The Last Hitler Youth: A Boy Caught Up in a Broken System
- By Gernot Kramper
- 3 Min
Youth Under Hitler: Honored with Awards and Relentlessly Exploited - Nazi Youth: Honored and Brutally Torched
On March 20, 1945, Adolf Hitler honored members of the Hitler Youth in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery. These are the last known film recordings before his demise. Among the boys whom Hitler patted on the cheek before the cameras was Wilhelm Hübner. Already a few weeks earlier, the then approximately 16-year-old was seen in the newsreel alongside the Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. The newsreel, a central propaganda tool of the Nazis, was intended to portray an unbroken fighting spirit in the final months of the war.
The Lone Smile Amidst the Chaos
In the waning days of the war, Goebbels' influence within the inner circle of power grew. The last mission of the Reich Minister of Propaganda was to bolster Hitler's resolve to continue the futile war. In Lauban, a critical transportation hub in Silesia, which was one of the Wehrmacht's last strongholds against the advancing Red Army, Goebbels awarded soldiers on March 8, 1945. In a small offensive, German troops had previously managed to push the Soviets back a few kilometers.
However, a closer examination reveals that these recordings were hardly suitable for propaganda purposes. The soldiers accompanying Goebbels still appeared presentable. Yet, the fighters from Lauban struggled to maintain their attention. Tired, worn out - it was evident that they were merely relieved to have survived. Except for one: Wilhelm Hübner, a member of the Hitler Youth. The boy grinned broadly, as if he were standing in front of the Christmas tree in the living room instead of the battered market square.
After the war, Hübner relocated to Bavaria, commencing a new life. However, the memories of Lauban haunted him throughout his life. In a DEFA documentary in the late 1980s, he shared his account of his deployment towards the end of the war. His narrative caused a stir as it harshly exposed the naive view of a child regarding war. Accompanied by the film crew, he returned to the scene of the battles, modern-day Luban. For Hübner, the war was an adventure akin to Treasure Island. His memory has suppressed the most distressing experiences. He recalls specific buildings and positions of burnt-out tanks, but the dead and wounded do not materialize in his memory, as if they had been erased.
"In the alley was a liquor store. I got a bottle of egg liqueur, hid behind a wall with my rifle, got drunk, and fired a shot now and then, then hid behind the wall again." Only once does Hübner reveal a moment of introspection, stating it was a great relief that he never saw the consequences of his shots.
Hitler, a Shell of a Man
After meeting Goebbels, Hübner was invited to Berlin, first to the guest house of Reich Youth Leader Artur Axmann and on March 19 to the Reich Chancellery. The group assembled in a courtyard, Hübner recalls. Then Hitler appeared, weakened physically and visibly defeated, approached the gathering, and greeted everyone. "After my report, he stroked my cheek and said something like: 'Good boy.' Then Hitler left with his dog." During this encounter, Hübner was overwhelmed with excitement. Later, he realized that Hitler was a broken man, haggard, and worn out by the impending defeat. He only thought: "Our Adolf has grown old."
While no substantial historical records of Wilhelm Hübner or his involvement in the Hitler Youth have been found, the organization aimed at indoctrinating German youth during the Nazi era, and some members did come into contact with Nazi leaders during special events, rallies, or visits. The recalled meeting between Wilhelm Hübner, Hitler, and Goebbels, however, is not documented in any widely recognized or specific historical accounts or biographies.
- I'm not sure if this encounter between Wilhelm Hübner, Hitler, and Goebbels is widely documented in historical accounts or biographies, but it is recounted in a DEFA documentary from the late 1980s.
- The last mission of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was to bolster Hitler's resolve to continue the futile war, as seen in his award ceremony in Lauban in March 1945. Among the soldiers accompanying Goebbels was Wilhelm Hübner, a boy from the Hitler Youth, who seemed oblivious to the chaos and horrors of the war, grinning broadly and treating the event like an adventure.
