Bernd Fischerauer

Saddled with severe reparation payments, post-WWI Germany was cursed by a hyperinflation that wiped out the savings of everyone but the rich. Just as the economy was recovering in the late 1920s, the Depression hit and pauperized almost everyone who managed to hold out through the bad economic times of the past decade. Then, In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, just as the economy was beginning to revive again. Harmut Keller and Hans Monkmann were high school friends at the time. Hartmut's father, a musician, is unemployed (as if that's something unique in any economy). And since he doesn't earn much giving music lessons to the future unemployed, he also works as a chef. The situation in Hans' household is significantly better: His father took out lots of student loans and became a lawyer; and since he chose a profession where he's already sold his soul to Satan (oops, here comes a lawsuit for libel), it doesn't take much coaxing for him to become a Nazi. In short time, he's a district leader for the Party. Hans is a member of the Jungvolk, the lite version of the Hitler Youth for ten to fourteen year olds. Hartmut, too, would like to be a member, but his parents are against it. For one thing, his unemployed daddy's a Social Democrat (the lite version of a Communist).… (meer)

Saddled with severe reparation payments, post-WWI Germany was cursed by a hyperinflation that wiped out the savings of everyone but the rich. Just as the economy was recovering in the late 1920s, the Depression hit and pauperized almost everyone who managed to hold out through the bad economic times of the past decade. Then, In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, just as the economy was beginning to revive again. Harmut Keller and Hans Monkmann were high school friends at the time. Hartmut's father, a musician, is unemployed (as if that's something unique in any economy). And since he doesn't earn much giving music lessons to the future unemployed, he also works as a chef. The situation in Hans' household is significantly better: His father took out lots of student loans and became a lawyer; and since he chose a profession where he's already sold his soul to Satan (oops, here comes a lawsuit for libel), it doesn't take much coaxing for him to become a Nazi. In short time, he's a district leader for the Party. Hans is a member of the Jungvolk, the lite version of the Hitler Youth for ten to fourteen year olds. Hartmut, too, would like to be a member, but his parents are against it. For one thing, his unemployed daddy's a Social Democrat (the lite version of a Communist).… (meer)

Saddled with severe reparation payments, post-WWI Germany was cursed by a hyperinflation that wiped out the savings of everyone but the rich. Just as the economy was recovering in the late 1920s, the Depression hit and pauperized almost everyone who managed to hold out through the bad economic times of the past decade. Then, In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, just as the economy was beginning to revive again. Harmut Keller and Hans Monkmann were high school friends at the time. Hartmut's father, a musician, is unemployed (as if that's something unique in any economy). And since he doesn't earn much giving music lessons to the future unemployed, he also works as a chef. The situation in Hans' household is significantly better: His father took out lots of student loans and became a lawyer; and since he chose a profession where he's already sold his soul to Satan (oops, here comes a lawsuit for libel), it doesn't take much coaxing for him to become a Nazi. In short time, he's a district leader for the Party. Hans is a member of the Jungvolk, the lite version of the Hitler Youth for ten to fourteen year olds. Hartmut, too, would like to be a member, but his parents are against it. For one thing, his unemployed daddy's a Social Democrat (the lite version of a Communist).… (meer)