mein Kampf 12, 21, 50, 52, 53, 59, 62, 80, 89, 92, 94, 120, 122, 131, 167, 174, 177, 179, 180, 222, 225, 230

  Melk 208

  Mendelsohn, Felix 197, 230

  Meistersinger, Die 76, 81, 185, 187

  Mistelbach 54

  Mittermaier, Karl 58

  Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 202

  Mühlviertel 39, 208–9

  Nazi Party 10, 11, 13, 19, 20

  Nietzsche, Friedrich 181

  NSDAP, see Nazi Party

  Obersalzberg 75, 246, 256

  Parsifal 185

  Passau 54

  Pfennigberg 41

  Pölzl, Amalia 47

  Pölzl, Johanna (grandmother of AH) 47

  Pölzl, Johanna (a
unt of AH) 47, 155

  Pölzl, Johann Baptist 46

  Pölzl, Klara, see Hitler, Klara

  Pöstlingberg 104, 105, 112, 250, 253

  Pötsch, Leopold 64–5, 90, 99

  Prachatitz 90

  Prague 90

  Prewratzky, Josef 77–8

  Puccini, Giacomo 187

  Raubal, Angela (half-sister of AH) 45, 47, 58, 101, 133, 138–9, 142, 235, 241, 244

  Raubal, Angela (Geli; niece of AH) 142

  Raubal, Leo 31, 45, 51, 100, 125, 133, 138–40, 142, 235, 241, 244

  Rax (mountain) 209–11, 241

  Rechberger, Franz 58

  Rienzi 12, 81, 116–18, 256, 259

  Rilke 164

  Ring der Niebelungen, Der 185, 256

  Ringstrasse (Vienna) 29, 120, 127, 165–7, 178, 207, 218

  Rodel, River 39, 41

  Rosegger, Peter 181

  Rossini, Gioacchino Antonio 187

  Rothenburg 109

  Saalfelden 54

  St Andrä 65

  St Florian 41

  St Georgen 41

  Schicklgruber, Alois, see Hitler, Alois

  Schicklgruber, Anna Maria 53

  Schiller, Johann von 181, 185

  Schmeidtoreck (Linz) 67, 71, 72, 75, 186, 216

  Schnitzler, Arthur 213

  Schönbrunn 157, 160, 162, 177, 207, 234

  Schonerer, Georg Ritter von 93–4, 228

  Schopenhauer, Artur 181

  Schubert, Franz 197, 249

  Schumann, Robert 197

  Schütz, Heinrich 201

  Schwab, Gustav 82

  Schwarz, Franz 95

  Semmering 209

  Sixtl, Prof. 58

  Smetana, Bedřich 187

  Spital 46, 133

  Stefanie (Isak) 13, 34, 36, 62, 66–75, 76, 85–6, 89, 92, 101, 106, 121–4, 126, 128, 132, 134–5, 138–9, 143, 147, 151, 156, 159, 160, 178, 186, 208, 214–6, 233–4

  Stefansdom (Vienna) 108, 109, 151, 178

  Steyr 58, 60

  Stifter 181

  Stockbauerstrasse (No. 7) 105

  Strones 53

  Stumpergasse (No. 29) 129, 150–61, 167, 207, 240, 242, 245, 256

  Sturmlechner 36

  Tannhauser 184

  Tchaikovsky, Pyotyr 187