European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

we from the Socialist Youth cycled to those places, carried out some events, tried to involve the people

and at these cultural events tried to point out to the people with speeches what fascism meant,

what it meant when you support Hitler – in this case with us Hänlein.

It was awareness training and we had even with us own ‚agitprop-groups’,

that were trained to achieve something with cultural methods,

that you will not be able to achieve by speeches.

To that time we were aware of the fact that it does not only depend on the intellect of a person,

but that the human being should be looked at as a whole, consisting of emotions and driving powers, as well.

With our cultural work, with our ‘agitprop-groups’,

we did not only address the human head, but the whole person.

That did sink in.

Battles against nazis, discussions about violence

First, we debated with the young people.

But we were forced to debate with the adults, as well.

Not only the youth was discussing fascism.

We knew exactly how to distinguish between the Italian fascism, the black fascism in Austria

and the brown fascism in Germany.

There was a difference – you had to know it.

But we were also forced into conflict by that,

because there were ‘saloon battles’ going on right from the beginning.