Baldur von Schirach Interview (1960's)

[J. Duncan]

Interview of Baldur von Schirach by David Frost in the late 1960's. Von Schirach speaks impeccable English and puffs on his pipe. This is really fascinating with insights into Hitler and his regretful past. This was posted in October 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnASJgBgdZM

[trespasser07]

Very interesting are there any good publications available for von Schirach?

Regards.

[J. Duncan]

Hey tres.
Too bad we can't read Baldur's book "Ich glaubte an Hitler" (only in german) but there is "The Price of Glory" by his wife
Henriette Hoffmann Schirach which is quite good. It's basically her autobiography with insights on Hitler and experiences during the Weimar and Third Reich years plus some post-war sufferings as a De-Nazified person struggling to care for her 4 children without any help from her husband. Schirach lived in a fantasy world of books and inward reflection (selfishness) and didn't think to ask her how she and the children lived outside in the "real world"...she divorced him and received no money from him even after he inherited an estate and fortune from a wealthy relative.

The interview was interesting to me because it took place after Schirach's release from Spandau when he was old man -62. Hard to believe it's the same chubby man from the 1930's who bellowed into microphones in the films "Triumph des Willens" and "Der Marsch zum Führer". In the interview he appears very slim, somewhat effeminate, and speaks English with an almost British accent.
I thought it was well done, but I detected anger in Schirach towards "Mr Fost!" when they got to the part about the Jews.
Schirach admitted he was a coward, that he chose to look the other way and believe what the SS told him about the jews fate (that they were being treated ok). He also says he very busy as a Reichstadthalter in Vienna and had no time to consider the moral implications of their predicament. It was Henriette who had the courage to ask Hitler at the Berghof about the poor Jews of Amsterdam. It was quite a scene as Hitler angrily told her to get tough and stop being so sentimental. They were basically asked to leave the premises. The Buddha statue he got from his good friend Colin Ross (an older man, a world travel writer) who lived in America and who later committed suicide in their backyard after he dug his own grave (Henriette writes about the tragedy and how she buried his body).
No books in English on Colin Ross, but he was an interesting figure in his own right.

[jeffhan373]

I thought this was very interesting, thanks for discovering and posting it, John. The "Young Lord", as the Viennese referred to him, (though not so young here!) had some interesting comments.

Frost also did an interview program with Albert Speer. I haven't seen that in many years. I remember Speer talking about Bouhler and the euthanasia program...

[J. Duncan]

Glad you liked it. I did not find Frost vs. Speer but it sounds very good. Perhaps the same guy will post this one later.
There is one with Frost and Oswald Mosley (1967) which is extremely painful to watch because there is an audience member who screams at him repeatedly during his "interview". One can only wince because it was quite embarrassing for the old man whose time was definitely over by the 1960's as the audience reacted very negatively to anything he had to say.

Colin Ross wrote travel books which influenced the Nazi's thinking on the United States. He wrote the book "Unser Amerika" ("Our America") which Schirach passed around but he was known also for his travels in the Orient. He was much older than Baldur (born 1885) but they were close friends and it was interesting to me that Schirach brings him up with Frost, making a reference to the Buddha statue which was given to him by Ross as a gift.
Henriette mentions him often in her book and he was a regular visitor to their home. He was also born in Vienna if I remember correctly.

[trespasser07]

Very interesting. There is a published book by von Lang on Schirach only in the German. Shame because the Bormann and Wolff books can be bought in English as well and they were good.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7qY ... IQ6AEIKDAC

[Gorque]

Just viewed the interview. Many thanks for sharing this.

[Boby]

Glad you liked it. I did not find Frost vs. Speer but it sounds very good. Perhaps the same guy will post this one later.
There is one with Frost and Oswald Mosley (1967) which is extremely painful to watch because there is an audience member who screams at him repeatedly during his "interview". One can only wince because it was quite embarrassing for the old man whose time was definitely over by the 1960's as the audience reacted very negatively to anything he had to say.

Colin Ross wrote travel books which influenced the Nazi's thinking on the United States. He wrote the book "Unser Amerika" ("Our America") which Schirach passed around but he was known also for his travels in the Orient. He was much older than Baldur (born 1885) but they were close friends and it was interesting to me that Schirach brings him up with Frost, making a reference to the Buddha statue which was given to him by Ross as a gift.
Henriette mentions him often in her book and he was a regular visitor to their home. He was also born in Vienna if I remember correctly.

Yes, he also meet with Hitler in March 1940.

[eugenia cone]

thanks for sharing this interview, I would like to give my little opinion about the book Mrs. Henriette von Schirach, she wrote a letter to her husband in 1950 where he said it would have been better for her and the children he had committed suicide instead of being in jail, so terrible that letter caused much suffering to Baldur von Schirach, it seems that the lady was also selfish, yes? I wanted pdir a favor to colleagues who have seen the interview I can say is dressed as Baldur von Schirach? thank you very much!