The Man Who Refused To Salute Hitler

Much of what we see online tends to be lifestyle related, however, this photo is historic in nature and has been floating around social media channels for some time. It depicts bravery and resilience that we don't often see in modern times, the man who refused to salute hitler has certainly made history.

On this day as Hitler stood before the crowd one brave sole refused to salute, instead he stood with arms crossed. August Landmesser was married to a Jewish woman and out of love for her made the admirable and brave move not to salute Hitler. During this time many probably joined the salute under duress, acting out of fear and knowing full well that by not joining in you may as well sign your own death certificate.

Germanys econony was in complete disarray in 1930 and ultimately this gave way for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to rise to power. It was during this time that Landmesser became an active and accepted member for the Nazi Party as he saw it as an opportunity to gain connections and land himself a job in an otherwise destitute economy. This superficial political affiliation was later destroyed when he fell in love with Irma Eckler, a young Jewish woman. There engagement actually got Landmesser expelled from the Nazi Party and subsequently their marriage license application was denied under the new laws.

Irma and August's love story was not the one dreams are made of, rather it was one in which true love prevailed if only for a short time. It was a love story like no other, a story in which a man loves a woman and against all odds, they fall in love get married and have children. They knew their love was forbidden and they fought to challenge those oppressors. At any cost they stood for what was right.

To read the full story, click on the link below to be redirected to the All that is Interesting website.