For the Nazis, Jews were the embodiment of all evil. Their insane hatred led to the creation of an extermination system that wiped out millions of lives within a few years. Yet even among the dignitaries of the Third Reich there were deviations from programmed anti-Semitism. Especially when it comes to ... love.
It is not entirely clear where the aversion and hatred of Adolf Hitler towards the Jewish people came from. There are many indications that in 1919, i.e. several years before he took power in Germany, these feelings were already strong. Laurence Rees draws attention to this, quoting in the book “The Holocaust. A new story ” the content of the letter of the future commander to his friend from the front of the First World War:
In a letter dated September 16, 1919 and addressed to his comrade-in-arms, Adolf Gemlich, Hitler clearly indicated that he was responsible not only for his own difficult situation, but also for the suffering of the entire German nation . "There is a foreign, non-German race among us," wrote Hitler, "which does not want and cannot renounce its qualities [...] and yet enjoy the same political rights as we do.
[...] Anything that makes people fight for higher causes, be it religion, socialism or democracy, for him is only a tool to achieve a goal, satisfy his lust for wealth and domination. His activities cause racial tuberculosis among nations. " The opponent identified by Hitler was a "Jew". In the letter he also added that the "ultimate goal" of any German government must be "the absolute and complete removal of the Jews."
Hitler preached anti-Semitic views long before he came to power.
After coming to power, the Nazis acted very quickly. Even before the beginning of World War II, the German state introduced a ban on sexual contacts between Jews and non-Jews. As Rees writes:
In September 1935, a legal ban on sexual contacts between Jews and non-Jews was finally introduced when the law "on the protection of German blood and German honor" was passed during the party congress in Nuremberg. Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick announced in late July that a law was in preparation to ban marriage between Jews and non-Jews, but the pace at which the new legislation was adopted was remarkable.
Naturally, Hitler demanded the same hatred from his subordinates and soldiers who were to carry out his terrible plan of extermination. However, not everyone obeyed him completely. Often, sympathy and even love stood in the way of orders and ideology.
Forbidden love in the camp
The Nazis' ties to the contemptuous "racial enemies" sometimes happened when and when they least expected it. One of the most unusual accounts was between the guard from Auschwitz, Franz Wunsch, and the Slovak Jewish woman - Helena Citronova.
She was sent to a concentration camp in March 1942. She was young and had a lot of strength, so immediately after arriving, she was assigned to hard work on demolishing the buildings. She very quickly realized that the harsh conditions and the lack of food would destroy her health and she would not last long. And, like all other prisoners, she wanted to move to a better commando.
The woman wanted to work in "Canada", a unit which, under the supervision of guards, was responsible for segregating belongings and valuables left by arriving Jews. The work there was not too strong, and the prisoners had the opportunity to steal some trinkets to exchange for food later.
Helena got to the selected commando thanks to… her voice. The guards were looking for prisoners who had artistic abilities, as one of the officers had a birthday. Encouraged by her friends, Słowaczka sang a German song for him, which she remembered from school. The effect was electrifying: the anniversary - and it was Wunsch - immediately fell in love with her.
Helena was anxious to work in "Canada", a unit that, under the supervision of guards, would sort things and valuables left behind by arriving Jews.
The enthralled man made sure that his favorite landed permanently in "Canada". Thanks to this, he had the opportunity to see her regularly. He also sent her letters and gifts. She wasn't very fond of him at first. Laurence Rees in his book Auschwitz. The Nazis and Ultimately the Solution ”, he quotes her:
When he came to the barrack where I was working, he passed me by and tossed me a secret message that I was about to destroy after reading it, but I noticed the words:»Honey - I fell in love with you «. I felt terrible. I'd rather die than be with an SS man.
Over time, Helena began to change her attitude towards her torturer. Hate turned to feeling. Franz's endeavors gave her a sense of security in the camp and something to lean on during this difficult time. What's more, the beloved managed to save her sister from death and made sure that they both worked together in "Canada".
Of course, the relationship between an SS man and a Jewish woman was strictly forbidden. When some time later someone reported that the couple was dating, Wunsch and Citronova were arrested. During the investigation, they agreed that they had nothing in common, so after a few days they were released. However, they had to be more careful from now on showing feelings for each other.
The relationship with the SS man gave Helena a sense of security in a nightmarish reality. Illustrative photo.
When the war was coming to an end, the German officer was very anxious that the union would survive. Before being sent to the front, he gave his beloved his mother's Viennese address. He promised to wait for her there. And he did - only Helena did not accept the invitation…
The war lovers met again in 1972, when a trial against Wunsch, accused of war crimes, was pending in Vienna. Citronova's testimony was in contrast to the testimony of other witnesses who testified to the brutality of the guard. This is how she remembered her acquaintance in the camp after many years:
He looked left and right and would say "I love you" if no one heard us. It made me feel better in this hell. It cheered me up. It was a confession of mad love that could not come true. No plans could be implemented in the camp. It was unreal. But at times I forgot that I was Jewish and he was not. I really loved him. But nothing would come of it.
Jewish woman at the side of the Minister of Propaganda
Romances and "forbidden" feelings happened not only among the rank and file, but also at the top of the government. Even one of Hitler's most trusted men, Joseph Goebbels, had a relationship with a Jewish girl.
Goebbels was dating a Jewish girl named Else. Photo from 1930.
The future minister of propaganda and public enlightenment was fascinated by the leader of the NSDAP even before he met him personally. In his private notes, as early as the 1920s, admiration for the Führer appears. In 1924 he participated in the formation of the group that supported the Nazis in his native Rhineland.
The fact that he was already a declared anti-Semite at that time is evidenced by excerpts from his diary, which in the book “Holocaust. A new story ” quotes Laurence Rees. “I am on the Volkist side - I hate a Jew instinctively and intellectually. He is deeply hated by me and disgusted me ” Goebbels wrote.
These expressive views did not, however, prevent the politician from meeting regularly with a young Jewish woman named Else. And that's when he started being active in the Nazi party!
Hitler's future trusted associate noted in his writings that he loves his girlfriend, that she is "good and beautiful". At the same time, however, he was concerned that he noticed "disturbing" elements in his mistress: "The Jewish spirit in Else's character often makes me sad and depressed" - he wrote in his journal one day.
It is not known how long this remarkable relationship lasted. Soon after the declaration of love, Goebbels made a mention that his chosen one is a "beloved child", but a bit boring. Later, he devoted himself entirely to a political career and gained more and more influence. He only married in 1931 to the divorcee Magda Quandt.
The Jewish woman Hitler was kissing on the hands
There were even women of Jewish origin in the surroundings of the Führer himself. He even adored one of them. It was Susanna Renzetti, wife of the Italian consul Giuseppe Renzetti and daughter of Artur Kochmann, chairman of the Jewish community in Gliwice.
The future spouses met in Silesia when Susanna was in her teens. Giuseppe was then in the army. His proposal was quite troublesome for the girl's family, but he was eventually allowed to marry. After a few years, great opportunities opened up for him. He began a career in diplomacy and became a liaison between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. As the favorite of the Italian dictator, he and his wife were very welcome in Hitler's entourage.
Hitler was very fond of Susanna Renzetti.
Mr. and Mrs. Renzetti appeared at many receptions, they were even guests at the wedding of Hermann Göring. Back then, nobody minded the origin of the diplomat's wife, although everyone knew about him. The more that Susanna became Hitler's favorite, who kissed her hands and gave her flowers. Their acquaintance did not go beyond the official framework, but it was impossible not to notice that he liked her very much. She was the only Jewish woman to gain such respect in his eyes .
With time, however, the favor of the leader of the Third Reich ended. He no longer needed a trusted Italian, so Giuseppe and his family ended up in a diplomatic mission in San Francisco, and then in Sweden. Later, he failed to renew contacts with the Berlin socialite, and when in 1943, after the overthrow of Mussolini, he sided with King Victor Emmanuel III, he had nothing to look for in Germany.
Bibliography:
- Laurence Rees, The Holocaust, A New History. Publisher Prószyński i S-ka 2017.
- Laurence Rees, Auschwitz, The Nazis and the Final Solution, Prószyński i S-ka 2005.