Loved reading others’ freeform comments… Here’s mine. Hope they;‘re half as fun. My little boy is climbing around me as I type… I’ll blame any spelling errors on him.
When Neilsen ratings times come around, History Channel trots out its Y2K Aged Nazi Interviews (my title—-not theirs. Theirs is more tactful…). Fascinating. But creepy.
My favorite set of interviewees are persons from Hitler’s household, guards, or office staff. All are old, but one can still see in most how very handsome/beautiful they must have been. Hitler wanted to promote a handsome/beautiful master race, so whom he hired for staff probably had to reflect this ideal. Blonds definitely had more “fun” & job ops in Nazi culture.
Almost all radiate charm, tho their words mostly come thru an interpreter. Like parents/grandparents who would charming & fun to be around. (Surely a charming personality was also a plus for most who worked around Hitler.)
Some of you “get off” on watching Freddy Kreuger or other horror films. These interviewees are my version of a quiet but real life horror film, because they are living remnants of a real life horror tale
…where a whole culture political, scientific, religious, artistic, social & of course military…was made to submit QUICKLY to the all encompassing National Socialist ideology. EVery decision made in court, in the science lab, in the history classroom, in art, in human ethics…had to pass the Nazi Ideology test. If the idea didn’t conform, it was declared false& punishment followed. Truth had to conform to Nazi ideology.
Talk about quick success in transforming & engaging one’s culture!
One gets the hint from these “aged nazi interviews” (even tho their personal beliefs are rarely discussed) that some or most STILL grieve the loss of Hitler & his religious/social/cultural/military ideology. Creepy. I naiively thot naziism’s brand of socialism died with Hitler. It lives…at least in pockets here & there.
Fascinating. And there’s a hint of my Norwegian family’s involvement here…both in the resistance against the Nazis and (for a few Norwegian relatives)as collaboraters. Still a sore subject in the family both here & ihn Norway. Everyone knows “who resisted” & “who slept with Nazis, or at least worked with them.”.
Norwegian relatives (those my dad’s age & older—-the youth of WWII) avoid talking of their heroic exploits against the Nazis in occupied Norway.
It is said some relatives helped somehow in destroying the Norwegian heavy water plants needed for any possible Nazi atomic bombs. But there is too much pain from the damage the whole occupation did to them…they do not wish to discuss it, even tho they were heroes. So I don’t ask anymore.
I tactfully avoid embarrassing questions to the Norwegian female cousin who (it is said) slept with Nazis and helped them in other ways. But I have observed how upset & guilty she looked when the subject was even close…& I backed off..
Whether or not she has made peace with God about it, I do not know her well enough to know.
These are my ramblings—-for today. PS also saw a Norwegian name (might be from my family) on the list of the 50 escaped Allied prisoners murdered by Nazis after a large Alliedprison break (which the movie The Great Escape is based on). Someday I will ask if that Mr. Helge Espelid is a relative…if I think the Norwegian relatives will not be too upset with my asking.
Some deep pains (such as what my Norwegian relatives & their culture have experienced in WWII) only time—-and God can heal.
vanlee
Feb 04 2004
06:36 am
Loved reading others’ freeform comments… Here’s mine. Hope they;‘re half as fun. My little boy is climbing around me as I type… I’ll blame any spelling errors on him.
When Neilsen ratings times come around, History Channel trots out its Y2K Aged Nazi Interviews (my title—-not theirs. Theirs is more tactful…). Fascinating. But creepy.
My favorite set of interviewees are persons from Hitler’s household, guards, or office staff. All are old, but one can still see in most how very handsome/beautiful they must have been. Hitler wanted to promote a handsome/beautiful master race, so whom he hired for staff probably had to reflect this ideal. Blonds definitely had more “fun” & job ops in Nazi culture.
Almost all radiate charm, tho their words mostly come thru an interpreter. Like parents/grandparents who would charming & fun to be around. (Surely a charming personality was also a plus for most who worked around Hitler.)
Some of you “get off” on watching Freddy Kreuger or other horror films. These interviewees are my version of a quiet but real life horror film, because they are living remnants of a real life horror tale…where a whole culture political, scientific, religious, artistic, social & of course military…was made to submit QUICKLY to the all encompassing National Socialist ideology. EVery decision made in court, in the science lab, in the history classroom, in art, in human ethics…had to pass the Nazi Ideology test. If the idea didn’t conform, it was declared false& punishment followed. Truth had to conform to Nazi ideology.
Talk about quick success in transforming & engaging one’s culture!
One gets the hint from these “aged nazi interviews” (even tho their personal beliefs are rarely discussed) that some or most STILL grieve the loss of Hitler & his religious/social/cultural/military ideology. Creepy. I naiively thot naziism’s brand of socialism died with Hitler. It lives…at least in pockets here & there.
Fascinating. And there’s a hint of my Norwegian family’s involvement here…both in the resistance against the Nazis and (for a few Norwegian relatives)as collaboraters. Still a sore subject in the family both here & ihn Norway. Everyone knows “who resisted” & “who slept with Nazis, or at least worked with them.”.
Norwegian relatives (those my dad’s age & older—-the youth of WWII) avoid talking of their heroic exploits against the Nazis in occupied Norway.
It is said some relatives helped somehow in destroying the Norwegian heavy water plants needed for any possible Nazi atomic bombs. But there is too much pain from the damage the whole occupation did to them…they do not wish to discuss it, even tho they were heroes. So I don’t ask anymore.I tactfully avoid embarrassing questions to the Norwegian female cousin who (it is said) slept with Nazis and helped them in other ways. But I have observed how upset & guilty she looked when the subject was even close…& I backed off..
Whether or not she has made peace with God about it, I do not know her well enough to know.
These are my ramblings—-for today. PS also saw a Norwegian name (might be from my family) on the list of the 50 escaped Allied prisoners murdered by Nazis after a large Alliedprison break (which the movie The Great Escape is based on). Someday I will ask if that Mr. Helge Espelid is a relative…if I think the Norwegian relatives will not be too upset with my asking.
Some deep pains (such as what my Norwegian relatives & their culture have experienced in WWII) only time—-and God can heal.