28th March, 1940. Rudolf, aged 14, is called up

This document, which was bundled with the letters, is particularly chilling for me, both as a daughter, as well as a mother. My father was 14 when this letter, written on the thinnest foolscap and stamped vigorously on the bottom with the official insignia of the author of this "proclamation", arrived in the post.

What sticks out when you read it is the relentless use of the imperative tone in nearly every sentence. "Your child will be there". "He will wear the swastika armband". "Your child will fulfil their role".

I'm also struck by the fact that the Hitler Youth of Vienna had established themselves on the Tuchlauben 14, today a street of very smart shops not far from St Stephens cathedral. What offices did they commandeer to get the office, I wonder.

At the beginning, my father's forays with the Hitler Youth were relatively benign, and involved weekly meetings, song singing, marching and turning up for parades, etc. On one such occasion he stood too long in his short trousered uniform outside in the bitter cold and contracted pneumonia. Under local anaesthetic, part of a rib was removed to gain access to the affected lung and drain it. He was lucky to survive. By the time he was 16, my father's school had moved to the outskirts of town to provide anti-aircraft defense, but more about that in another posting.

28 March 1940

NSDAP Hitler Youth

Wien, Tuchlauben 1

Proclamation number 501

Dear Parents!

On the morning of 30 March 1940, hundreds of thousands of youths from the entire Reich who have reached the age of fourteen will join the ranks of German’s youth and will take part in an obligatory celebration, which will inaugurate them into the Hitler Youth. Most of them will in this year leave school and begin their working life, but the others too will have reached a turning point in their lives. They will be joining the ranks of those who direct their lives towards fighting for the communal life of the German people.

Your child will be there. He will wear the swastika arm band. He will discover the same camaraderie and kinship, and will be called up to the hard law of discipline and responsibility. Through his continuing personal dedication, he will prove that he has what is necessary to belong to the growth of the party, and the core of the Hitler Youth.

The job of educating the Hitler Youth can only be done with the full support of the parents. Therefore you also, as parents, have an obligation to participate in this duty, and in the calling up of your child. Therefore we also invite you to take part in the obligatory celebration. The day should also be marked within your family as a special day of celebration.

The majority of fourteen year olds will be engaged in the following units: transport, navy, air, communications, cavalry, sport, and patrol. The differing nature of these roles should prepare them for the lives that lie ahead of them. You and your child will appear on March 31, 1940 in the afternoon from 3 pm until 6pm, on the grounds of the Messepalast. You are warmly welcomed.

In this time where the entire German nation has been brought to decisive battle, your child will fulfill their role. This is only possible if we have your trust and complete support.

Heil Hitler!

Author of Proclamation 501

Karl Pfoser

Oberstammführer