[The Decay of Meaning]

Do you know of any outlandish claims, or false myths regarding Nazi Germany/German society/the persons governing the nazi state?

[PolarBear]

Ahmadinejad would argue that the holocaust didnt occur.

[The Decay of Meaning]

You are going off-topic.

[Monkeydust]

Yes.

The one that immediately comes to mind is the notion that there was a "Gestapo agent on every street corner". It was a popular myth during and after the Third Reich that the Gestapo's tentacles reached deep into society, that you could be heard saying whatever you were saying and your activities would have been reported by such agents. It was just that: a myth.

In a number of large towns - like Würzburg or Saachenhausen - there were in fact barely over 100 Gestapo agents working, many of them office and administrative staff and not checking on the population. The reality was that the vast majority of denunciations came from the people themselves. Germans didn't need to worry about a Gestapo agent reporting their actions. But they might have needed to worry about their neighbour doing so.

[starman2003]

Or their own kids.

false myths

Redundant.

[Juan Espera]

The one that immediately comes to mind is the notion that there was a "Gestapo agent on every street corner". It was a popular myth during and after the Third Reich that the Gestapo's tentacles reached deep into society, that you could be heard saying whatever you were saying and your activities would have been reported by such agents. It was just that: a myth.

Indeed. I believe there were only 15,000 or so active Gestapo agents in Nazi germany. Compare that to the number of active Stasi or KGB agents in their respective communist paradises.

That's not to say that Nazi germany wasn't a brutal and dangerous place to live.

Edit, I thought of a nice one. The Myth that the Nazis invented the autobahn, when in reality it was already under construction when Hitler came to power.

[Thunderhawk]

The Myth that the Nazis invented the autobahn, when in reality it was already under construction when Hitler came to power

Do people actually believe it was the Nazi's ideas ?

[Rajin Cajun]

Some do actually.

My favorite is people lump in the Waffen-SS for the crimes committed by the SS. Regardless of the fact you didn't have to be a member of the actual SS to serve in the Waffen-SS.

[Boondock Saint]

That the SS was some uber-combat unit when in reality its leaders were of political merit and their training was inferior to the regular German Army.

[Potemkin]

A very popular myth about the Nazis is that they burned down the Reichstag. There's actually no real evidence that they did. They took advantage of the fact that it happened to tighten their grip on the country, but they almost certainly didn't do it themselves.

[Potemkin]

Oh yeah, and there's the myth that Hitler had only one testicle. I dunno where that myth came from.

[Rajin Cajun]

Thats actually wrong Boon. The Waffen-SS had a much more stricter physical requirement to get in while the regular SS had none. Usually 1/3 of canidates that were able to even clear the early Jewish background check were able to pass the physical and combat training.

[Blackshirt]

"Hitler massacred everyone that didn't agree with the government."

Not so. People were shot due to treason, but people that just said "Bah-life was better off in 1914" wouldn't have much attention paid to them. The image the world tries to draw of Nazi Germany is cold-hearted, ruthless, oppressive, and horrible. Falso falso falso! [/stamping foot]

[Potemkin]

Blackshirt, I'm starting to suspect that your political views may be a teensy-weensy bit right-wing. Would I be correct in my suspicions?

[Eddier1]

Usually 1/3 of canidates that were able to even clear the early Jewish background check were able to pass the physical and combat training.

Do you think that Hitler would have passed "the early Jewish background check"?

I know he wouldn't since the Austrian police after Hitler's arrest for vagrancy checked him out and his father Alois was one quarter Jewish. HOW THE SS KNOWING THAT DIDN'T ASSASSINATE HIM IS INCOMPRHENSIBLE.

Meh!, I did hear from a former SS officer who ran a tavern after the war that he had "his reasons". When pressed closely for them, the Nazi logic came out of him that (paraphrasing) averred that if the Jews made the mess in Germany, then let a Jew clean it up. I could not help but conclude that he was referring to Hitler and his Jewish ancestry by way of his father Alois.

[Ideational Ontarian]

Blackshirt, I'm starting to suspect that your political views may be a teensy-weensy bit right-wing. Would I be correct in my suspicions?

He is "Il Duce", a self-styled Fascist.

[Blackshirt]

Blackshirt, I'm starting to suspect that your political views may be a teensy-weensy bit right-wing. Would I be correct in my suspicions?

[Rajin Cajun]

I don't see what that has to do with Hitler.

My comment was to how the SS operated not how the Allies claimed he was a self-hating Jew even though they have not brought forward any evidence to the affirmative. Il Duce, Blackshirt or whatever the hell is calling himself right now is right. The Third Reich was more against Jews and Communists then anything. Blacks were allowed to serve in the Wehrmacht and so were those of Middle Eastern Desent.

Though this is not saying that I agree or disagree with Blackshirt.

[kami321]

but they almost certainly didn't do it themselves

Yet Goering said he did it.

One of the obvious myths that is quite popular is that hitler wanted to conquer the world and Germanize everyone. Everyone should know this is such utter bullshit.

[Lokakyy]

Hitler's arrest for vagrancy checked him out and his father Alois was one quarter Jewish.

Well, if they did they were obviously wrong.

The identity of Alois father remains a mystery even today, as he was an illegitimate child. And the mother of Alois wasn't jewish.