Nazi propaganda. Media control. Total control of the German population in WW2
February 22, 2013
Great historical perspective of world war 2 and adolf hitler from the
eyes of the committed and "faithful" German youth. The nazi propaganda
machine and media control was unbelievable and powerful. Enjoyed cross
referencing the actual events,wolfhilde's account and beliefs' with
historical fact.
Commentary on Wolfhilde's Diary
February 13, 2013
This book provides a fantastic and unique insight into the mind of a
teenager during the height of the Third Reich. The reader is given a
chronological account into the progress of World War II from a young
German girl's perspective detailing many of Hitler and his leadership's
activities from 1939 to 1946. Her maturity at such a young age is most
noticeable along with her dedication and quest to become a medical
profession. It was amazing how little the German people knew of the
atrocities that were taking place. A must read for anyone interested in
German sociology during a critical and important time in history.
Eye opening, thought provoking
January 31, 2013
This is the journal of a young girl living in Munich, Germany just
before and during WWII. As I read I wanted her to critique her culture
and had to remind myself that EVERY individual, especially teens, is in
the process of being indoctrinated by their teachers, peers, youth
groups, etc. Hopefully that indoctrination is not being intentionally
skewed to achieve a political goal.
What she is relating is
day-to-day life for a school girl. She is aware of the historic events
going on around her and does not question them. Near the end of the war
she does say she cannot imagine losing the German way of life.
After
the Allied occupation she mentions being required to go through
"denazification" in order to become a student at Munich University. I
can only think that must be similar to treatment and recovery from cult
immersion. After reading this I have an inkling how a whole people can
be misled (misled to too mild a word for what I mean).
This book would make a good addition to any curriculum addressing the history of World War II.
The other side of History..., March 14, 2013
By
Chuck Ramsey (California)
This is an excellent book that really helps you to understand how
ordinary people could have been pulled into something so evil. The story
of Lulu (Wolfhilde was called this by her family) as told through her
diary could have been the story of my own mother had her family not
immigrated to the US before she was born. That same German devotion to
duty, hard work and education that brought success to so many of our
German immigrants and ancestors comes through loud and clear, only in
service to Adolf Hitler. Though the eyes of a young girl you begin to
understand how insidious the Nazis were in indoctrinating their young
people through the most ordinary of activities.
Her story as she
tells it is very compelling and interesting. It kept me reading through a
whole weekend just to finish it even though the outcome was known form
the beginning. It is only at the very end that any doubt begins to show
up and then later perhaps some regret. We all need to be very vigilant
as to how much power we grant to any government - especially over the
education of our children. They are so vulnerable to influence and
sometimes we just happily turn them over to people we don't know, to
learn things that most of us today were never taught. Scary!
I
wish my own mother was still alive to read this book. As a person of
German ancestry, and a World War II Marine veteran, I think she would
have enjoyed it very much. I can highly recommend this book to anyone
who has an interest in history, education or philosophy.
Nazi Youth Diary; true story, March 11, 2013
By
Carrie Wilson
This book is amazing and I've only gotten started. I love hearing the
TRUTH of what people thought back then and how and why they honored
Hitler so well. I love how it's not blinding you, this is a true book,
kids found this diary and this is what the Nazi youth felt or most of
them. And I really liked what she said about at the end of the war they
had no choice but to do as they said even though they had no wish to do
so..........basically.
A look from the other side...
March 25, 2013
I found this book very interesting as a first resource to life under
Hitler. As we have looked at Nazism from the Jewish perspective and
through the wisdom of hindsight, we cannot imagine how any "good" person
could have followed Hitler. Wolfhilde shows us how. I was reminded of a
cult where people have so much confidence in their leader that they
allow the leader to interpret the world for them. Hitler's Germany was a
cult on a much larger scale. Wolfhilde's honest reflections in her
diary (and her saving it these many years) are a warning to remember the
past...or be doomed to repeat it.
about a mamber of a local family
March 28, 2013
I am a contemporary of the author of the diary. I was very interested in
the view of the other side. It was not tragic as was the case with the
dutch jewess ann Frank. She had it much better than most other germans
as she was in a medical field and in a part of germeny that was not
bombed as widely.
A must read for History Departments
April 26, 2013
This is a wonderful newly found diary of a young lady living in Munich
at the time of Hitler's reign and her first hand experience of the life
she lead and the beliefs she had during that time. It should be a must
read for all History Departments in Colleges and Universities.
Very powerful and insightful January 30, 2013
By
Spartan13
Very powerful and insightful. A must read for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of the rise of Hitler and Nazism and how the children and people of Germany were affected before and during World War II. One of a kind perspective!
Mike Bouse via eMail June 11, 2013
I’ve casually studied WWII over many years, but always from a USA perspective. It is very true that the victor has the honor/duty to write history; I did not realize how shaded my views were. I must admit that while reading Wolfehilde’s Hitler Youth Diary, my perspective on this part of history changed immensely.
Though she does not tell us how the Nazi regime convinced an entire nation that theirs was the God given right way, literally every word she wrote supported the entirely brainwashed mentality that these tyrants instilled into a whole society. From the beginning of the book right to the very end, Wolfehilde steadfastly and without waver gives full support to the German cause. I cannot believe that any of the common majority of her peers thought any differently that what she expressed in writing. Several times I read that she, along with an entire nation, worshipped their war heroes; especially those that lost their lives in the conflict. Never did I read doubt or second guessing of what the Nazi leaders were leading their people into.
Very eye opening reading. This should be mandatory study for political science and world history students.
Mike Bouse
A Gripping Read May 22, 2013
by Lloyd Sappington
A number of things impressed me:
1. The complete and steady indoctrination of the Hitler Youth throughout the war.
2. The frequent references to the Russians, English or Americans as the source of evil doings.
3. The way Lulu continuously wove the German culture into her writings, as a result I learned a lot about the German people.
4. The positive caring attitude that she took throughout the seven years of her diary.
5.
I was always looking for the time when she changed her point of view as
the war took its toll on her, but it was hard to find. Only when she
spoke of the occupation beginning in April 1945 did she begin to let on
that things might have been done differently. And then mostly in
recounting the doubts expressed by others.
6. She never gets into the
difficulty she must have had reconciling the facts as they unfolded at
the end of the war to her total Hitler Youth experience. I'm sure that
is why you never heard about the diary from her directly. Manny was more
forthcoming in his comments after coming to America in the early 50's.
7. Her caring nature had to make it a lifelong burden to embrace the world view of Germany as the aggressor in the war.
How did the Nazi Party get the hearts of so many German people? June 3, 2013
by Mathew Miller
I wanted to thank you and your family for sharing this historical treasure. It answers an open question that I have had ever since learning about the second world war. How did the Nazi Party get the hearts of so many German people? Today, it seems unlikely that many would go along with the Nazi Party propaganda knowing of the horrors intertwined. Unlike Hollywood or history book interpretations of the events, this is a firsthand honest account, from an intelligent, caring person. This book adds to the enduring message that we must never forget the sins of the past in ways only possible through the voice of another little girl. I found myself thinking about where my relatives were in the theater at these times, sharing the same hopes and dreams for the future, fighting with a different reality of the same daily events. I am anxious to share this with my friends and family, both as a way to gather our family stories about these formidable years in our global history and share the profound insights of yours to fuel a greater understanding from another generation.
Matthew Miller
Enticing and fascinating read about history, highly recommended April 2013
from Carson's Bookshelf at MidwestBookReview.com
What did it mean to grow up under the reign of the man whose name has become synonymous with evil? "Wolfhilde's Hitler Youth Diary" is a memoir from Wolfhilde Von Konig as she shares her experiences growing up during those tumultuous years running up to World War II and becoming a teenager during the period, what was told to them and the life's lessons that followed. "Wolfhilde's Hitler Youth Diary" is an enticing and fascinating read about history, highly recommended.
What is unique about
this book is that it is a Diary, not a Memoir, meaning it is an unedited
first hand account of day to day history as it happened, not a story
written from memory many years later...
