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My Germany: Was Adolf Hitler a China Fan?

So much Hitler was not long: movie, new biography and a critical Edition of “Mein Kampf”. In China, rumors of his sympathy for the Chinese stubbornly. Columnist Zhang Danhong’s research.

“Poorly nourished, grown thin with dark hair, his face beat” and “shabbily dressed”, as described by a former roommate in a Viennese Männerwohnheim Adolf Hitler in the year 1910, when he is there as Postkartenmaler its existence perpetual. Of his later political ascent in Germany he had at that time just as little as his few Acquaintances.

Then he met by chance a Chinese couple named Cheung, him right into the heart of the castle. He was spoiled and generously funded. After the annexation of Austria allowed Hitler to his former patrons to search – in vain. His deep gratitude of the family Cheung compared to have Hitler in his autobiography, expressed. This anecdote is like in Chinese social networks tells. In the 70. Death of Hitler found particularly widespread use.

The expert knows of no evidence

It seems to me, however, she is not credible. In “Mein Kampf”, there is a corresponding Passage, at least not. I question the historian Peter Longerich, of the in November a about tausendseitige”
Hitler-Biography
“has released.

Factual and detail – the new Hitler-biography

Previously, he already had the life stories of Himmler and Goebbels put to paper. If one is with Hitler and the Nazi dictatorship knows, then Peter Longerich. On its scientific dry way he replied: “I have no confirmation found. But to exclude all, you can’t.” If he actually contacts to a Chinese family would have had, had he but because of his racist attitude reason, have had to conceal it.

Because even Asians held Hilter for inferior. “During the Nazi-time in Germany it Attempts to marriages between Germans and Asians to avoid”, said Longerich. Of his antipathy towards the Asians was Hitler only an exception: “He has the Japanese as Warriors to be admired.” Added to this were the strategic Considerations come: Through an Alliance with Japan should be to the attention of the U.S. focused on the Pacific to be steered. Thus, it is unnecessary for me to bother, another rumor to dispel: that Hitler, namely the Japanese absolutely could not stand and actually make an Alliance with the Chinese would have prefered.

Pretty best friends?

Also the website of the Volkszeitung, of the Parteiorgans of the Communist party of China, participates in the myth-making. A report with the Heading “love and hatred between Chiang Kai-shek and Hitler” caused quite a stir. The nationalist President had German virtues extolled, his younger son, sent to Berlin, to German to learn. This may be true. But then, the author of a spectacular Thesis on: “With the coming to power of the national socialists went to both countries on the honeymoon.”

Peter Longerich is an expert on the Nazi period

As an example, was, among other things, the posting of German military experts to China cited. Including the former chief of the army command Hans von Seeckt. But this exchange had started before Hitler took Power. “In Nazi Germany, these were consultants, not as envoys of the Empire, but rather as a loner,” says Peter Longerich. The more prochinesischen course of the foreign office to put Hitler at the end, as Japan 1937 China attack. “Hitler and his foreign policy adviser Joachim von Ribbentrop in the Japanese-Chinese conflict on the side of Japan,” says the historian.

What, then, is the mutual Affection convincing correspondence between the German dictator and the Chinese President, of which the Chinese author writes? And the small gifts between the two, the depth of friendship should be? If Hitler actually so much for the anti-Communist Chiang Kai-shek felt, he would have his feelings pretty damn deep. As the historian Peter Longerich are no Pro-Chinese Statements with the so-called Conversation between Hitler and his Familiar well-known.

A Fan of Chinese culture?

DW-editor Zhang Danhong

Also unknown to him is the legend of Hitler’s fondness for Chinese culture. Accordingly, German Translations of Chinese classics by his bed and stacked. Particularly impressed want to Hilter by Sunzi have been over 2500 years ago through the martial art of philosophizing had. As Erwin Rommel the commander in chief of the German Afrikakorps, has been appointed, to him Hitler, a copy of Sunzis Strategiebuch with his own comments have given, what the General moved to tears have.

But rumours are not true that you with many Details decorated. Sunzi couldn’t Hitler have been the model, because the Chinese was a great pacifist. War lead only one, if he does not avoid let, is his top priority. Hitler had only a spark of Sunzis wisdom taken, he would have had Germany not in the total abyss.

Geschichtsdefizit

The question remains, why some Chinese people to Bend and Break a proximity of their country to Hitler want to create? The man with the anachronistic Beard is often downright admired. “In China, I hear again and again that in the Second world war, a relatively small country like Germany almost the whole of Europe occupied and defeated. It was a great performance,” says China expert Thomas Heberer. Behind the admiration is, in his opinion, the desire for a strong leader, the country is United and on the authoritarian basis of strong and powerful.

Of the unprecedented crimes of national socialism know the Chinese, however, hardly anything. “Chinese students do not know more about the background of the Second world war as the Germans about the Opiumkrieg,” writes Sven Hänke in his just published book, “naked wedding: I Like China love learned”. On a humorous kind of says the former DAAD-Lector of his experiences in the middle Kingdom. “If you are a taxi driver tells that it comes from Germany, then he says generally: ‘Germany is good. Football well. Hitler well.’ I answer then is always: ‘Hitler is not good. Hitler evil. Football good.'” At best, he should add: “Hitler, Japan, friends.” Because that is the supposed Idol of all people with the historic enemy China allied, would also have his Chinese Fans the last Illusion Rob.

Zhang Danhong is born in Beijing and lives since over 20 years in Germany.

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