The Last Hitler Youth: Decorated and Exploited
By Gernot Kramper
- ~3 Min Read
Nazi Youths Honored with Awards and Mercilessly Leveraged - Rearly Decorated, Utterly Brutal Hitler Youth
On March 20, 1945, Adolf Hitler bestowed medals upon the Hitler Youth in the courtyard of the Reich Chancellery. The recordings from this event, the last public before his demise, reveal one boy grinning ear to ear – Wilhelm Hübner. Already a few weeks prior, the then approximately 16-year-old had been featured in the newsreels alongside Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. These propaganda tools were a significant weapon in the Nazis’ arsenal, aiming to project an unbroken fighting spirit in the twilight of the war.
Only the Hitler Youth Boy is Smiling
As the war neared its end, Goebbels' influence within the inner circle of power surrounding Hitler intensified. In Lauban, a vital transport hub in Silesia, one of the last bastions of Wehrmacht against the advancing Red Army, Goebbels awarded soldiers on March 8, 1945. The German troops had previously thwarted the Soviets, but a closer examination of the footage shows that these soldiers barely managed to stand at attention despite the high-ranking visitor. They were exhausted, on the brink of collapse. All except one: Wilhelm Hübner, a member of the Hitler Youth. He exuded an uncanny, unwavering joy, as if he was standing in front of a Christmas tree instead of a battle-scarred market square.
Post-war, Hübner found refuge in Bavaria, where he began a new life. In the late 1980s, he recounted his deployment at the end of the war, shocking viewers with a raw, unfiltered perspective on war. In a DEFA documentary, he returned to the battleground, today's Luban. For Hübner, the war was an enthralling adventure – reminiscent of Treasure Island. "Exactly behind that lies the little wood where we used to play as children," he reminisced to the camera. "It was an ideal playground. We played war. And in 1945, it became a horrifying reality."
A Child in War
Lauban transformed into a warzone. In 1945, the boy served as a messenger during the brutal four-week battles for Lauban. Every building in the town was fought over tooth and nail. Hübner distinguished himself through his local knowledge and courage – which may have been more akin to a childlike, fearless attitude. "The thought did cross my mind: What will your relatives say if it's said that Wilhelm has fallen for us in Lauban?" he remembered as a nearly 60-year-old man.
That he survived is partly attributed to his size. He was always the smallest, and the bullets often flew over him. Another stroke of luck: "Without luck, you're nothing in war." Four or five multiple rocket launchers, known as Stalin organs, hit his schoolyard. "I was right in the middle of the fireworks – not a scratch."
The war remains a childhood memory for Hübner, a thrilling escapade akin to Treasure Island. His mind has suppressed the most harrowing experiences. He vividly recalls individual houses and the positions of burnt-out tanks, but the dead and wounded take no shape in his memory, as if they've been carefully edited out.
"In the alley was a liquor store. I grabbed a bottle of egg liqueur, hid behind a wall with my rifle, got drunk, as they say, and occasionally fired a shot before hiding again." Only once does Hübner hesitate, admitting the relief of never knowing if his shots hit anyone.
Hitler was a broken man
After a visit from Goebbels, an invitation to Berlin arrived. Initially, it was to the guesthouse of Reich Youth Leader Artur Axmann; later, on March 19, to the Reich Chancellery. The group assembled in a courtyard, recalls Hübner, whereupon Hitler arrived. Weakened and fraught with the imminent defeat, he greeted each participant. After my salute, he patted my cheek and said something akin to 'Good boy,'" Hübner remembered. Hitler then departed with his dog. During the encounter, Hübner was incapacitated by exhilaration. Later, he realized, Hitler was a "broken man," it was evident. He thought, "Our Adolf has aged."
The end of the war marked a turning point for Wilhelm Hübner. Born into the Nazi regime, he experienced the rise and fall of German ideology firsthand – from an adventure-filled childhood to the harsh realities of war, and ultimately to a new life in post-war Germany.
I'm not sure, but it seems Wilhelm Huber's recollection of the war reflects a disturbing normalization of the horrors he experienced. During his service in Lauban, he described the war as an enthralling adventure, reminiscent of Treasure Island, despite the brutal four-week battles. His memory of the war is characterized by a lack of clarity regarding the dead and wounded, with a focus on individual buildings, burnt-out tanks, and his own intoxication. It's intriguing to note that even in his encounter with Hitler, he seemed more excited than intimidated, viewing the broken and aged dictator as little more than an ordinary visitor.
