WEBVTT - Agnes_Harb file: harb_agnes_90.txt

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Do you know about the 'one thousand mark
ban'?

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It was introduced in 1933. It was like
putting a noose around our necks – for
Austria but especially for Tyrol.

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The deal was totally ... every German
citizen who wanted to cross the border

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had to pay 1000 euros – no, marks.

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Who had that kind of money? That was
Hitler's policy.

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He suddenly paralyzed the country. So
that, so to speak ...

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the people were happy when he did come.

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Young people got work then too. I was
there when he turned up.

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00:00:45.170 --> 00:00:49.070 align:middle line:90%
A lady I knew, a lawyer's secretary was
with me.

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Her father was a senior civil servant at
the department

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of education, no, minister of trade and
commerce.

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Yes, he was minister of trade. His
daughter was in Innsbruck

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and sometimes in our village. And she
said: "Come along, Agnes." I was always
curious about everything.

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I wanted to see Hitler at the train
station square in Innsbruck. Back then,
Hotel Tyrol was the best hotel in town.

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That's where Hitler stayed. We did...

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It was the first time I set eyes on him,
saw him. We didn't get very close.

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There was such a crowd there, standing
shoulder to shoulder...

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and people were ecstatic!

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That's the only reason I can find for
them shouting so!

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And such sights – the SS were there;
they were an elite group.

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What a wonderful picture they made, all
the same height.

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Just like the Kaiserjäger under the
Emperor during the monarchy.

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They were also a specialized group,
specially trained.

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The uniforms and everything were really
impressive.

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00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:14.250 align:middle line:90%
But the people were shouting: "Führer
come soon, our feet are getting cold!"

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00:02:15.150 --> 00:02:20.180 align:middle line:90%
They were happy, really in ecstasy.

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They were 'wild', if you understand what
I mean.

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And, I remember exactly, there was

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an old gentleman, quite grey-haired,
standing near us at the train station,

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00:02:38.290 --> 00:02:43.010 align:middle line:90%
and he said – this has stayed with me
all my life long:

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"You must consider," – he didn't speak
loudly, but we understood anyway when
he said:

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"The Anschluss (annexation) will bring
war and at the end there will be hunger
and sickness."

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That's exactly what happened. It really
is. At first there were cheers but
afterwards…

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That's how... Hitler introduced the
thousand mark ban to cripple the
Austrian economy,

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to wear Austria down.  When the country
is on its knees economically

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then it needs help from the outside,
that's completely logical.

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We were so beleaguered by him, that's
what happened. That was his political
strategy.

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And then of course, when the border
opened there was

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a gigantic organization called 'Strength
through Joy'.

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It was a large travel agency for all of
Germany

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called 'NAT', also represented in
Austria.

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Here in Weer there was a young man,
originally a teacher

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at the Paulinum in Schwaz, who opened a
restaurant.

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He was the NAT representative for all of
Austria. He earned quite a lot as he
was a good businessman.

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Then busses arrived, hordes of them!

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The Easter holidays were right after the
Anschluss. The Anschluss was in March,
Easter was right afterwards.

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In Innsbruck the busses stopped at
Bozner Platz (square). Nowadays they're
not at Bozner Platz anymore.

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There were so many busses there, all of
them 'Strength through Joy'. The people
looked it – 'Strength through Joy'!

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They promised us paradise –

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at the beginning that is.

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00:05:06.100 --> 00:05:07.210 align:middle line:90%
And people found work.

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00:05:08.110 --> 00:05:14.130 align:middle line:90%
Hitler also helped agriculture a lot,
you have to admit!

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He wasn't stupid. He knew that

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feeding the population was the most
important thing.