Baldur von Schirach

2.1. Birth and family

Baldur Benedikt von Schirach was born on May 9, 1907, in Berlin, then the capital of the German Empire, as the youngest of four children. His father, Carl Baily Norris von Schirach (1873-1948), was an American-German theatre director, grand ducal chamberlain, and a retired cavalry captain of the Prussian Guard Cuirassier Regiment. His mother, Emma Middleton Lynah Tillou (1872-1944), was an American from Philadelphia. The von Schirach family, of Sorbian West Slavic noble origins, had been granted noble titles by Maria Theresa of Austria for their literary contributions. Three of Baldur's four grandparents were from the United States, predominantly Pennsylvania. His mother's ancestors included two signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, notably Henry Middleton.

Due to his mother's American background and his father's English proficiency, English was the primary language spoken at home, and Schirach did not learn German until he was six years old, making him fluent in English. He had two sisters, Viktoria Benedikta and the opera singer Rosalind von Schirach, and an elder brother, Karl Benedict von Schirach, who tragically committed suicide in 1919 at the age of 19.

In 1908, his father retired from the military and became the director of the court theater in Weimar, leading the family to relocate there. Schirach grew up in an environment where he pursued musical interests, including playing the violin, and developed an early talent for poetry. Unlike the authoritarian education often found in Prussian aristocratic families, the Schirach household fostered a more liberal and free-spirited upbringing.

2.2. Education and youth activities

Schirach attended the Wilhelm-Ernst-Gymnasium from 1916 to 1917 before enrolling in the "Forest Pedagogium" boarding school in Bad Berka. This school was founded on the reformist educational principles of Hermann Lietz, aiming to shield adolescents from the "decadent influences" of urban life and promote self-reliance and independence. Teachers and students addressed each other informally, and older students guided younger ones, reflecting the motto "youth leads youth." This philosophy profoundly influenced Schirach's later approach to leading the Hitler Youth.

The defeat of the German Empire in World War I in 1918, followed by the German Revolution and the collapse of the monarchy, deeply affected the young Schirach. His father lost his position at the court theater, which had been closed. While his family's substantial wealth cushioned them from severe economic hardship, Schirach developed an intense hatred for the new Weimar Republic that replaced the empire. Returning from the boarding school to his home in Weimar, he continued his studies.

At the age of 17 in 1924, he joined a nationalist youth organization called Knabenschaft, which was part of the paramilitary youth group `Wehrjugendgruppe<sup>German</sup>`, the youth division of the `Preußenbund<sup>German</sup>`. During this period, he read Henry Ford's antisemitic book The International Jew, which he later described as the beginning of his "ruin," leading him to embrace antisemitism.

3.1. Early political career

Schirach first encountered Adolf Hitler at the age of 17 in March 1925, when Hitler delivered a speech in Weimar. Schirach, on guard duty as a member of the Knabenschaft, was deeply moved by Hitler's passionate rhetoric, particularly his condemnation of the Treaty of Versailles. He described Hitler's voice as "deep and raw, resonant like a cello." After the speech, he had a personal introduction to Hitler, an encounter that cemented his adoration for the Nazi leader. Schirach even penned a poem about this meeting, which was published in Hans Severus Ziegler's newspaper `Der Nationalsozialist<sup>German</sup>` and later set to music, though Schirach himself dismissed it as one of his "many bad poems." In October 1924, Hitler again visited Weimar and stayed at Schirach's father's home.

On May 9, 1925, his 18th birthday, Schirach officially joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) with membership number 17,251. The same year, he also became a member of the paramilitary `Sturmabteilung<sup>German</sup>` (SA) in Weimar. Deeply engrossed in Nazi ideology, he reportedly memorized parts of Hitler's book Mein Kampf after its first volume was published in July 1925.

In 1927, at Hitler's invitation, Schirach moved to Munich to attend Munich University, studying English literature, art history, and Egyptology. In Munich, he quickly demonstrated his organizational abilities, packing a hall with students for a Hitler speech in November 1927. He became a university group leader of the `Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund<sup>German</sup>` (NSDStB, National Socialist German Students' League) in February 1928, rising to national leader (`Reichsführer<sup>German</sup>`) on July 20, 1928. He aimed to broaden the Nazi Party's appeal to the middle class, with Hitler's support. During this period, Schirach was challenged to two duels and received a conditional prison sentence for accepting one. In 1928, he visited New York City, where his uncle offered him a banking job, but Schirach, already fiercely loyal to Hitler, declined.

Schirach proved adept at internal bureaucratic power struggles. He founded `Schülerbünde<sup>German</sup>` (School Children's Leagues) to create competition for the Hitler Youth. He allied with Joseph Goebbels and, in 1929, defeated Kurt Gruber in an internal election, later convincing Hitler to marginalize Gruber, who was deemed incompetent by party leaders.

In 1929, he was selected as a `Reichsredner<sup>German</sup>` (national speaker), actively participating in Party propaganda. In 1931, he was prosecuted for an anti-Versailles demonstration, using his court appearance to attack the Weimar Republic. He received a three-month suspended prison sentence. On October 30, 1931, he was appointed `Reichsjugendführer<sup>German</sup>` (National Youth Leader) of the Nazi Party.

On March 31, 1932, Schirach married 19-year-old Henriette Hoffmann, the daughter of Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler's personal photographer and close friend. Hitler and Ernst Röhm served as witnesses. Henriette's wealthy father provided them with a luxurious apartment in Englischer Garten. Through this marriage, Schirach gained entry into Hitler's inner circle, becoming a welcome guest at Hitler's Berghof holiday home. Together with Heinrich Hoffmann, Schirach produced several propaganda books featuring Hoffmann's photographs, such as "Hitler As No One Knows Him" and "Youth Around Hitler," with Schirach writing the captions. These books sold hundreds of thousands of copies, generating substantial royalties for them. In May 1932, Schirach was made `Reichsleiter<sup>German</sup>` for Youth Education (`Reichsleiter für Jügenderziehung<sup>German</sup>`), the second-highest political rank in the Nazi Party.

On June 16, 1932, he was named `Reichsführer<sup>German</sup>` of the Party's Hitler Youth organization, resigning from the Student League. Under Schirach, the Hitler Youth participated in NSDAP events, and 21 members died in 1932. Schirach glorified these deaths as "blood sacrifice" for propaganda. A notable example was Herbert Norkus, a 15-year-old boy fatally stabbed by Communists in January 1932 while pasting Nazi posters. Schirach and Goebbels promptly exploited his death for propaganda, with Schirach regularly visiting Norkus's grave and using his story to call for a "National Socialist dictatorship."

Schirach became a member of the Reichstag on July 31, 1932. He continued to serve there until the end of the Nazi regime, relocating the Hitler Youth headquarters to Berlin in 1933 to be closer to Hitler, with the building purchased by an anonymous industrialist.

3.2. National Youth Leader (Reichsjugendführer)

As leader of the Hitler Youth, Baldur von Schirach played a pivotal role in constructing the "Führer myth," using his speeches to foster an emotional connection to Hitler, often emphasizing themes of self-sacrifice. He authored lyrics for many songs, including the "song of the Hitler Youth flag," featured in the propaganda film Der Hitlerjunge Quex.

On October 1, 1932, Schirach organized a massive "National Youth Day" (`Reichsjugendtag<sup>German</sup>`) in Potsdam, attracting between 50,000 to 70,000 adolescents from the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. This event, financed by propaganda sales, showcased the growing power of the youth movement. Hitler, initially hesitant to attend due to political sensitivities, joined the rally after learning of the impressive turnout, reportedly shedding tears upon hearing Schirach's declaration: "Führer, here are all your youth. They have come together to offer you a political meeting supported by love and faith. Who else has been given such a meeting by young people?" The following day, young participants marched for seven hours before Hitler, a display that further solidified Hitler's immense trust in Schirach. The Hitler Youth also published various magazines and organized leisure activities, including militaristic exercises involving flying, reconnaissance, and motor and mounted "units." On May 17, 1938, Schirach explicitly stated, "The real, great educational act for a people lies in ingraining in youth blind obedience, unshakeable loyalty, unconditional comradeship and absolute reliability."

Following the Nazi seizure of power on January 30, 1933, Schirach's National Youth Leadership immediately moved to the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. On April 5, 1933, a unit of the Hitler Youth occupied the offices of the Reich Committee of German Youth Leagues, obtaining detailed information on all youth groups. A second surprise raid secured control of the Reich League for German Youth Hostels (`Reichsverband fuer deutsche Jugendherbergen<sup>German</sup>`). On June 10, 1933, Schirach was appointed `Jugendführer<sup>German</sup>` (Youth Leader) of the German Reich, taking responsibility for all youth organizations nationwide and requiring his permission for any new youth group formations. He was also made a State Secretary in the Reich Interior Ministry. By June 23, 1933, all other youth organizations were retroactively dissolved from June 17, 1933, as part of the Nazi `Gleichschaltung<sup>German</sup>` (forced coordination) policy, with the exception of Catholic youth groups, which were dissolved gradually by 1939.

Under Schirach, the Hitler Youth was nominally self-governed by youth, with the motto "youth leads youth," echoing Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's idea. However, strict ideological boundaries were enforced. Schirach rejected Goethe's "prophet of humanity" image, linking it to "individualistic education." While stating "Academic freedom is not a catchword of liberalism. It is an achievement of the German spirit" in a 1941 speech, the organization emphasized collectivism over individualism.

Schirach became a member of the Academy for German Law in October 1933. He frequently appeared at rallies, such as the Nuremberg Rally of 1934, where his appearances with Hitler in Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda film Triumph of the Will solidified the militaristic tone of the youth organization, which engaged in military-style exercises and rifle practice. In July 1940, Schirach mandated the attendance of 2,000 local Hitler Youth members at a new play by Hans Baumann.

In 1936, the Hitler Youth was declared the only legal youth organization, boasting approximately six million members. Membership became compulsory on March 25, 1939, bringing the total to nearly eight million members aged 10 and older. On December 1, 1936, Schirach was made a State Secretary to the Reich Government, heading a Supreme Reich Authority (`Oberste Reichsbehörde<sup>German</sup>`). Some church scouts and members of the `Bündische Jugend<sup>German</sup>` (German Youth Movement) resisted forced incorporation; for instance, Catholic Boy Scouts in Wassenberg disrupted a Schirach speech transmission in 1934, leading to the confiscation of their uniforms. Songs expressing contempt for Schirach also circulated, such as "Baldur, darling, be clear about this: When a new spirit stirs you will be dumped as soon as possible."

The Hitler Youth functioned as a militaristic organization. Erwin Rommel served as a liaison officer to the Wehrmacht, tasked with military training for youth. Rommel attempted to subordinate the Hitler Youth to the Wehrmacht, even tricking Schirach into signing a document to that effect. Schirach's deputy, Hartmann Lauterbacher, had previously rejected the proposal, but Schirach's inattention to detail allowed Rommel to proceed. Schirach had to send Lauterbacher to Hitler to cancel the proposal, leading to Hitler's criticism of Schirach and Rommel's removal from his position.

In 1937, Schirach co-founded the Adolf Hitler Schools with Robert Ley. These schools, under the control of the Hitler Youth rather than the state education authority, had their exams recognized as equivalent to state high school diplomas by Hitler in October 1941. As `Reichsjugendführer<sup>German</sup>`, Schirach also forged links with international youth organizations, particularly in Fascist Italy. Hitler Youth members went on cycling trips to England, though these and trips to Hungary were accused of spying. Schirach himself visited France, Turkey, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Iraq, Iran, and Syria, extending his influence globally.

With the outbreak of World War II, nearly 90% of Hitler Youth leaders were conscripted, and many were killed in the war's early months. This led to a rise in juvenile crime, particularly due to blackouts, as the Hitler Youth struggled to maintain control.

3.3. Relationship with the Church

Baldur von Schirach, a Protestant Christian, unlike his father and sister who had left the Church, often sought to portray the Hitler Youth as a non-denominational German entity. He frequently stated that "the Hitler Youth was neither Protestant nor Catholic, but German," and regularly invoked God in his speeches. In a December 1933 speech, he publicly opposed attempts to position the Hitler Youth as an explicit alternative to Christianity, declaring, "They say of us that we are an anti-Christian movement. They even say that I am an outspoken paganist... I solemnly declare here, before the German public, that I stand on the basis of Christianity, but I declare just as solemnly that I will put down every attempt to introduce confessional matters into our Hitler Youth."

Despite this stance, Schirach's policies aimed to absorb or suppress church-affiliated youth organizations. While Protestant youth groups were largely incorporated into the Hitler Youth by late 1933 through an agreement with Lutheran Protestant National Church Superintendent Ludwig Müller, Catholic youth organizations posed a greater challenge. Protected initially by the Reichskonkordat signed between Hitler and the Holy See in July 1933, these groups were gradually dissolved through various pretexts after 1935, with all being forced to disband by 1939. Schirach's actions, while sometimes framed as maintaining neutrality, ultimately served to centralize control over youth education under Nazi ideology, effectively sidelining religious influences.

5.1. Appointment and administration

Schirach officially succeeded Josef Bürckel as `Gauleiter<sup>German</sup>` and `Reichsstatthalter<sup>German</sup>` of Reichsgau Vienna on August 7, 1940, and was sworn in by Hitler in Berlin on September 29, 1940. He also inherited Bürckel's role as Reich Defense Commissioner for `Wehrkreis` (Military District) XVII, which encompassed not only Vienna but also Reichsgau Upper Danube, Reichsgau Lower Danube, and parts of Reichsgau Sudetenland. Although he relinquished his direct leadership of the Hitler Youth to Artur Axmann, Schirach retained the significant position of `Reichsleiter<sup>German</sup>` for Youth Education, maintaining some influence over the youth movement.

Unlike his widely disliked predecessor Bürckel, who was known for his brutal methods and reliance on non-Viennese functionaries, Schirach adopted a more conciliatory approach. He employed Austrian National Socialists and aimed to ingratiate himself with the Viennese population, declaring his "love for this blessed and gifted city with its immeasurable cultural treasures," while simultaneously emphasizing Vienna's integration into the greater German `Volksgemeinschaft<sup>German</sup>` (people's community).

Schirach took up residence in Bürckel's former villa in `Hohe Warte<sup>German</sup>` (Vienna), a property that had belonged to a Jewish family who fled the country. He and his wife Henriette continued to live a lavish lifestyle, exhibiting no compunctions about appropriating public money and property, including assets stolen from Jews. Their villa was adorned with furniture, artworks, rugs, and tapestries looted from Jewish families. Notably, Schirach acquired a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder, with special permission from Hitler, for 30.00 K RM (more than his father's annual salary), which was later rediscovered in 1999 and sold for 600.00 K USD. Another painting by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, stolen from Jews who perished in Theresienstadt, was purchased by Schirach for 24.00 K RM and sold for 688.00 K USD upon its rediscovery in 2003. The Schirachs also bought numerous other paintings from art dealers like Alois Miedl and the Mühlmann agency, often reselling them for profit. In 1944, Schirach accepted a valuable violin from the Vienna State Opera's collection, which was never returned. He also bestowed gifts of public property, such as a valuable table to Galeazzo Ciano and an Italian Renaissance box to Renato Ricci. After the war, Henriette von Schirach spent years attempting to reclaim their confiscated furniture and artwork, highlighting their deep involvement in the theft of cultural property.

5.2. Cultural activities and conflicts with Hitler

As `Gauleiter<sup>German</sup>` of Vienna, Schirach maintained his "remarkable" views on art and became an influential patron of the arts, frequently attending cultural events with his wife. He presided over the `Gesellschaft der Bibliophilen<sup>German</sup>` (Bibliophile Society) and sought to expand Vienna's cultural programs, including an exhibition of rare European documents in the Austrian National Library and displays of Impressionist and Modernist art. He even allowed the performance of Russian composers like Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Russian/British playwrights like Anton Chekhov and William Shakespeare, which stirred opposition from other Nazi officials. Initially, Joseph Goebbels supported these efforts as a means of maintaining morale and a "fig leaf" for German aggression, leading to substantial subsidies for Vienna's cultural budget from 1941 to 1943 from Hitler and Goebbels.

However, Schirach's cultural ambitions soon clashed with Hitler's vision. Schirach aimed to promote Vienna's "European mission" through culture, a concept rejected by Hitler and Goebbels who viewed it as contrary to German supremacy. Hitler intended to gradually "neutralize" Vienna's cultural pre-eminence, promoting Linz as a cultural "counterweight." Furthermore, Schirach's cultural programs did not strictly adhere to official Reich policy. For instance, he brought the art exhibition "Young Art in the German Reich" (`Junge Kunst im Deutschen Reich<sup>German</sup>`) from Weimar to Vienna, expanding it with works by artists from the `Ostmark<sup>German</sup>` (Austria). This exhibition was denounced by art ideologues like Adolf Ziegler and Benno von Arent. In 1943, Hitler ordered its closure, and Schirach's main cultural advisor, `General-Kulturreferent<sup>German</sup>` `Walter Thomas<sup>German</sup>`, was dismissed and nearly sent to the Eastern Front due to Goebbels's prior criticisms.

This cultural divergence led to a significant falling out between Schirach and Hitler. Hitler summoned Schirach to the Berghof, angrily stating, "It was my mistake to have sent you to Vienna. It was a mistake that I ever brought these Viennese into the Greater German Reich. I know these people. In my youth I lived among them. They are the enemies of Germany." Schirach offered his resignation, which Hitler rejected, though by March 1943, Hitler considered ending Schirach's control over Vienna's cultural programs and even sending him abroad as a diplomat.

The conflict intensified during an incident at the Berghof on June 24, 1943. Schirach's wife, Henriette, openly protested to Hitler about the deportations of Jewish women she had witnessed in Amsterdam. Enraged, Hitler reportedly shouted, "You're sentimental... what have the Jews in Holland got to do with you? It's all sentimentality, humanity claptrap. You have to learn to hate..." Although it wasn't their final meeting, the Schirachs were never again invited to the Berghof. Baldur von Schirach later claimed that he and Henriette had planned for her to raise the "Jewish question" as he was unable to do so himself. Hitler also criticized Schirach's efforts to prevent armament factories from relocating to Vienna. Goebbels, in his diary, called Henriette a "stupid turkey" and Schirach a "weakling, a windbag and an idiot when it comes to deep political matters," wishing for his dismissal if a successor could be found. Despite this, Hugo Jury and `Karl Scharizer<sup>German</sup>` defended Schirach, though Scharizer increasingly took over his duties, observing that "Schirach somehow lives in a different world, in a high tower, as it were, pursuing his hobbies... Without noticing, Schirach lives a life that is not in keeping with the times. He cannot empathize with the life and way of living of the common people."

While many Viennese misinterpreted Schirach's conflicts with Hitler as a form of resistance, in reality, Schirach remained a committed National Socialist who leveraged culture for war propaganda. This misperception, however, may have later contributed to Vienna's suppression of its responsibility for the Holocaust.

In May 1943, two Austrian NKVD agents, Josef Angermann and Georg Kennerknect, were parachuted into Vienna with a mission to assassinate Schirach, who was reportedly fourth on their death list after Hitler and Hermann Göring. They were identified by the Gestapo, but Ernst Kaltenbrunner chose not to publicize their capture to avoid increasing his rival Schirach's popularity.

5.3. Wartime governance and local challenges

As Gauleiter, Baldur von Schirach bore significant responsibilities for the administration and defense of Vienna during the war. Beginning in October 1940, he was tasked with organizing the evacuation of 2.5 million children from cities threatened by Allied bombing. These children were sent to foster parents or purpose-built camps, and their separation from their families was exploited to ideologically indoctrinate them. Schirach also implemented a harsh stance against "asocial" behavior, establishing an "Asocials Committee" that committed individuals to psychiatric clinics for political reasons.

Schirach sought to expand Vienna's economic influence through the `Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft<sup>German</sup>` (SOEG, South-eastern European Company) and the Vienna Autumn Trade Fair. However, these efforts were largely ineffective, with the SOEG being dismissed as a "Viennese breakfast and speeches club without economic impact." By 1942, Schirach's ability to influence economic policy was curtailed by Albert Speer's centralized Central Planning Board.

Despite his administrative duties, Schirach became notoriously anxious about Allied air raids. He was observed publicly fleeing to his `Gaugefechtsstand Wien<sup>German</sup>` (Gau Command Center Vienna) at the sound of air raid sirens. He had sent his children to `Schloss Aspenstein<sup>German</sup>`, followed by Henriette in late autumn 1944, with their art collection shipped separately. His mother, Emma, died on July 16, 1944, in a plane crash in Wiesbaden while attempting to rescue her dog. Schirach managed to evacuate approximately one-third of Vienna's children and, in September 1944, organized the rescue of 2,000 children from contested Slovakian territory, an operation that cost 15 lives. Though Hitler and Goebbels criticized Schirach for not doing enough to protect Vienna from air raids, his options were limited by centralized armaments policy, and Göring had ordered him to halt air raid shelter construction in 1941. While Flak towers were built from 1942, Schirach's December 1943 proposal to evacuate 300,000 women and children from Vienna was rejected.

On September 25, 1944, Schirach was made commander of the `Volkssturm<sup>German</sup>` (German national militia) units in his Gau. On February 24, 1945, at a meeting of Gauleiters in Berlin, Hitler ordered Vienna to be held at all costs as part of his "total warfare" policy. Schirach disregarded recommendations from city officials to declare Vienna an "free city". However, Austrian soldiers largely ignored his orders, and planned defense measures were nonexistent.

Vienna came under attack by the Red Army on April 2, 1945. By April 4, Schirach moved to the vaulted cellars of the Vienna `Hofburg<sup>German</sup>`. Accounts from witnesses like Otto Skorzeny and Karl Zischka described a surreal atmosphere of champagne and caviar consumption, with people clinging to belief in a "miracle weapon" despite the dire situation. As the Red Army approached the city center by April 9, and aware of a military resistance group led by Major Carl Szokoll making contact with the Soviets, Schirach broadcast a final call for citizens to fight "to the last man" before abandoning his headquarters.

He initially fled to Flandorf, north of Vienna, serving briefly as a liaison officer with the rank of lieutenant between Sepp Dietrich of the 6th Panzer Army and Wilhelm Bittrich of the II SS Panzer Corps. Dietrich prioritized retreat, and after three weeks with him, Schirach moved west to Gmunden by May 1. Upon news of Hitler's suicide, he discarded his uniform, grew a mustache, and, posing as a crime writer named "Dr. Richard Falk," fled further west with his adjutant Fritz Wieshofer and their chauffeur Franz Ram. Their car broke down in Schwaz. On June 4, 1945, he surrendered to the American town commandant and was arrested by the 103rd Counterintelligence Corps. He was interned in the Rum prison camp near Innsbruck, then transferred to a US interrogation camp at Oberursel in August, where he signed a declaration acknowledging his responsibility for the Hitler Youth until 1940 and for the organization until the war's end. On September 10, 1945, he was flown to Nuremberg for trial, expecting a death sentence.

5.4. Role in the deportation of Jews

Baldur von Schirach was a virulent antisemite who played a direct and criminal role in the deportation of Viennese Jews to Nazi concentration and extermination camps. During his tenure as `Gauleiter<sup>German</sup>` of Vienna, he was responsible for the forced removal of 65,000 Jews.

In a notorious speech on September 15, 1942, at the "European Youth Association" conference in Vienna, Schirach declared that their deportation was a "contribution to European culture." He openly attacked "unscrupulous Jewish moneymaking" and asserted that "Jewry attempted with all available means to spoil the healthy youth... Ethos is alien to the Jew... every Jew at large in Europe is a danger to European culture. If one wished to confront me with the accusation that I have deported tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of Jews to the eastern ghetto from this city that was once the metropolis of Jewry, I must answer that I consider it an active contribution to European culture." This statement explicitly linked his actions to a cultural and ideological agenda for a "Jew-free" Europe.

On June 6, 1942, shortly after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, Schirach publicly stated, "When I came here in 1940, I told our Führer that I consider my main task to be making this city free of Jews. This evening, I can tell you that in the autumn of this year, 1942, we will experience the celebration of a Vienna purified of Jews [sustained thunderous applause]... just as I will make this city free of Jews, I will also make it free of Czechs!" This further demonstrated his intent to ethnically cleanse Vienna. Public discussion of the "Czech question" was quickly forbidden by Martin Bormann and Goebbels, who also banned reporting on the European Youth Association conference due to Schirach's emphasis on a "Europe of nations" which clashed with German supremacy goals. Hitler, on November 4, 1942, formally banned the Hitler Youth's European activities, stating that Nazi ideology could not be "transposed onto foreign peoples" and that the NSDAP had no "European or worldwide mission."

Schirach also promoted the antisemitic writer Colin Ross. His direct knowledge of the exterminations was a key point during his trial. On May 12, 1942, he heard a private speech by Arthur Greiser, who revealed that of 800,000 Jews interned in the Litzmannstadt ghetto, only 45,000 remained alive, and that the Viennese Jews sent there were "put to work," with those who "didn't like it" being "given a hand" to "make their peace with their Jew god," which was met with "great amusement and strong applause." Schirach also attended Heinrich Himmler's Posen speech on October 6, 1943, where Himmler explicitly described his decision to "exterminate" women and children alongside men. Furthermore, bulletins detailing the Jewish extermination were found in Schirach's office, indicating his awareness.

Despite later claims that he instructed his colleague Hans Dellbrügge to reduce deportation capacity, no evidence supports this. According to Wilhelm Bienenfeld, a Viennese Jew, Schirach must have known due to the numerous pleas for intervention he received and consistently refused, including for five retired members of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra (of which he was a patron) and for family friend Josef Krips. The sole exception to his non-intervention was the case of Alice Strauss, the Jewish daughter-in-law of composer Richard Strauss. The Strausses had moved to Vienna seeking Schirach's protection. In January 1944, when Alice and Franz Strauss were abducted by the Viennese Gestapo, Strauss's personal appeal to Schirach secured their release, allowing them to return to his estate where they remained under house arrest. However, 25 of Alice Strauss's other relatives were murdered in Nazi concentration camps. Martin Bormann also advised Schirach to use Jewish deportation as a means to alleviate housing shortages, rather than diverting resources to build new apartments.

On August 16, 1943, Schirach visited Mauthausen concentration camp, where he was shown the camp crematorium being used only for "bodies that had died normal deaths" and observed a performance by the camp symphony orchestra. He inquired if prisoners ever left the camp and was told they did, suggesting an attempt to maintain a facade of normalcy while avoiding the full truth of the camp's functions.

6.1. Arrest and pre-trial

After fleeing Vienna on April 6, 1945, as the Red Army approached, Schirach adopted the alias "Dr. Richard Falk," posing as a crime writer to evade capture by the Soviets. He traveled with his adjutant and chauffeur, abandoning his uniform and growing a mustache. While initial rumors suggested he had died in the fighting for Vienna, Allied forces did not actively search for him. On June 4, 1945, he finally surrendered to the American town commandant in Gmunden, Austria, and was arrested by the 103rd Counterintelligence Corps.

He was initially interned at the Rum prison camp outside Innsbruck, where he received relatively favorable treatment and was even allowed to see his wife, Henriette, for a few hours in June. In August, he was transferred to a US interrogation camp at Oberursel. Here, he signed a declaration admitting his responsibility for establishing and leading the Hitler Youth until 1940, and further acknowledging his ongoing responsibility for the organization until the end of the war. On September 10, 1945, he was flown to Nuremberg for trial, expecting a death sentence. Among the Nuremberg defendants, he was the youngest.

6.2. Nuremberg Trials

At the Nuremberg Trials, Baldur von Schirach was indicted on two charges: Crimes against peace for his role in establishing the militaristic Hitler Youth and Crimes against humanity for his direct involvement in the deportation of Viennese Jews to certain death in German concentration camps in German-occupied Poland. His seat in the courtroom was in the back row, third from the left.

Schirach's defense strategy stood out among the defendants, as he was one of the few (along with Albert Speer and Hans Frank) to openly denounce Hitler and the Holocaust. This contrasted sharply with others, such as Hermann Göring, who sought to prevent any criticism of Hitler. Like Speer, Schirach denied legal responsibility for the Holocaust. He admitted to having been antisemitic, attributing his views to reading the American Henry Ford's The International Jew, stating, "I read it and became anti-Semitic." He also cited the influence of Houston Stewart Chamberlain and Adolf Bartels, who was his private tutor. However, historians like Oliver Rathkolb note that antisemitism was deeply entrenched in German elites before 1914 and was particularly prevalent in Schirach's Weimar environment.

Schirach publicly repudiated his antisemitism and condemned Hitler and the Holocaust, declaring, "It is the greatest, the most devilish mass murder known to history... The murder was ordered by Adolf Hitler, as is obvious from his last will and testament... He and Himmler jointly committed that crime which, for all time, will be a stain in the annals of our history. It is a crime which fills every German with shame." He carefully prepared this statement.

His defense called his former adjutants, Gustav Höpken and Fritz Wieshofer, as well as Hartmann Lauterbacher, as witnesses. Höpken denied that Schirach had seen Reinhard Heydrich's reports on German war crimes and portrayed him as a supporter of Christian churches. Wieshofer claimed that Schirach's office had intervened on behalf of individual Jews. Lauterbacher asserted that Schirach had forbidden the Hitler Youth from participating in the November 1938 pogroms and looting, though this was after the events had already occurred. Schirach highlighted his 1943 break with Hitler and his American ancestry. His lawyer, Dr. Fritz Sauter, a well-known Munich defense attorney and former Nazi Party member, argued that Schirach had acknowledged his mistakes and was committed to rectifying them, urging consideration for his efforts to "repair as far as he can the damage which he caused in good faith."

Schirach claimed he had no knowledge of the extermination camps, but the trial presented detailed evidence of his involvement in the deportations of Jews and his public speeches defending his actions. During cross-examination, prosecutor Thomas J. Dodd presented documents that had passed through Schirach's office, showing that tens of thousands of Jews were sent from Vienna to Riga, and that tens of thousands of Jews in Riga were shot. Schirach denied ever seeing these documents, claiming he first learned of the exterminations through Colin Ross in 1944.

Regarding the charge of crimes against peace for his leadership of the Hitler Youth, he attempted to present the organization as akin to the Boy Scouts, rather than a paramilitary force involved in war crimes. He declared, "I have educated this generation in faith and loyalty to Hitler. The Youth Organization which I built up bore his name. I believed that I was serving a leader who would make our people and the youth of our country great and happy and free... The guilt is mine in that I educated the youth of Germany for a man who murdered by the millions." He insisted that "The younger generation is guiltless. It grew up in an anti-Semitic state, ruled by anti-Semitic laws... But if anti-Semitism and racial laws could lead to an Auschwitz, then Auschwitz must mark the end of racial politics and the death of anti-Semitism." He maintained that Hitler Youth members were innocent of German war crimes, asserting they "never wanted this war, and that neither in peace nor in war did it participate in any crimes."

Dodd also presented a telegram from Schirach advocating for a violent air attack on a British cultural town in retaliation for Heydrich's assassination. One of the prosecution's challenges was the lack of comprehensive evidence so soon after the war. The inexperienced prosecutor Dodd struggled to penetrate Schirach's defense, and the Soviet prosecution faced translation issues, submitting a witness statement about a Hitler Youth massacre in Lviv in 1941 too late.

Gustave Gilbert, an American psychologist observing the trial, noted that Göring attempted to "turn" Schirach. A separate dining area was established for Schirach, Speer, Hans Fritzsche, and Walther Funk to isolate them from Göring's influence. Schirach's IQ was measured at 130 in the Wechsler-Bellevue intelligence test. He was also interviewed daily by psychiatrist Douglas Kelley. While on trial and anticipating a death sentence, Schirach, along with Speer and Fritzsche, received the Eucharist from Lutheran Pastor Henry F. Gerecke.

On October 1, 1946, Schirach was acquitted of crimes against peace, as the court concluded that despite the militaristic nature of the Hitler Youth, he was not involved in Hitler's plans for aggressive war. However, he was found guilty of crimes against humanity. The court determined that while he did not originate the policy of Jewish deportation from Vienna, he participated in it as `Gauleiter<sup>German</sup>`, knowing that the Jews could, at best, expect a miserable existence in Eastern ghettos, and that bulletins describing their extermination were present in his office. He was sentenced to 20 years in Spandau Prison in Berlin.