European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

When the Nazis had stormed or tried to storm,

you had to defend yourself, of course. We did that.

There always were oral disputes before the rows took place.

But as it went to that time there were different tendencies between us.

My father belonged to the tendency, who said

that the Nazis could not be beaten by their own weapons.

We were not supposed to take over the violence of the Nazis, but focus on enlightenment.

Others, our metal workers in the companies said:

“But that is what we witness daily, they only understand the language of violence.

Our arguments bounce off like the raindrops on a raincoat.

We can only succeed the Nazis with violence.”

And in the socialistic youth we did both.

We acquired the theoretical qualifications to be able to debate with the Nazis

and at the same time we defended ourselves. We had no choice.

Until 1936 we sang:

“We never want to carry weapons again! Never, ever do we want war again. Let the ones at the top fight each other on their own, we just won’t take part any more.”

Then the old comrades came and said that Hitler was standing in front of the door

with armed arguments, and you do not intend to defend yourself.

There was a giant discussion in the youth association and we decided to do military training.

We learned to shoot and we learned a new martial art. The Nazis did not even know the name of it.