Hitler's Language: Austrian Or German?

Austrian-born Adolf Hitler spoke with a distinctive lower Bavarian dialect, which he acquired when he was three years old and his family moved to Passau, Germany. Although Hitler's accent was not typically Austrian, he did have a Bavarian accent, which is similar to Austrian. Hitler's Bavarian accent was noticeable in his pronunciation of the letter R, which is spoken with a harsher sound in the Bavarian dialect than in standard German. Hitler's accent was also influenced by traditional stage pronunciation, which he adopted for his public persona.

Hitler's Bavarian accent

Hitler's accent has been a topic of discussion and debate among historians and language experts. While some argue that he had an Austrian accent, others claim that he spoke with a Bavarian accent, or even a mix of both. Let's explore the details of Hitler's Bavarian accent and the factors that influenced his speech.

Hitler was born in a region that belonged to Bavaria until the late 1700s, and his native dialect was influenced by this background. People from this area did not typically speak the standard Austrian dialect, and even within Austria, there are various accents, such as those from Tirol, Vienna, and Salzburg. The region's proximity to Bavaria meant that its dialect had more in common with Bavarian than with other Austrian regions.

In his speeches, Hitler spoke Standard German, also known as "Hochdeutsch," which is the only German dialect that all Germans can understand. However, traces of his Bavarian accent came through in his pronunciation of certain letters, such as the rolled "R," which is characteristic of Bavarian and Austrian accents. This particular aspect of his accent has been described as giving his speeches an air of "aggressiveness."

Hitler's accent was also influenced by his rhetorical training and the need to speak to large audiences. He adopted a synthetic accent that mixed Bavarian assertiveness with Prussian harshness, allowing him to impersonate a natural voice of authority for most Germans, regardless of their region. This deliberate choice in accent adaptation demonstrates Hitler's astute understanding of communication and its impact on his audience.

In personal conversations, Hitler's accent was reportedly more pronounced. In the Mannerheim recording, for example, his voice is described as deeper, softer, and more accented than in his speeches. This recording, secretly made by Finnish intelligence during Hitler's visit to Finland in 1942 or 1943, offers a rare glimpse into Hitler's unguarded speech patterns.

In conclusion, while Hitler spoke Standard German in his speeches, his Bavarian accent did leave its mark on his pronunciation of certain letters and sounds. The deliberate adaptation of his accent for public speaking further showcases his attention to detail and desire to connect with his audience. The existence of recordings, both public and private, provides valuable material for language and history experts to analyze and debate.

Hitler's Austrian accent

There is much debate about the nature of Hitler's accent. Some sources claim that Hitler's accent was Austrian, others claim it was Bavarian, and others still claim that it was High German.

Hitler was born in Braunau, a city that borders Austria and Germany. However, at a young age, his family moved to Linz, where he grew up. After leaving school, he moved to Vienna, and then to Munich, where he painted postcards to sell to tourists. He lived in Germany from the age of 23 until his death, with the exception of his time in Belgium and France during World War One, when he served in the Bavarian Regiment.

Hitler's accent has been described as "very southern-Germany/Austria, but not typically Austrian". It has also been described as "very southern-German", and "not typically Austrian". One source claims that Hitler's accent was "definitely not Austrian", while another claims that it was "not Viennese".

Hitler's accent has been described as "very hard", and his "r" sounds were described as "rolling". This is a characteristic of Bavarian and Austrian accents, as well as some southern German accents. One source claims that Hitler's accent was "more Bavarian than Austrian", while another claims that it was "more Austrian than Bavarian".

Hitler's accent has also been described as "plebeian", "low-class", and "working-class". However, one source claims that Hitler's accent was "impeccable".

Hitler received intensive rhetorical training, which likely influenced the way he sounded. As a politician, he was forced to speak standard German, as regional dialects are often not understood by Germans from other regions.

Hitler's standard German

Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn in Austria-Hungary and was raised near Linz. He lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s before moving to Germany in 1913. When Hitler was three, his family moved to Passau, Germany. There he acquired the distinctive lower Bavarian dialect, rather than Austrian German, which marked his speech throughout his life. The family returned to Austria and settled in Leonding in 1894, and in June 1895 Alois retired to Hafeld, near Lambach, where he farmed and kept bees. Hitler attended Volksschule (a state-funded primary school) in nearby Fischlham.

Hitler's accent would be close to the accent of Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. Hitler pronounced the rolled r, not the typical German guttural r. This was a Bavarian & Austrian characteristic. However, he did not speak with any accent. As an orator, he had to speak what is called Hochdeutsch, i.e. the written German.

Hitler's accent when he spoke on the radio was a sort of synthetic concoction, mixing some sort of Bavarian assertiveness with a deliberate imitation of Prussian harshness (from both he indeed retained the slightly rolled r's). Thus he impersonated the natural voice of authority to most Germans of all parts of the country, he wasn't associated with a particular region. He was a fine actor and also an astute communicator. Old German people have told me that he had a thing to adapt to various regional accents. When in Austria he used his native accent, in Munich he was indistinguishable from locals, when in Hamburg he spoke like Hamburgers do, without pronouncing the 'sch' sound of stressed syllables starting with 'sp' or 'st'.

Hitler's accent was more or less High German, except for his R's, which were always rolled (like in Italian or Spanish) and sometimes exaggerated. As far as one can tell, this was the only Austrian characteristic of his speech. Hitler originally - around 1921 - had a more distinctly Austrian way of speaking, but afterwards, it became more "Germanised". Hitler got intensive rhetorical training. This probably included the development of his pronunciation.

Hitler spoke publicly in "Buehnendeutsch" with a very strong rolling "R" on purpose, to raise the dramatic effect. Hitler used an accent for his public persona that was heavily influenced by traditional stage pronunciation, Bühnendeutsch. As is to be expected, it is nowhere near as distinctive in the Mannerheim recording.

Hitler's youth in Austria and Germany

Hitler's youth was marked by several moves, a strict father, and an interest in German nationalism. Born in 1889, he entered primary school in 1895 and moved with his family to a small farm outside of Linz, Austria. Here, he had to perform farm chores along with his school work. Hitler's father was a strict man, used to giving orders, and the young Hitler was no exception to this treatment.

In 1896, the family moved again to the town of Lambach, halfway between Linz and Salzburg. This move meant an end to farm chores and more time to play for Hitler. He attended school in an old Catholic Benedictine monastery in the town, decorated with carved stones and woodwork that included several swastikas. Hitler took part in the boys' choir and idolized the priests, even considering becoming one himself. He also played cowboys and Indians with his friends, reenacting tales of the American West, which were very popular among boys in Austria and Germany at the time.

In 1898, the family moved to the village of Leonding, close to Linz, and Hitler changed schools again. He found school easy and excelled at drawing, especially sketching buildings. However, his father wanted him to become a civil servant, so he sent him to a technical high school in Linz in 1900. Hitler was unhappy at this school, feeling lonely and out of place as a country boy in the city. He did poorly in his first year and was kept back.

During this time, Hitler's interest in German nationalism began to develop. He and his friends liked to use the German greeting "Heil" and sing the German anthem "Deutschland Über Alles" instead of their Austrian equivalents. This interest was further fuelled by a history teacher at school, Dr. Leopold Pötsch, who told exciting tales of German glory. Hitler also discovered the operas of German composer Richard Wagner, which captivated him with their Germanic music, pagan myths, and tales of ancient glory.

In 1903, Hitler's father died suddenly, leaving 13-year-old Hitler as the head of the household.

In the 1930s, the Nazi Party, led by Hitler, began to organize youth groups to indoctrinate children and juveniles with Nazi ideology and prepare them for war. These groups were called the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. By 1933, the Hitler Youth movement had approximately 100,000 members, and by the end of that year, membership had increased to more than 2 million. The Nazi regime encouraged and pressured young people to join, and by 1937, membership in the Hitler Youth grew to 5.4 million.

In 1936, all "Aryan" children in Germany over the age of six were required to join a Nazi youth group. Boys were initiated into the Jungvolk (Young People) at age ten and promoted to the Hitler Youth at 14. Girls joined the Jungmädel (Young Girls) and were later promoted to the League of German Girls. These groups educated young people according to Nazi principles and encouraged comradeship and physical fitness through outdoor activities. By 1939, more than 82% of eligible youth (ages 10-18) belonged to these organizations.

Hitler's time in Vienna

In February 1908, 18-year-old Adolf Hitler moved to Vienna from his hometown of Linz. He moved with his friend August Kubizek, with whom he shared a room at Stumpergasse 29. Hitler wanted to study at the Academy of Fine Arts at Schillerplatz, while Kubizek would study music.

Hitler and Kubizek would often stroll along the Ringstrasse, a three-mile-long boulevard lined with an eclectic mix of classical and modern architecture. They admired the Hofburg Palace and the Neoclassical parliament building, and attended operas at the Court Opera. Hitler also attended parliamentary debates, and it was here that he claims to have begun to loathe democracy.

Despite his aspirations, Hitler was twice rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts, which he never told his friend. In October 1908, his test drawings were judged as so poor that he was not even allowed to take the formal exam. This was a bitter disappointment for Hitler, and his lifestyle began to spiral downward. He lived by himself, moving from place to place as his savings dwindled. Despite his need for money, he refused to get a regular job, and eventually wound up sleeping on park benches and begging for money.

In December 1909, he moved into a homeless shelter and ate at a soup kitchen operated by nuns from a nearby convent. In February 1910, he moved into a home for poor men, where he would stay for the next few years. He sometimes earned money as a day labourer and discovered he could make a living selling pictures of famous Vienna landmarks, which he copied from postcards.

Hitler also became increasingly interested in politics during his time in Vienna. He read right-wing and pan-German writings and expounded on their virtues to all who would listen. He also witnessed a large protest march by workers, which sparked an intensive study of the politics of the workers' party, the Social Democrats. He also observed the two other main parties, the Pan German Nationalists and the Christian Social Party, which heightened his interest in German nationalism and anti-Semitism.

In May 1913, Hitler left Vienna to avoid mandatory military service in the Austrian army. He had spent five years in Vienna, and the attitudes and ideas he acquired during this time would stay with him until the end.

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