My Battle Against Hitler by Dietrich von Hildebrand John Henry Crosby

Author:Dietrich von Hildebrand,John Henry Crosby [Hildebrand, Dietrich von]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-385-34752-5
Publisher: Random House Inc.
Published: 2014-10-20T16:00:00+00:00

Some years later, in 1938, Italy passed the first of its race laws, which severely restricted the rights of Jews. Even so, von Hildebrand means that racism was not intrinsic to Fascism as it was to Nazism, and in 1934 it was still possible to criticize racism to an audience of Fascists.

Regrettably, I spoke too freely in an interview that I gave, without considering what could be harmful to my effectiveness in Austria and to my battle there against National Socialism. I mentioned that my paternal grandmother was Jewish—a completely needless revelation, as I was soon to find out, because it was able to do great harm to my position in Austria and because it had no real importance. After all, this fact did not have the slightest influence on my stance and had never, even in the past, played any role in my life.

While focusing primarily on my love for Italy, the interview had mentioned my Jewish grandmother, which various “neutral” Austrian newspapers eagerly seized upon. In truth, I spoke about my Jewish grandmother because I was proud of her. It was certainly important not to conceal this fact artificially, and to allow myself to fall into the attitude of denying any trace of Jewish ancestry, which even many anti-Nazis did in Austria.

Yet in this case it was also a mistake not to recognize that, having not been asked, there was no reason to make this revelation. Doing so would decisively weaken my struggle, not just against National Socialism, but also against the moderate anti-Semitism in Austria, if people could say of me, “But of course, he is speaking on behalf of his own people.” Soon after I heard that Funder—the same Funder who had received me with such incredible warmth in August 1933—had said of me, “Well, that was only said by the Jew Hildebrand.” Through this interview I had become fully Jewish even in the eyes of someone who was relatively well disposed to me.

Let me briefly describe a visit from Ludi Pastor.*56 He came to see me and asked if I would consider accompanying him to Rome on a particular mission. Wilhelm Berliner, the leader of the Austrian branch of Phönix, a brilliant businessman and a major entrepreneur, wanted a report on the general climate of opinion toward Nazism in Vatican circles. Naturally, he would finance the journey. He was not just looking for a report from me, though this was the primary purpose; I was also supposed to brief these circles where possible. Ludi would accompany me on the trip. I could choose the time.

Ludi also intimated that I might be able to secure some support for my journal by talking with Berliner prior to the journey.*57 Apparently Berliner valued the journal and considered it very important. This of course was very appealing for me, for it could lead to a source of support just when Schuschnigg was leaving me in the lurch as far as the journal was concerned. The trip to Rome was

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