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Dipl.-Vw. Dr. Ludwig Steiner
Clashes with the Hitler youth
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Ruth Deutschmann
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Benjamin Epp
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Wien
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2008-04-29
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Sylvia Manning - Baumgartner
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Nicole D´Incecco
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1939
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Later, it happened that ? already in May, June there were confrontations between the Catholics and the Hitler youth in Tyrol. That was because the Gauleiter of Tyrol was decidedly anti-Catholic; maybe it was different in other provinces but in Tyrol that was the situation. So, the Gauleiter here was radically anti-Catholic ? there were many provocations ? for example once, they raided the Jesuit convent in Innsbruck, in the centre of town, and tore down all the paintings. Then there were attacks on the monastary in Wilten, and we organized groups to stand guard during the nights. Among others there were theology students from the Canisianum in Innsbruck. They were Canadians, good ice-hockey players, who stood guard holding their hockey sticks ? not to spread Christian neighbourly love of course ? it was really serious. So there was resistance from the beginning... The Gestapo and later also the party and the Hitler youth knew who was for and who against them. I mean, it was surprising that religious services for young people were usually strongly attended after these attacks. At the same time it was a demonstration against the National Socialists. For example: above Innsbruck there is the Höttinger Bild (a chapel); as of May there was a mass said there at six in the morning every Saturday and there were two to three hundred young people there. You had to walk up from Innsbruck at about a quarter past five and go to school afterwards; regularly after the service there were clashes with the Hitler youth before we went to school. So, there was quite some movement there, no question. Only, later people were drafted to the armed forces and many groups were ? well, broken up and the... the final blow against every kind of resistance were the first successes the forces had; we hadn't expected that. In 1939 something happened to increase the feeling of hopelessness. It was the pact between Hitler and Stalin which was incredible, because even anti-communists knew that the east would be a very big menace for the National Socialists and then suddenly it turns out not to be one at all, that our comrades are conquering Poland! That was a shocking impact, and many people said: "What do you want? The whole world is for it and you believe it won't work!" and so on. My father was convinced that everyone ? that if they started the war, they'd lose. No doubt about it!