Alfred Zech
Zech in 1945
Born(1932-10-12)12 October 1932
Goldenau, Upper Silesia, Weimar Republic (now Poland)
Died13 June 2011(2011-06-13) (aged 78)
Hückelhoven, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Other namesAlfred Czech
Known forchild soldier
Political partyPolish United Workers' Party
Awards Iron Cross, 2nd Class

Alfred Zech, also known as Alfred Czech[1][2] (12 October 1932 – 13 June 2011),[3][4] was a German child soldier who received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class at the age of 12 years.

Early life and military career

Zech was born in Goldenau, Upper Silesia (Złotniki, Opole Voivodeship, Poland) and was enrolled in the Deutsches Jungvolk, as was mandatory under Nazi rule. In early 1945, Goldenau was under attack by advancing elements of the Soviet Red Army. During the attack, he saw a number of German soldiers injured by mortar fire, and decided to use his father's farm cart to retrieve them. He made two trips, bringing a dozen wounded to his family home.[5]

According to Zech, a German general appeared at the family farm several days later and asked the parents to send the boy to Berlin, for an audience with Adolf Hitler. His father agreed and Zech joined several other Jungvolk child soldiers who were decorated by Hitler with Iron Crosses (2nd class) for bravery. The recording of the ceremony was widely circulated by Nazi propaganda.[6][1][7] A photograph of Zech being inspected by Hitler was captured by Büro Laux, a German Foreign Ministry photo agency, and later – via Pressens Bild – distributed to the Associated Press.[2]

At the subsequent banquet Zech stated that he volunteered to remain in service, unaware that his hometown was already captured and his father was killed in action, after he was pressed into the Volkssturm.[5][8] Zech was sent to the front in Freudenthal (presently Czech Silesia). There he was wounded in combat, and captured. After his release in 1947, he returned home, learning about his father's death upon arrival.[5]

Later life

As an adult, Zech joined the Polish United Workers' Party in order to receive leave to emigrate. In 1964, he settled in West Germany where he worked as a laborer.[5]

Personal life

Zech was married and had ten children.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Field, Jacob F. (2014). D-Day in Numbers: The Facts Behind Operation Overlord. Michael O'Mara Books. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-1782432395.
  2. 1 2 Crary, David. "Associated Press releases in-depth review of its coverage of Nazi Germany". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  3. ↑ "ALFRED Czech". Aachen-gedenkt.de. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  4. ↑ "Czech, Alfred "Hitler boy"". ww2gravestone.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Paterson, Tony (April 25, 2005). "Downfall: The story of a Nazi boy hero". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2009-11-08. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ Selby, Scott Andrew (4 September 2012). The Axmann Conspiracy: A Nazi Plan for a Fourth Reich and How the U.S. Army Defeated It. Penguin. ISBN 9781101611388.
  7. ↑ Kater, Michael (2009). Hitler Youth. Harvard University Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0674039353.
  8. ↑ Groenewoud, André (April 2006). "Was macht eigentlich ... Alfred Czech?". Stern (in German).
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