What Happened to the Children of Nazi Leaders? Part 1

 

By Sherri Stewart

Phrases such as, “Like father, like son,” and “Chip off the old block” are familiar to most people. Ask any teacher who has dealt with students who are bullies, and they’ll tell you the chestnut doesn’t fall far from the tree. Let’s look at the offspring of Nazi leaders to see if the adages are true. The results may be surprising.

Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, and his wife, Magda, had six children—five girls and one boy, born between 1932 and 1940, who lived with their parents during the war—Helga, Hildegard, Helmut, Holdine, Hedwig, and Heidren. All accounts say the Goebbels were a close-knit family, who enjoyed spending time on their yacht, and the children loved riding their ponies. However, as the war was coming to an end, on May 1, 1945, as the family hid in a bunker, Magda fed her children poison and killed them all, then she and Joseph took their own lives.

Magda had another son, Harald Quandt, from a previous marriage who wasn’t living at home during the war but had grown up as a stepson of Goebbels. He was serving in the war as a lieutenant in the Luftwaffe, but he was captured as a prisoner of war in Italy by the Allies and wasn’t released until 1947, two years after the war ended. After the war, Harald earned his degree in mechanical engineering and helped his birth father rebuild his automotive and tool industries. When his father died in 1954, Harald inherited 200 companies from pharmaceuticals to textiles, and he became one of the wealthiest men in West Germany. Harald was a jet-setter but died in a plane accident, leaving his five daughters billions.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Quandt

Heinrich Himmler was known as the architect of the Holocaust. His wife, Margarete, and he had one daughter, Gudrun, whom he nicknamed ‘Püppi,’ but he also had two children by his mistress. Although Himmler’s marriage was strained, Margarete and he stayed together for the sake of Gudrun, who adored her father. Although he was rarely at home, he called Gudrun every few days. After the war, Margarete and Gudrun were arrested, spent time in internment camps, and were forced to testify at the Nuremberg Trials against Himmler. Gudrun later bitterly referred to this time as the most difficult of her life and said that she and her mother were treated as though they had to atone for the sins of her father. She remained loyal to the Nazi party throughout her life. Gudrun worked for an organization that helped SS officers escape, including Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyon. Up until her death in 1988 in Munich, she remained loyal to her father’s memory, and people who knew her said Gudrun held him up on a pedestal as the perfect father.  

“The Angel of Death,” Josef Mengele, performed deadly experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp. He and a team of doctors selected the victims to be killed in the gas chambers, and often he was the one to administer the gas. He and his wife, Irene, had one son named Rolf, who was born in 1944. Rolf was only one year old when his father escaped to South America. He was brought up by his mother and grandmother in Germany. Although he’d never met his father, Rolf received letters from him using false names. Rolf became obsessed with meeting his father, somewhat out of curiosity but also because he wanted to know the truth. In 1977, Rolf traveled to Brazil under a false passport. Although his father denied any wrongdoing during the war, saying his job was to determine who was fit to work, Rolf didn’t believe a word he said. Rolf returned to Germany, never revealing Mengele’s location, but vowed never to see him again. Rolf changed his last name to his mother’s and died in 1985.

There are many more stories to tell, but one thing becomes clear. If the child had a close relationship with the father, the child was more inclined to look favorably on the father. If the father had a more distant relationship with the child or if the father treated him harshly, the child was more inclined to distance himself from the father and even disavow what the father did. Next month, we’ll look at more examples. 

Selah Award finalist Sherri Stewart loves a clean novel, sprinkled with romance and a strong message that challenges her faith. She spends her working hours with books—either editing others’ manuscripts or writing her own. Her passions are traveling to the settings of her books and sampling the food. She traveled to Zürich for Secrets Dark and Deep. A widow, Sherri lives in Orlando with her lazy dog, Lily. She shares recipes, tidbits of the book’s locations, and other authors' books in her newsletter.

Subscribe at stewartwriting.com/newsletter

Secrets Dark and Deep

TV anchor, Maddie Caldecott, has a secret so deeply buried within that she doesn’t remember it. But the man called Absalom knows her secret, and his threats to exact his revenge are becoming more and more intrusive. As an investigative reporter, Maddie can dig out the truth of any story, but she can’t unearth the secret she’s blocked until it’s too late.

Police Detective, Brody Messner, is at his wits end. How can he protect Maddie if she resists his every suggestion? His need to protect her has become personal. From Orlando to Zürich, he follows her, trying to stay one step ahead of her assailant—all of his notes to her, and the song. https://bit.ly/49gE1wp

Early photos of Children's Sleighs

Since I covered the sleigh as winter transportation in my post Sleighs, Cutters & Carioles, in this post I wanted to show how the youngsters who lived in snow-covered areas were spending their winters. Like the sleighs and cutters, quality images are usually found online at auction and museum websites, but contain a copyright which prohibits reuse on a blog such as this one. However, I believe I've found enough images to show what was in use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In 1888, George Barker (1844-1894), created this stereograph of children playing in the snow beside a sled and a snowman. This is a very artistic snow sculpture as shown by the raised arm, shoulder, and two legs. 

The Snow Man - Happy Days, c1888, George Barker, photographer, Niagara Falls, New York. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Sleighs were more elaborate than sleds with sides and a seat like the adult versions. The pull sleigh was pulled by a person or animal, most often a dog, pony, ore even a goat such as this one pulling a Quebec cariole.

Master Corriveau in goat sleigh, Montreal, QC, 1880. Source: http://collections.musee-mccord.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/II-55024.1

Although this next image is undated, wikimedia commons has tagged it as a Victorian trade card. Manufactured by North Western Sleigh Co, it shows one of the swell-body type sleighs of my last post.

No. 23 Children's Cutter by North Western Sleigh Co. (Wholesale Manufacturers). Source: commons.wikimedia

The push type of sleigh didn't require an animal and was mainly for children and invalids. They were made of wicker or wood with iron or bent wood runners and was a larger version of the doll sleighs seen in this next image. Like the adult version, family finances and social circles dictated the look of the sleigh.

Midwinter Carnival, Children's Parade, Doll Sleds, Upper Saranac Lake, N.Y. c1909. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Many farm children and prairie settlers made do with all-wood push sleighs, which were used for work as well as play. 

Moodie children playing in the snow, Kelowna, British Columbia. Ca. 1911-1912.

Source: Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

Sleds were sleighs without sides, although the term is often interchangeable. For instance, a wooden sleigh with low sides and wooden runners could be referred to as a sleigh, sled, or even a sledge depending on the type of runners and use. A sledge, for example, was like a barge. It was a platform on timbers running low to the ground, a working vehicle most often used for hauling things, including people when the need arose. 

Children being pulled on sled, Spencer Ranch, Milk River, Alberta. 1913, Source: Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

A sled could have high iron runners that enabled it to glide along the snow, yet less expensive models used wooden runners, or even wood covered with a metal strip. From this next photo, it appears this type of sled was used on grass during summer training of a young lad's dog as well.

Boy with dog hooked up to sled, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Ca. 1915. Source: Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

Today we call it sledding, but historically, sledding down a hill has been known as coasting - a rather sedate word for the fast pace of iron runners which shoot down a hill at high speeds. 

Snow, Children Sledding, Washington, D.C, c1915-1923, glass negative, Harris & Ewing, photographer. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Wooden runners may not have been as fast, but their enjoyment can be seen on the faces of these boys.

Two boys on a wooden sled in winter, Edmonton, Alberta. 1913, Source: Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Alberta

Sledding was enjoyed wherever a snow-covered slope was found. In Rochester, an open-air school built a wooden chute (slide) so the children could enjoy this winter activity. 

Sledding, Rochester, Out of Door School, Coasting on the Toboggan. c1908-1915. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C

This photo of sledding on a wooden chute fascinates me. Mostly because I'm not aware of the term, 'open-air school', and also because of their school uniforms. Does anyone have any information that could enlighten us?

My most memorable experience of sledding is of an abandoned ski hill where the coasting was super-fast, but the remnants of summer weeds slapped our faces as we whizzed past. I'm sure I ate a few seeds on my way down.

What about you? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are written under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

Early 1900 Playground Slides

Last year while researching for my post, Unique Merry-Go-Rounds, I happened upon information and fascinating images of early playground equipment. The images show the fearless freedom of children who didn't have parents or guardians watching their every move. Although yesteryear was fraught with the danger of falling off the high playground structures of the day, kids crawled, hung and swung to their heart's content - or until their mother yelled out that it was time to come home for supper, or bed. 

It's time to confess however, that I was caught royally when I read a blogpost that showed three extremely long boards with children sitting on them with the caption that, "Historians have discovered photos of what's thought to be the world's first children's slide." At first I believed them since the source was the trusted bbc.co.uk. Then the same story was published in the Daily Mail. When I checked Wikipedia, however, I discovered that the claim seemed to come from a playground manufacturing company and that the information was disputed by people who knew of existing playground slides. 

One of those earlier slides was presented in the Wikipedia article which showed this image taken in 1921 of school children on a slide at the East Texas State Normal College. Historically, Normal School/College was a training school for teachers and the children in the photograph are under the care of teachers-in-training.

Schoolchildren on a slide at the East Texas State Normal College Training School in 1921

East Texas State Normal College. Source: Wikipedia.

This next photograph was taken in March 1917 showing play-time at the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The caption insists that the photos were not posed and that the children in their care have a great deal of freedom. Why do you think someone felt it important enough to put on the caption?

March 1917, Play-time at the Oklahoma School for the Blind. Children have a great deal of freedom (Ellis report). Photos were not posed. Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma / Lewis W. Hine. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

And what about this triple slide photographed in 1917 at Taylor Playground, New Orleans, Louisiana. It's another image from Wikimedia Commons and shows that playground slides must have been around for several years to show this level of expertise.

Taylor Playground, New Orleans, 1917, with triple slide. Source: Wikimedia Commons

In the first couple decades of the 20th century many large department city stores had inside, or rooftop, playgrounds featuring slides and merry-go-rounds. I wanted to show you a couple examples, but couldn't find one that wasn't copyrighted. These store playgrounds existed so that moms could shop without the distraction of children. 

On the topic of elaborate slides, I was quite surprised when my research turned up the 1932 Fun-Ful Playground Equipment catalog by Hill-Standard Co. I thought tube slides were a recent invention - probably because all the ones I've seen have been made with plastic, but the catalog says this tunnel slide was one of their recent numbers. 

Tunnel Slide from the 1932 Fun Ful Playground Equipment Catalog. Source: Archive.org

Spiral Slide from the 1932 Fun Ful Playground 

Equipment Catalog. Source: Archive.org

From the same Fun-Ful catalog comes this image of a Spiral Slide. Upon seeing it, my first thought was that if this was 8-10 yrs down the road, the steel would have gone into the making of munitions rather than playground equipment.

For those interested, the Fun-Ful catalog is available online as a PDF through archive.org.

All these pictures prove to me that the slide has been around a lot longer than 1922 as mentioned at the top of this post. It also proves that there is a lot of information on the internet and you must check several sources for accuracy. In this case, two sources were inaccurate and I stress how important it was to find that third source which opened the door to many more.

To finish off, here's a fun pic I found in the Library of Congress online Prints and Photographs Division. It's Sistie and 'Buzzie' Dall, children of Mr. and Mrs. Dall, and grandchildren of President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, playing on equipment in the White House playground. Doesn't Sistie look like she's enjoying herself?

1933, First photograph of Roosevelt Grandchildren at play on White House grounds. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington DC

A slide can be as simple as a board, and as elaborate as those found in the biggest waterpark. Do you like to slide? Care to share?

~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yield fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, The American Heiress Brides Collection, and The Secret Admirer Romance Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

Website - www.anitamaedraper.com

Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/anitamaedraper/

From Indentured Servant to Gentleman Farmer and Beyond

by Pam Hillman

Everything comes under scrutiny when writing a historical. Every word, every job, the food the characters ate, how they prepared it. Who they married, when they could marry, and who inherited property.

Every. Single. Thing.

So, go back with me a few years when I got the idea to write a story about an indentured servant who falls in love with his/her master. It’s not uncommon to read stories about female indentured servants being brought to the colonies in the 1700s as brides. As a matter of fact, I’m reading an awesome story right now by Michelle Griep, titled The Captive Heart, with a swoon-worthy hero and a brave heroine. And a little girl who is simply adorable! In Michelle’s story, Eleanor is an indentured servant fresh off the boat who marries her benefactor in order to take care of his little girl.

And while I love an indentured female story, for some twisted reason, I decided to have my hero be the indentured servant for The Promise of Breeze Hill. Oddly enough, it worked. But of course as I delved into the story, I wanted to know how common it was for indentured servants to marry “above their station”.

From my research, indentured servants signed a contract to provide labor for their master for a period of years, usually seven. Their master either paid for their passage to the colonies, or paid the family if the servant was a young age. Most contracts required that servants couldn’t marry during their seven years, but it wasn’t completely unheard of, and by mutual agreement, the master and the servant could void their contract. So, that’s a bit about the law and procedure, but let’s put a face to someone who actually married above their station.

Peter Williamson was born in 1730 Aberdeenshire, Scotland. At an early age, he was sent to live with a maiden aunt in Aberdeen. Around age eight, he was kidnapped and shipped off to the colonies as an indentured servant. It’s important to note that it’s believed that bailiffs colluded with traffickers snatch children off the streets.

When he arrived in Philadelphia, Peter became the servant of Hugh Wilson, another Scotsman, who had also been kidnapped as a boy and later earned his freedom. In Peter’s autobiography, he said Wilson treated him kindly, and it’s highly probable that Wilson sympathized with Peter’s circumstances. When Wilson died shortly before the end of Peter’s seven year indenture, he left his best horse, saddle, and all his clothes to Peter. And, presumably, his freedom.

And, then the happiest of circumstances occurred. At the age of 24, married to the daughter of a wealthy Pennsylvania plantation owner, with a dowry of 200 acres of land, Peter became a gentleman farmer.

If I were writing Peter’s story, he and his wife would have lived happily every after, and that would be the end of my post citing not one, but two, indentured servants who went on to become wealthy — 200 acres of prime farmland in PA is nothing to sneeze at even now— and, in Peter’s case with a wife that came from a wealthy family.

But, in the words of Paul Harvey, here’s the rest of the story.

Unfortunately, in 1754, Peter’s farm was attacked by Indians and he was taken prisoner. After several months as a captive, he escaped and made his way back home to find that his wife had died in his absence. Grief stricken and seeking revenge perhaps, he enlisted in the army to fight in the French and Indian War.

Again, he was captured by the French and sent to England in a prisoner exchange, arriving in November of 1756. For those keeping score, Peter has been kidnapped, sold as an indentured servant, married, taken captive by Indians, widowed, and taken prisoner by the French. All by the age of 26.

Once again in the British Isles, he is discharged from the army (due to a hand injury) and heads back to Aberdeen on foot.

And this is where things get interesting.

In Aberdeen, some influential men find his exploits so fascinating that they encourage him to write about all that has happened to him. In fact, they back him in this endeavor. They sell a thousand copies of the book, and Peter continues his journey to Scotland with ease.

About this time, Peter begins dressing as “Indian Pete”, demonstrating war-cries and war dances, all in order to sell more copies of his book. In Aberdeen, the authorities become involved, accusing him of libel because of his accusations about the bailiffs being involved with his original kidnapping. He was found guilty (no surprise), fined, his books burned, and he was then banished from Aberdeen.

A few years later, his fortunes turned again, and he sued the magistrates who’d originally sued him for slander. He eventually won that case. Then his entrepreneurial spirit enabled him to open a printing shop, create a street directory, be instrumental in the creation of a postal service, a short-lived weekly newspaper, and finally to open a very successful coffee house in Edinburgh where he remained for the rest of his life.

And, yes, he did remarry, but unfortunately the marriage ended in divorce ten years later.

Now, for the grand finale.

What part, if any, of Peter Williamson’s life is fact, and what is fiction? As recently as 1964, an article in the quarterly journal Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, J. Bennett Nolan qualified Williamson as "one of the greatest liars who ever lived." Other scholars have also questioned large parts of his narrative over the years.

Truth? Or fiction? Who knows.

Regardless, it’s a rollicking good tale and would make an fascinating and fast-paced action adventure, don’t you think?

The Promise of Breeze Hill, available for pre-order from your favorite retailer.

Amazon, B&N, CBD

The Promise of Breeze Hill

Natchez, MS; 1791

Anxious for his brothers to join him on the rugged frontier along the Mississippi River, Connor O’Shea has no choice but to indenture himself as a carpenter in exchange for their passage from Ireland. But when he’s sold to Isabella Bartholomew of Breeze Hill Plantation, Connor fears he’ll repeat past mistakes and vows not to be tempted by the lovely lady.

The responsibilities of running Breeze Hill have fallen on Isabella’s shoulders after her brother was found dead in the swamps along the Natchez Trace and a suspicious fire devastated their crops, almost destroyed their home, and left her father seriously injured. Even with Connor’s help, Isabella fears she’ll lose her family’s plantation. Despite her growing feelings for the handsome Irish carpenter, she seriously considers accepting her wealthy and influential neighbor’s proposal of marriage.

Soon, though, Connor realizes someone is out to eliminate the Bartholomew family. Can he set aside his own feelings to keep Isabella safe?

Want to learn more about Pam? Visit www.pamhillman.com

CHRISTMAS DURING WORLD WAR II

ANNE GREENE here.

Here is part of how Americans celebrated Christmas during the war years. 

Christmas has always been a major holiday in the United States, but during World War II (1941-45) the holiday took on special meaning as most families had a loved one serving in the military who could not be home for Christmas. Peace on Earth was not just a nice phrase found on Christmas cards, but the number one prayer of Americans everywhere. The Christmas season gave hope that while this year many were away, maybe next year the war would be over and missing family members would return home. 

Americans tried their best to celebrate Christmas. Families on the Home Front dealt with painful separations and lost loved ones which the holiday made agonizing. But those keeping the home front fires burning worked hard at making Christmas merry for the children. 

Before the war, America was still recovering from the great depression when money and jobs were scarce. Shoppers were often limited to window shopping, not having any extra money to purchase anything. When the war began, war production went into high gear bringing good-paying jobs and additional income. But, there was little to buy as rationing and priorities in war production left few goods on the shelves. Metal toys nearly disappeared as did automobiles, radios, bicycles, typewriters, and other goods. 

Wartime production priorities greatly restricted the presents that children could receive for Christmas. Who better to tell the kids than St. Nick? Santa Claus had to lower children’s expectations when they came to sit on his lap. Santa explained that a particular toy had too much steel in it - and that steel was needed for the war. If a child seemed disappointed, Santa told the child that some children living in the countries where the war was being fought would have no Christmas. With the shortage of men, Santa was often a woman. 

The song, White Christmas, debuted in 1942. Sung by Bing Crosby it became an instant success as its peaceful feeling hit home with those on the home front and those on the battle front. I’ll Be Home for Christmas debuted in 1943. The words touched the hearts of separated loved ones. Both songs are still classics sung at Christmas. 

For the soldiers, sailors and airmen overseas, military necessity and lack of accommodations forced them to have minimal celebrations. Many of the boys serving overseas got the blues. But presents from home cheered them. 

Do you have a Christmas story from the World War II years that you’d like to share? Maybe a soldier or someone in your family shared his or her experience. Maybe you have a story of how a child at home felt during those years at Christmas from 1941 to 1945. I’d love to hear your stories. Please leave a comment. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won three prestigious book awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement, finalled in a number of contests. A Texas Christmas Mystery also won several awards. Look for Anne’s new World War II historical romance, Angel With Steel Wings, early in 2015. The first book in Anne’s lady detective series, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie, débuts later in 2015. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. She loves to talk with her readers. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. View Anne’s books, travel pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

Learn more about Anne as well as gain tips on writing award-winning novels at http://www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com.

VISIT WITH ANNE here at Heroes, Heroines, & History every 14^th day of every month.