His name was August Landmesser, he was a simple German worker who today has become a true icon. He was the passive-opponent, a brave man who, in 1936, refused nothing more and nothing less than to raise his arm to give the characteristic salute to Adolf Hitler . Would you like to know about him?
The man who refused to salute Hitler
Let's put ourselves in context. Year 1936, Blohm und Voss shipyards in Hamburg . A distinguished German navy ship was being launched and the workers, all those who had been part of that work, were on the dock participating in the event before the leadership of the Reich and of course, the Führer .
Augus t was there with his companions and, when the time came to raise his arm to give the fierce salute to Hitler, he chose to cross his arms. He refused to do so. The truth is that he did not attract anyone's attention, perhaps the companions he had next to him noticed his proud snub, but no one then reproached him for his offense. What August Landmesser did not know is that a photographer captured that image to leave it in the immortality of his lens.
After that, very little is known about this Hamburg shipyard worker. Only that he went to war, that he was unlucky and that unfortunately, he disappeared in combat in 1944. It was not until 1991 when this name suddenly emerged from oblivion to notoriety, from silence to admiration. It was one of his daughters, Irene, who suddenly identified him in a series of photographs printed in a very old newspaper from the Second World War, a German newspaper that coincidentally fell into his hands.
She was fascinated, there was her father, the only man who appeared with his arms crossed in the middle of a mass that saluted Hitler. She contacted the Washington Post and her big story was immediately published.
Angus Landmesser belonged to the Nazi Party from 1931 until 1935 in the hope of getting a job, but when he fell in love and married Irma Eckler , he was expelled. His wife was Jewish .
He had two daughters, and it was for this, for loving a Jewish woman and starting a family with her, that he went to prison. And there is even more to her: Irma was also detained, taking her daughters from her and separating them. August "had dishonored the race" and must be punished for it. The Gestapo was personally responsible for punishing him and ending his life.
Irene, the daughter who identified her father in a photograph, was separated from her family and taken to an orphanage, where she was raised by other parents. Simply awful. And it was because of that, because of that immense rage , because of that infinite contempt, that August Landmesser refused that day to show his greeting to Hitler...