Siegfried Widmar was a member of
the German Hitler Youth when he was young and living in Germany. For those who
joined the Nazi Army there were many privileges for them.
The whole country was being watched by those who were part of the Nazi Army,
including the Hitler Youth. Everyone was constantly being watched by not only
the police but also by their neighbors, friends, and family. Even children were
known to turn their parents in.
Siegfried recalls that there was more to being a Nazi than just marching and
singing. He was told to go into the regular army at the age of 15. He was sent
to Czechoslovakia.
One day Siegfried went along a route. As he walked past Jewish prisoners their
eyes were totally blank. A sergeant told him that they had been standing for
five days out in the cold Russian winter. None of the prisoners had shoes on
and only had on rough rags wrapped around them.
For many people being apart of the Hitler Youth was something you had to do
in order to survive in Germany. Children who did not attend Hitler Youth meetings
were persecuted as well as their families. Even though they may have been in
Germany, many of them were innocent victims of Hitler’s cruelty.
