April 14, 2011

Hitler; vegetarian or not, he was NO VEGAN!



'Hitler was a vegetarian' you may have heard someone say in response to you telling them you are a vegan. Without doing any research, I know for a fact that Hitler was not a vegan. He may or may not have been a vegetarian (for a time) for his own health, but that has nothing to do with veganism. It stands to reason that a person with such little regard for human life would also have little regard for other animal life. The concentration camp; Auschwitz, had its own slaughterhouse and butcher shop according to Eternal Treblinka by Charles Patterson. At Buchenwald and Auschwitz concentration camps, human and animal experiments were carried out simultaneously. Many witnesses have attested to Hitler eating liver dumplings, Bavarian sausages, stuffed squab (young pigeon), and caviar. There are first-hand reports from hotel and personal chefs that attest to the fact that he ate dishes made of animals or animal products. For example, animal glands and bone marrow were added to his food. 

According to Robert Payne (Hitler's biographer), the vegetarian claim was made up by Goebbels to make Hitler seem ascetic; like Gandhi. Goebbels; the Minister of Propaganda, claimed that Hitler did not smoke, drink, eat meat, or have relationships with women. However, it is known that he did eat meat and drink some, and have a mistress and other secret affairs. Author Rynn Berry, maintains that although Hitler reduced the amount of meat in his diet, he never stopped eating meat completely for any significant length of time. Berry claimed that many historians use the term 'vegetarian' incorrectly to describe someone who simply reduced their meat consumption. Apparently, after his niece Angela (Geli) Raubal died in 1931, Hitler became a vegetarian, but even then he still ate his favorite liver dumpling dish (which would make him NOT a vegetarian). At that time, it is reported that he said eating meat is like eating a dead body. (He had a lucid moment!) 

It is reported that he preferred the company of his dogs than to humans. Well that is true of many people; both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. His final hours were spent in the company of his favorite dog called "Blondi". However it is also reported that he tested his suicidal prescription of potassium cyanide on his dog Blondi first before taking it. This kind of love is something all animals can do without. Hitler’s story exquisitely proves that someone can be vegetarian (a diet; and one that you can go on or off of) for reasons that have nothing to do with respect for other animals. Veganism, on the other hand, is ALWAYS about ethics and justice and non-participation in these violent crimes against nonhumanity; that is its essence. 

3 comments:

Vegan Amigan Saganista said...

Squab was one of Hitler's favorite meats. In addition to historical accounts from multiple 1st-hand witnesses, there are 2 books specializing on the topic:
"Hitler Was a Vegetarian And Other Tales" by Ron Ferguson (ISBN-10: 0905489713, ISBN-13: 978-0905489711) or Rynn Berry's book "Hitler: Neither Vegetarian Nor Animal Lover" (ISBN-10: 0962616966, ISBN-13: 978-0962616969)

Anonymous said...

Hitler was a white male too. Maybe we should be anti white male by implication as well?

Intrinsic said...

I have honestly never, ever heard anyone make the Hitler claim (except as a joke) in regards to veganism or vegetarianism, and I've lived all over the US (half of that time in major cities).

I really don't see how this article is helpful in any way, as the scenario presented here is highly unlikely to happen in real life.