Sunday, April 14, 2024

A life of Battle

“He once said: ‘I wish nothing on my gravestone other than my name.’ Even his name will probably not stand over his grave, for we know that he must have perished while fighting bitterly in the Reich Chancellery. We know that the enemy will be able to find a body in the ruins caused by countless artillery shells and flame throwers, and that they may say that it is the Führer’s body, but we will not believe it. If the enemy says that, we will not believe it. That his body is dead we believe, what is mortal of him has perished, has passed away, but he has fulfilled his most beautiful oath, this affirmation: ‘The most valuable thing God has given me on this world is my people. My faith rests on it, I serve it with my will, and I give my life to it.’ His life is fulfilled. He began by fighting for his people, and he ended that way. A life of battle.” 

– Hermann Okraß, German writer, published at great personal risk in the Hamburger Zeitung of May 2, 1945

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