A Wartime Smile: The Last Hitler Youth Recounts His Tale
- Penned by Gernot Kramper
- ~ 3 Min Read
Youths from Germain adorned with medals, mercilessly deployed as human shields in battle - Hitler's Boys: Decorated Soldiers with Brutal Reputation
In the dying days of World War II, Adolf Hitler honored the Hitler Youth in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery, a spectacle captured for posterity on March 20, 1945. Among the boys who received a patronizing pat on the cheek from the tyrant was one Wilhelm Hübner. His jubilant expression amidst the grim backdrop was noteworthy, especially since, just a few weeks earlier, the 16-year-old Hübner had been noticed standing alongside Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, in another propaganda film. This final cinematic demonstration of Nazism's alleged resilient spirit was destined to mark history's endmunition.
The Exceptional Grin
In the twilight of the war, Goebbels' political star ascended swiftly, earning him a prominent position within Hitler's inner circle. Goebbels' final objective was to coax Hitler into prolonging the war that had long been lost. In the crippled town of Lauban, an important stronghold in Silesia, Goebbels lavished soldiers with awards on March 8, 1945. The triumphant German troops had earlier managed to push back the encroaching Red Army by a few kilometers with a minor offensive.
However, upon closer investigation, one realizes that these archives bore little significance for propagandistic purposes. The soldiers accompanying Goebbels radiated an air of deterioration. They battled to maintain a semblance of decorum in the presence of such high-ranking officials. They were depleted, ravaged - it was evident that they were merely grateful to have survived. All, that is, except for one: Wilhelm Hübner. Despite the bleak surroundings, he was beaming with radiance, akin to a child standing before the Christmas tree at home instead of amidst the battered square in Lauban.
Following the war, Hübner relocated to Bavaria, attempting to build anew, but the horrors of Lauban lingered in his memory, haunting him into his twilight years. In a DEFA documentary out of the late 1980s, Hübner shared his harrowing war experiences. His candid account shocked many because it offered a juvenile perspective on war, one unplagued by cynicism or disillusionment. With the film crew, he returned to Lauban's battlegrounds, now known as modern-day Luban. For Hübner, the war represented nothing more than an exhilarating adventure at the time. "Right behind that lies the small wood where we used to play as children," he told the camera. "It was the ideal playground for a child. We played war. And in 1945, it morphed into a cruel reality."
A Child Caught in the Crossfire
The region transformed into a theater of war. In 1945, the boy was pressed into service as a messenger during the four-week battles for Lauban. Every structure stood ready for a fierce confrontation. Hübner garnered attention for his local knowledge and fearlessness - strengths that may have merely been indicative of a youthful disregard for danger. "The notion did indeed cross my mind: What will my relatives say if I perish in Lauban for this cause?" he recalled as an almost 60-year-old-man.
His survival can be attributed, in part, to his diminutive stature. The bullets seemed to fall short of him. He was the smallest, and the shots usually sailed over him. Moreover, to his serendipity: "Without luck, one accomplishes nothing in war." Four or five Stalin organs, formidable Soviet multiple rocket launchers, bombed his schoolyard. "I stood smack dab in the middle of the fireworks - not a scratch."
The war for him was similar to Treasure Island. His mind had selectively repressed the darkest experiences. He could recall specific houses, the positions of burnt-out tanks, but the departed and injured do not loom vividly in his memory, as if they were meticulously erased.
"In the alley there was a liquor store. I was able to acquire a bottle of egg liqueur, huddled behind a wall with my rifle, succumbed to the drink, so to speak, and then fired a shot and hid behind the wall again." Only once does Hübner pause, confessing that it was a relief to never have witnessed if his shots had claimed a life.
Hitler, in his waning days, became a wretched man
After meeting Goebbels, Hübner was invited to Berlin. Initially, he was entertained at the guest house of Reich Youth Leader Artur Axmann, and on March 19, he found himself at the Reich Chancellery. The company gathered in a courtyard, recalled Hübner. Then, Hitler emerged, physically debilitated and marked by impending defeat, greeting everyone. "After my report, he affirmed me with a pat on the cheek and muttered something akin to: 'Good boy'." Then, Hitler departed with his dog. During the encounter, Hübner was gripped by excitement. Later, he realized that Hitler was "a hallowed man," an observation that echoed in the back of his mind. He simply thought: "Our Adolf has grown old."
- I'm not sure if Wilhelm Hübner fully understood the gravity of war during his experiences as a messenger in Lauban, as he describes the war more like an exhilarating adventure.
- Despite his youthful disregard for danger, Wilhelm Hübner's survival in the war can partially be attributed to his small stature and a dash of serendipity, but the traumatic experiences of war were selectively repressed in his memory, with specific details remaining vivid, while the departed and injured were not formally etched in his recollections.
