Study confirms Ratzinger forced to enrol in HJ

[Jim O]

Study confirms Ratzinger forced to enrol in Hitler Youth
By Kathrin Zeilmann

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Thursday August 31, 2006

By Kathrin Zeilmann, Munich*

In his memoirs, written well before his election last year as pope, Benedict XVI described how he was unwillingly enrolled in the Hitler Youth and then conscripted into the forces of Nazi Germany. The fact that the pope's early life was spent in a dictatorship has brought repeated questions about whether it influenced him.

In 1943, when Joseph Ratzinger was 16, the authorities forced his school class to move to a barracks, wear uniform and operate an anti-aircraft defence battery. In September 1944, the young German was conscripted into the Reich Labour Service for two months.

The memoirs, published in English as Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977, say his unit and forced labourers from around Europe dug tank traps in eastern Austria. In December 1944, he was called up to join a home guard for a last-ditch defence, but it never fought.

Recent historical research has confirmed Ratzinger's account of how schoolboys at his junior seminary were automatically put in the Hitler Youth, a nationwide Nazi organization in imitation of scouts.

Ratzinger was a pupil of the St Michael Juniorate in the town of Traunstein, a school that prepared boys for the priesthood.

"It was high time to do some historical research into it," said Peter Pfister, head of archives for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, who appointed a staffer, Volker Laube, to comb through the school's records...

Full story: Study confirms Ratzinger forced to enrol in Hitler Youth By Kathrin Zeilmann

[Klaus]

"...whether it influenced him." Well, duh! What do you think? What kind of stupid question is that?

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Study confirms Ratzinger forced to enrol in Hitler Youth


"It was high time to do some historical research into it," said Peter Pfister, head of archives for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, who appointed a staffer, Volker Laube, to comb through the school's records...

Someone is playing completely "off the ball" or maybe never had any idea "what the ball is".

There was decree, "fuehrers befehl", that Hitlerjugend was compulsory for every kid from, if I remember well, first 9 years old then consequtively lowered to 7 years old.
Anyone which has got any idea about Third Reich, will know that "befehl ist befehl" was respected everywhere on Reichs territory, regardless of geographical and historical ramifications. Areas incorporated into Reich after 1938 were treated exactly the same - Austria, Sudeten, Ober Schlesien, Warthegau etc - no difference. SAME LAW.
The whole blabber about "study" is comical. Shouldn't they just ask someone competent?
If I have a problem with a pipe in my bathroom I don't call baker to fix it...

Cheers,

Lancer44

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Klaus

"...whether it influenced him." Well, duh! What do you think? What kind of stupid question is that?

Umm..extremely stupid. What kind of child is not influenced by his or her surroundings?

Originally Posted by Lancer44

Someone is playing completely "off the ball" or maybe never had any idea "what the ball is".

There was decree, "fuehrers befehl", that Hitlerjugend was compulsory for every kid from, if I remember well, first 9 years old then consequtively lowered to 7 years old.
Anyone which has got any idea about Third Reich, will know that "befehl ist befehl" was respected everywhere on Reichs territory, regardless of geographical and historical ramifications. Areas incorporated into Reich after 1938 were treated exactly the same - Austria, Sudeten, Ober Schlesien, Warthegau etc - no difference. SAME LAW.
The whole blabber about "study" is comical. Shouldn't they just ask someone competent?
If I have a problem with a pipe in my bathroom I don't call baker to fix it...

Good points. I posted this with tongue in cheek hoping someone would notice. I thought the "news" here is that someone felt compelled to make such a "study". If people have a need to throw money away, they can donate it to this site...

[Klaus]

That would be more usefull.