The story of Augustus Landmesser, the only person who refused to welcome Hitler.
June 13, 1936. August Landmesser did not raise his hand in honor of launching the naval training ship Horst Wessel.
The worker in the crowd crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to join the Nazi salute in 1936.
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June 13, 1936 in Hamburg, the ceremony of launching the last sailing vessel at the shipyard "Blohm + Voss" took place. It was a 295-meter bark Horst Wessel, named after a Nazi activist who was killed in a private dispute by a member of the Communist Party of Germany in 1930. However, Wessel's death was politicized and used in Nazi propaganda, turning him into a martyr.
At the event, in the presence of Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess delivered a speech. Wessel's mother "dubbed" the ship with a bottle of champagne, and the assembled crowd of workers and passers-by enthusiastically saluted. Only one person did not raise his hand in the Nazi salute.
Augustus Landmesser was 26 years old when he stood in the crowd, defiantly crossing his arms. He joined the Nazi Party in 1931 with the hope of finding a job, but in 1935 he was expelled from the Nazi Party when he became engaged to the Jewess Irma Eclair.
In 1935, the couple had their first daughter, Ingrid. When they attempted to move to Denmark in 1937, they were detained. August was charged with desecrating the race. At first, he received an excuse, but was soon followed by a second arrest and sent to the camp "Bergermoor".
In prison, Irma gave birth to a second daughter, Irena. Several times it was transferred from one concentration camp to another. In February 1942 in Bernburg near Dessau Irmu was killed along with thousands of other prisoners.
August spent two and a half years in hard labor. Having freed himself, he worked for two years in a transport company, until he was called into the battalion of the penal battalion. He died during the fighting in Croatia.
Ingrid and Irene were taken to an orphanage, later they were separated. Grandmother on the maternal line managed to take custody of Ingrid, and Irena lived in a foster family. Both survived the war.
The sailing ship "Horst Wessel", on the construction of which worked Landmesser, was transferred to the Coast Guard of the United States and renamed "Eagle".
July 4, 1976. "Eagle" sails to the harbor of New York in honor of the celebration on the occasion of the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Very cool friend
Constantly wonder when I read the story