Der Fuehrer - Hitler's Rise to Power (1944) - Heiden

56 DER FUEHRERThe man who characterized himself by this shrewd warning wasReinhold Hanisch, later an artist; somewhat older than Hitler, he wasliving in the same misery, and he was an expert in the ups and downs oflife. At that time he thought fit to conceal his real name, calling himselfFritz Walter. Like Hitler he had been on the downgrade for severalyears; but Hitler had come to a turning point. The vagabond scholar, theartist-prince of his childhood dreams, had reached the hopeless depthsin which bitter self-knowledge scornfully announced to him: nownothing can help you but work. Hitler nevertheless decided not to work.This may be called character.He himself, it is true, related that he made a living as a hod-carrier.People who knew him well at that time later expressed certainty that thesickly young man lacked the strength for hard work; a fragile littlefellow whom any foreman would have sent away at once; they also saidthat at that time he never spoke of this work. These doubts do notsuffice to refute his own version entirely, but he may at any rate haveembellished it. According to his own report, if for the moment weaccept it, his attempt at manual labor could only have lasted a shorttime. Then — and this can be seen from his own report — such quarrelsarose, through his belligerence and inability to get along with the otherworkers, that he had to leave the job.No, the unrecognized artist-prince did not work, and his new friend,Hanisch-Walter, only strengthened him in this determination. Wasn't hishalf-sister, Angela, married in Linz? Wasn't she drawing a monthlypension as the daughter of the late customs official, Alois Hitler? Adolfin his pride ('you won't hear from me until I've made something ofmyself) wanted no part of the money, but Hanisch, with his worldlycynicism, told him not to be foolish. He pressed him for several days,Adolf struggled, and finally gave in. A letter was sent to Linz, and atChristmas fifty kronen (about ten dollars) arrived; what a treasure in thelodging-house! Hitler had spent two months in this dreadful hole; nowwith his fifty kronen he moved into a 'Home for Men' in the MeldemannStrasse; also a poor dismal place. 'Only tramps, drunkards, and suchspent any time in the Home for Men,' said Hanisch later, and