European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

“Who votes for Hindenburg, votes for Hitler and who votes for Hitler, votes for war.”

The Great Depression affected Germany.

There were more than 6 millions of unemployed people.

Companies put signs up: “We do not recruit.”

And the troubles well, youngsters mainly, who did not have a job.

That led to radicalizations.

So many murders happened at that time, as well.

Political opponents were murdered.

We witnessed something like this, too. One day, we were out and about, when we were attacked by SA people.

And then another example: In 1932

we went on a holiday to the Baltic Sea with the children from ‘Fichte’.

During this time a holiday camp (which had been organized by the social democrats) was attacked by the SA.

Children and adults were injured during this attack.

We were meant to be attacked, too,

but we still carried on with our camp, as we had received support by labourer’s organisations from a village.

And fortunately there was no attack.

Who knows what that would have turned out to be like.

Hitler, he received the power through Hindenburg.

The labour movement was so divided that no unified resistance could be formed.

There were a lot of protest demonstrations.