The Young Hitler I Knew

The Memoirs of Hitler's Childhood Friend

August Kubizek, Ian Kershaw

• Publisher: Greenhill Books
• Year: 2023
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781805000181
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

August Kubizek met Adolf Hitler in 1904 while they were both competing for standing room at the opera. Their mutual passion for music created a strong bond, and over the next four years they became close friends. Kubizek describes a reticent young man, painfully shy, yet capable of bursting into hysterical fits of anger if anyone disagreed with him. The two boys would often talk for hours on end; Hitler found Kubizek to be a very good listener, a worthy confidant to his hopes and dreams. In 1908 Kubizek moved to Vienna and shared a room with Hitler at 29 Stumpergasse. During this time, Hitler tried to get into art school, but he was unsuccessful. With his money fast running out, he found himself sinking to the lower depths of the city: an unkind world of isolation and constant unappeasable hunger. Hitler moved out of the flat in November, without leaving a forwarding address; Kubizek did not meet his friend again until 1938. The Young Hitler I Knew tells the story of an extraordinary friendship, and gives fascinating insight into Hitler's character during these formative years. This is the first edition to be published in English since 1955 and it corrects many changes made for reasons of political correctness. It also includes important sections which were excised from the original English translation.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Introduction by Ian Kershaw
• Original Publisher’s Foreword
• Author’s Introduction – My Decision and Justification
• Chapter 1 First Meeting
• Chapter 2 Growth of a Friendship
• Chapter 3 Portrait of the Young Hitler
• Chapter 4 Portrait of His Mother
• Chapter 5 Portrait of His Father
• Chapter 6 Adolf’s Schooldays
• Chapter 7 Stefanie
• Chapter 8 Enthusiasm for Richard Wagner
• Chapter 9 Hitler the Young Volksdeutscher
• Chapter 10 Adolf Rebuilds Linz
• Chapter 11 ‘In That Hour It Began . . .’
• Chapter 12 Adolf Leaves for Vienna
• Chapter 13 His Mother’s Death
• Chapter 14 ‘Come with Me, Gustl!’
• Chapter 15 No. 29 Stumpergasse
• Chapter 16 Adolf Rebuilds Vienna
• Chapter 17 Solitary Reading and Study
• Chapter 18 Nights at the Opera
• Chapter 19 Adolf Writes an Opera
• Chapter 20 The Mobile Reichs-Orchestra
• Chapter 21 Unmilitary Interlude
• Chapter 22 Adolf’s Attitude to Sex
• Chapter 23 Political Awakening
• Chapter 24 The Lost Friendship
• Chapter 25 My Subsequent Life and Reunion with My Friend
• Plate Section