Im looking for any info or leads on Alfred. The aspect of kids fighting in the last days has always interested me as a possible topic for a book, and Alfred certainly seems to encapsulate what Im looking for.
This is Alfred, 12, shaking Hitler's hand after receiving the Iron Cross Second Class. He had fought in Pomerania and Upper/Lower Silesia with the Hitler Youth.
Anyway, any information anyone could give would be great, the picture has intrigued me for a while now, and would hope someone might have a lead to contact him, as he may still be alive at 71.
Stern or some other (West) German magazine did a "then and now" thing on the HJ boys awarded the EK by Hitler in April 1945. The article featured then and now photos of the boys and interviews. Zeck I believe was a construction worker in Berlin, but I'm not exactly sure.
I'm lost in this story ... In the movie Der Untergang there is a young kid named Peter Kranz. Does he is supposed to be Alfred or Peter Kranz was a real kid?
I think that rather fewer kids were involved in combat than the last photos of Hitler would lead us to believe. I think that the German Army records show that in the youngest year group called up, the dead were "only" recorded in the hundreds. I would guess that rather more of that year group had died in Western Allied air raids than in uniform.
I couldn't agree more with you,Sid.This was just another propaganda stunt from Hitler-Goebels kitchen.I mean,how can a 12-year old be a soldier?He can only perform simple messenger tasks and thats about it.And the kids haven't got the faces of someone that has been on the Eastern front and who will probably return there.How could this children in any way stop the Red Army?And if this story is correct I would also like to know what was his:"act of outstanding combat bravery above and beyond the call of duty".
I wouldn't deny that 12-year-olds are capable of outstanding acts of bravery. They don't have the better developed sense of danger and self preservation of more mature adults.
However, I am not at all sure that there was the mass resistance by kids that this photo and ceremony would have us believe. According to Overmann's book on German losses, the 1930 Class, who would have been fifteen in 1945, suffered "only" about 1,000 fatalities. However keen the Nazi hierarchy may have been to send even children to the front, it would appear that the overwhelming majority never served there and, the few that did would, as you pointed out, have been of limited use.
This whole subject illustrates the depths the Nazi leadership was prepared to sink to in order to buy itself a few more hours of existence. I asked before on Feldgrau how many of the 40+ Nazi Gauleiters responsible for enlisting these kids actually gave their own lives in combat for the cause. I think the answer was two.
The Hitlerjugend's name is Alfred Czech, he was being awarded the Iron Cross (2nd class) for helping to rescue 12 German soldiers wounded by Soviet mortar fire in Upper Silesia. He was flown into Berlin for the award ceremony with Hitler.
As the German for the nationality "Czech" does not begin with "Cz", what is the origin of Alfred Czech's surname?
Ironically, Hitler's own surname was of medieval Czech origin. Hindenburg used to call him "The Bohemian Corporal" and Himmler reportedly suppressed genealogical research he had commissioned into Hitler's background.
As the German for the nationality "Czech" does not begin with "Cz", what is the origin of Alfred Czech's surname?
Since the articles says that he originates from Schlesia I presume with great certainty that he was coming from a family of probably mixed German-Polish roots. The structure "Cz" is typical (for example CZERKAWSKI) for Polish surnames. The surname in general is a typical Slavic surname and is today one of the most commonly surnames in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, but also in some other countries. Though it is differently spelled in each of the country, it's pronounciation is the same.
* Poland -> CZECH (-> pronounced as Tschech)
* Czech Republic - CECH (who hasn't heard of Czech goalkeeper PETER CECH who is currently playing for FC Chelsea -> pronounced as Tschech)
* Slovenia: ČEH - (http://www.nastjaceh.com/ -> pronounced as Tschech) = CEH - C mit "haschek" or "birdie"
I think the correct spelling of his name is as put in Das Bild - Alfred Czech. I think the Germans know best to spell correctly his surname.
US PGA Commentator - "One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before each tee shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them .... Oh my god!!!!! What have I just said?!!!"
This then leads to the question as to how his name was spelt in the original citation?
Perhaps it was thought embarrassing to Nazism if somebody with Polish paternal ancestry was the youngest Iron Cross holder and his name was therefore Germanised for PR purposes?
Or perhaps the family had itself Germanised the name and reverted to the original Slavonic name later?
