Adolf Hitler in Finland (Adolf Hitler ve Finsku, 1942)

Přidal: Premek |

Srpen 2, 2017

Adolf Hitler při rozhovoru s finským generálem Carlem Mannerheimem. Zvuk Thor Damen.

Natočeno 4. 6. 1942. Premiéra 17. 10. 2004 (Radio Finland).

Lit.: anonym: Jak zněl Hitler v běžném rozhovoru? Poslechněte si jedinečnou nahrávku. In web Info.cz, 22. 1. 2017 (článek + nahrávka k poslechu). – Cit.: Vůdce nacistického Německa Adolf Hitler nikomu nedovoloval nahrávání své řeči bez předchozí přípravy. Jediným dochovaným záznamem jeho běžného rozhovoru je tak nahrávka finského radiotechnika Thora Damena.

Tomu se podařilo nacistického vůdce nahrát během jeho návštěvy Finska v roce 1942 při rozhovoru s finským generálem Carlem Mannerheimem, který právě slavil narozeniny. Hitlera podle serveru War History Online přijal v železničním voze, aby delegace nevypadala jako oficiální státní návštěva.

Technik měl původně nahrávat pouze oficiální proslovy, podařilo se mu ale následně nahrát i soukromý rozhovor mezi Mannerheimem a Hitlerem. Ti v něm probírají například neúspěchu útoku na Sovětský svaz a výkony jeho zbrojního průmyslu.

Po jedenácti minutách příslušníci SS na nahrávání přišli, Doner ho musel ukončit a nahrávka následně putovala do rukou státního cenzorského úřadu. Na veřejnost se opět dostala až na začátku devadesátých let.

Lit.: Chapman, Clare: Finnish radio to air unique Hitler recording. In web The Guardian, 15. 10. 2004 (článek). – Cit.: The only known recording of Adolf Hitler not taken of him ranting at a party rally has been discovered in Finland and will be broadcast for the first time this weekend.

The sound engineer who left the recording equipment running after the Nazi dictator had given a radio interview was almost executed after the Gestapo realised what he had done.

But Thor Damen managed to fool them into thinking it was destroyed – and the recording of the Fuhrer as he chatted for 18 minutes with CGE Mannerheim, commander of the Finnish forces during the second world war, survived.

The recording has been described by Radio Finland as „unique“ and is the only kown example of Hitler chatting in his normal voice, in contrast to the newsreel speeches at Nazi party rallies.

The recording was made while the German leader was on a surprise visit Finland in 1942 to congratulate Mannerheim, a German ally, on his 75th birthday.

The tape was made by Mr Damen, who was responsible for recording the speeches at Mr Mannerheim’s birthday party.

Unbeknown to both the Finnish leader and Hitler, Mr Damen continued to tape their private conversation after the official part of the programme was over, said Lasse Vihonen, head of the sound archives at Finnish public broadcaster YLE.

„When the German security officers found out, it really became a scene, with them threatening to kill Damen and ordering him to destroy the tape,“ he said.

„It is the only one in existence where Hitler speaks freely.“

The tape, mostly a rambling monologue, gives a rare glimpse into Hitler’s personality, since he had forbidden any recordings of his private conversations.

Only Hitler’s carefully staged speeches, in which he talks in a well-rehearsed, high-pitched and feverish voice, were supposed to be saved for posterity. The low pitch of the voice on the recording may sound unfamiliar, but the message leaves no doubt who the speaker is.

„Had I finished off France in ’39, then world history would have taken another course,“ Hitler says in German, alternating between rapid and slow speech and pausing frequently. „But then I had to wait until 1940. Then a two-front war, that was bad luck. After that, even we were broken,“ Hitler says, explaining the setbacks of his campaign to conquer the Soviet Union.

„That he came to Finland was a political move,“ said Ohto Manninen, the professor of war history at Finland’s national defence college. „He wanted Finland to remain in the war on Germany’s side.“

In 1941 Finland had allied itself with Nazi Germany and attacked the Soviet Union just days after Hitler launched his campaign against Stalin, to regain territories lost to Moscow in the winter war of 1939-41.

In 1942 Germany had 200,000 soldiers based in Finland. Together the allies grabbed large areas in north-western Russia and besieged St Petersburg, then called Leningrad.

With his forces stretched thin all over Europe, it was essential for Hitler to keep Finland in the war, even though Finnish goals had already been met.

The recording, which lasts for 18 minutes, ends abruptly in mid-sentence as Hitler explains why it had been difficult to help Finland more in their common war against Stalin.

„We didn’t know ourselves just how monstrous this powerful beast was,“ Hitler says. „Had I known, I would have been more reluctant, but I had already made the decision then, and there would be no other possibility,“ he added.

YLE radio is scheduled to broadcast the tape in its entirety with an accompanying documentary on October 17 over its international satellite and shortwave service, Radio Finland.