Draft:Ernst Schmidt (politician, 1889)
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Early Life
[edit]Schmidt was born to a miller family in Wurzbach, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship as a painter, he worked in various locations, including Switzerland, France and Austria-Hungary between 1913 and 1914.
On August 6, 1914, after WW1 began and Germany declared war on France and Russia, he began his military service in Munich. On September 7, 1914, he was transferred to Reserve Infantry Regiment 16 (List Regiment), where, one month later, future dictator Adolf Hitler joined as a volunteer soldier. Both developed a close friendship especially through their common interest in art. They served together as messengers in the military. Ernst Schmidt recounted that Hitler frequently discussed his aspirations for the future. Initially, he contemplated pursuing a career in politics but never actually gave up his dream of becoming an artist.[1]
Weimar Republic
[edit]After WW1 had ended, Schmidt officially left the military on April 12, 1919 but continued his friendship with Hitler as a “friendship under comrades”. Unlike his friend Hitler who pursued a political career, Schmidt focused on his art business, building a quiet life in the small town of Garching an der Alz in Bavaria, Germany. Although Schmidt joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1920 at Hitler‘s invitation, he was never ideologically driven and had little interest in a political career. Schmidt also didn’t support Hitler during the Hitler Putsch in 1923 but visited him in his imprisonment in Landsberg on May 11, 1924. In 1926 he became Ortsgruppenleiter of the NSDAP in Garching[2].
Nazi era
[edit]With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, Schmidt profited financially very well and gained significant wealth and power. After Hitler became chancellor, he inquired about his old friend, who was already impoverished and in distress. With Hitler‘s financial support, he was able to rebuild his painting business and became the deputy mayor of Garching in 1934, and in 1941 the mayor. He experienced the private Hitler as a very generous man, especially when Hitler provided Garching with a construction grant of 25,000 Reichsmarks. In 1940, he was invited by Hitler to France in order to visit their old stage camp from WW1[3].
But despite being a friend of Hitler, he consistently held back during his speeches, never expressed himself in a discriminatory manner, nor did he hurt any innocent people. Furthermore, he protected Jews and Nazi Opponents from the Nazi Regime and listened to forbidden radio stations such as the BBC. When a citizen of his town was faced imprisonment in the Dachau Concentration Camp for political reasons, Schmidt personally approached Hitler, convincing him to secure the man’s release[1].
After WW2
[edit]In August 1945, he was captured by the American Allies and brought to internment camp Dachau in which he remained until 1948. Afterward, he was released without significant charges and retreated into a quiet private life[3].
References
[edit]- https://www.pnp.de/archiv/1/das-boese-als-kamerad-hitlers-freund-in-garching-7226216
- Joachimsthaler (1989). Adolf Hitler 1908-1920.Korrektur einer Biographie. Herbig. ISBN 3-7766-1575-3.
- Demmel, Fritz (1999). Geschichte und G‘schichten aus der Gemeinde Garching a.d.Alz. ISBN 3-920191-26-9
- ^ a b "Das Böse als Kamerad: Hitlers Freund in Garching". Pnp.de (in German). 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Joachimsthaler (1989). Adolf Hitler 1908-1920.Korrektur einer Biographie. Herbig. ISBN 3-7766-1575-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b Demmel, Fritz (1999). Geschichte und G‘schichten aus der Gemeinde Garching a.d.Alz. ISBN 3-920191-26-9.