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Hasso Reinhardt Blog Entry |
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December 16, 2022, 3:00:08 AM December 16, 2022, 3:00:18 AM May 28, 2023, 11:20:35 PM May 29, 2023, 2:01:04 AM 12/16/22: r/SketchDaily theme, "Free Draw Friday." This week's character from my anthro WWII storyline is Obersturmbannführer (Lt. Col.) Hasso Reinhardt, sans cap (top drawing) and with cap (bottom drawing). He's rather odd. There'll be more about him later in my art Tumblr and Toyhou.se. Regarding his design, he's a white Alsatian (German shepherd). I think I made his nose too small, ah well. TUMBLR EDIT: Reinhardt is a secondary character whose backstory doesn't play a huge role so far, so what I know is still developing and still very open to change. A relatively new development is that Hasso Reinhardt is a Junker. He comes from a well-off country family, similar to Louis Dobermann, and similar to the Dobermanns his family is somewhat old fashioned and longs for the "old days" of imperialism and whatnot when their class had meaningful influence. Alas, those times are past. Reinhardt makes do; he meets a lovely young lady and the two grow quite close and, despite his family's grumblings--she's middle class, not very suitable for him--they make plans to marry. His parents hadn't expected this, had figured it was just a temporary fling, so threaten to disown him if he follows through; he defies their threat, however, and says if that's what they want, well, that's what they'll get. He enlists in the military and heads off into the Great War, looking forward to the day it's over and the two of them can be together. While on the front, however, he receives a letter...yep, a "Dear John" letter. She still loves him, but she doesn't want to get in between him and his family, so she breaks it off. The war ends in an armistice; not just Germany, but Reinhardt as well, returns home with his figurative tail between his legs, demoralized and humiliated. [NOTE, WTF, I do not remember writing that. What a weird analogy.] His family is rather cool at first but they magnanimously decide not to rub it in, TOO much. Reinhardt keeps his position in the family, though he's not sure the cost is worth it. World War II rears its ugly head. Reinhardt's a bit on the older side so I'm not sure yet if he joins the Waffen-SS and fights a bit, or if he heads straight for the SS-Totenkopfverbände, which often switches out members with the Waffen-SS; either way, he ends up in an administrative position in the SS-TV, doing boring bureaucratic stuff. He doesn't complain--in fact, this is the type of work he's best at, taking charge of people, smoothing things over, handling disagreements and all the petty squabbles the SS gets involved in behind the scenes. He prefers bringing people to the table to talk things through, and dealing with theoretical issues on paper, and making a huge cumbersome process more efficient. And if there's anything that's big and cumbersome and perplexing, it's the SS camp system, which the SS-Totenkopfverbände oversees. Why did Reinhardt join the SS in the first place? I'm not sure, especially considering his temperament. He's not murderous, he's not hateful, he's not bloodthirsty or malicious or even radicalized the way Lt. Hesse is. He's not committed to the idea of the stab in the back. He does come with a lot of old-fashioned, imperialist baggage, though. While most of his fellow SS members are violently racist and antisemitic to the point of wanting people dead, Reinhardt's racism is more subtle, but just as pervasive. The SS comes up with an early plan to deport the Jews elsewhere, possibly to Madagascar (I'm not making that up, "Madagaskarplan" was actually a thing); it doesn't occur to him to think, hm, maybe Madagascar isn't a viable solution to the Jewish Question and it's more likely they'll die there and that's kind of the point--Reinhardt doesn't tend to deal in unpleasant things, he's an idealist. Also, he may not despise or wish violence on the Jews, but he still sees them as subhuman; to him, they're almost like lower primates, with basic intelligence and abilities but nowhere on the same level as the Aryans. They're like chimpanzees or gorillas or, at best, small children. (Presumably he feels the same about other races.) If they ever do anything bad, well it's not really their fault, they just don't possess the intelligence or reasoning ability to know better. They need to be looked after for their own good, and it's the SS's job to do that. He's an idealist, and pretty naive about some things, but not entirely ignorant--he knows when the camps start focusing on more extreme measures for dealing with Jews and Roma and gays and disabled. He doesn't agree with it, but it's not his place to question; he sticks by the idea that resettlement or supervision is better, but can do nothing more than that. Another reason he finds it preferable to work from behind desks--out of sight, out of mind. This all changes one day when the alarm at the nearby labor camp is triggered--a group of prisoners has escaped after murdering the commandant, Ernst Dannecker, and presumably taking his stepdaughter Margarethe hostage. (She's actually in on it, though nobody knows this for a while.) There are signs that a while has already passed since the escape; turns out they have roughly an hour's lead. The SS sends out search parties to go through all the nearby buildings and homes although their hopes of finding the perpetrators are dim. Reinhardt is of course made aware of this but has nothing to do with it. The next day, however, a guard from the camp arrives at SS-Totenkopfverbände administrative headquarters, disheveled and breathless, with bizarre news. After Dannecker's death, his adjutant, Maj. Lars Franke, assumes command--nothing too weird about that. It's the manner in which he does it that raises eyebrows. Franke takes control and insists that he now has the permanent position of commandant--not temporary, and there'll be no process for determining whether anyone else might be better suited. Dannecker was unpopular, so there was lots of whispered theorizing about who might assume his place should anything happen; so of course the other guards are pissed off that they don't even get a say. Franke immediately cracks down on any dissent, threatening the guards the same way Dannecker once threatened them, and just as immediately, they all hate him as well, and want him out. The moment they argue back, though, he snaps--in the middle of the prison yard, in full view of guards and prisoners alike, he orders the kapo, Isaak Schindel, to beat the guard who's being insubordinate. Schindel--who was terrorized by Dannecker previously and is terrorized now--just freezes: He can't disobey an order from an SS guard, but he can't beat an SS guard, either--he literally has no idea what to do. Franke resolves this issue by grabbing Schindel's club and doing the job himself. He beats the guard senseless, threatens any of the other guards that if they help him out he'll do the same to them, hurls Schindel's club at the ground, and storms back inside, where he promptly locks himself in Dannecker's office--which still has his bloodstain on the floor--and refuses to open the door for or respond to anyone. It looks like he's suffered a complete mental breakdown, which isn't far from the truth. In the midst of the beating, this particular guard mutters to a coworker, "F**k this, I'm getting out of here," demands to be let out (the guards operating the gate are too bewildered to refuse), and flees to headquarters, begging to speak with anyone in charge. The situation is so confusing, and his story so unbelievable, plus the SS-TV is still reeling from Dannecker's death, that it's quite a while before he's put in contact with Reinhardt--or rather, Reinhardt volunteers to hear him, since nobody else seems inclined to. The guard relates his tale, and Reinhardt agrees to visit the camp to see what's up. He arrives there and is allowed in and is met by a bizarre scene: Nobody is working--the few guards still in the yard are keeping to themselves near the administration building, while the prisoners are mostly lingering at the side of the yard near their barracks. Their attention is focused not on the guards but on something on the ground not too far away--it's the unconscious guard, who's been left lying there this whole time. One of the prisoners is squatting on the muddy ground near him, holding a stick and staring back at the others, who have malevolent looks on their thin faces. Reinhardt strides in this direction, noting how the prisoners start to immediately and furtively disperse as soon as they see him coming. The remaining prisoner has his back to him, so doesn't know he's there until he speaks. Reinhardt: "You! On the ground." Prisoner: (jumps up, surprised, takes off his cap; he's wearing a green-and-yellow star) "Herr--Herr Obersturmbannführer." Reinhardt: "Name." Prisoner: "Schin--Schindel, Isaak Schindel, Herr Obersturmbannführer." Reinhardt: "What are you doing with that weapon?" Schindel: "I'm--I'm der Lagerälteste, Herr Obersturmbannführer." Reinhardt: "Just the one?" Schindel: "Ja, Herr Obersturmbannführer." Reinhardt: "What happened to this man?" Schindel: "It--it was my stick but I didn't touch him, Herr Obersturmbannführer, I swear." Reinhardt: "Tell me what happened." Schindel: (hesitates) Reinhardt: "The truth, Herr Schindel." Schindel: "It...it was the adjutant, Herr Obersturmbannführer. Herr Franke. He got mad at this man, who gave him cheek, and...he ordered me to hit him but I can't do that, I didn't want to disobey but I didn't know what to do. So he took my stick and beat him with it. I didn't touch him, I swear." Reinhardt: (stunned) "He's just been lying here unattended since then--?" Schindel: "Ja, Herr Obersturmbannführer. Herr Franke ordered none of the guards to help him." Reinhardt: "And why are you sitting here like this?" Schindel: "Well..." (glances toward the prisoners milling around) "If I didn't they would've killed him, Herr Obersturmbannführer." Increasingly angry, Reinhardt shouts for one of the nearby guards to come, and orders him and a companion to carry the unconscious guy into the medical ward; when they reiterate Franke's order that they not touch the guy, Reinhardt retorts, "I'm the one with rank here, are you going to disobey?" and that settles it, they pick the poor guy up and carry him away. Then he orders Schindel to lead him to Dannecker's office. This is not Schindel's job, and he feels very ill at ease about it, but also obeys. As soon as he draws near the office a couple more guards loitering nearby see him and start saying, "Hey, Jew, what do you think you're doing in here--?" but Reinhardt then appears and they snap to attention. He demands to be shown to Dannecker's office. They take him there and the door is of course locked; "Kamerad Franke is inside, but he won't come out or do anything but yell at us," one of the guards explains. Reinhardt pounds on the door--"Sturmbannführer Franke!"--and immediately gets a voice shrieking back at him, "I SAID TO GO AWAY!!" That won't do at all. Reinhardt: "Kamerad Franke! This is Obersturmbannführer Hasso Reinhardt from the administrative office. I order you to open this door immediately!" Franke: (hurried footsteps, then the rattling of the door unlocking and opening) (panicky) "K--Kamerad Reinhardt! I'm so sorry, I thought you were one of the others--" Reinhardt: "What the hell is going on here?" Franke: "Nothing, Kamerad, just a few of my men overreacting." Reinhardt: "Overreacting? You're the one who's locked yourself in this office, you mind telling me what that's all about?" Franke: "I just--I just needed a bit of time to cool my head, Kamerad, it's been pure madness here with Kamerad Dannecker's--" Reinhardt: "Don't act like I don't know what's been going on. It's no excuse for you to behave this way. What's this business with that poor fellow out in the yard? The kapo says you hit him?" Franke: "Only--only because they both disobeyed my direct orders! There must be discipline! Or else everything breaks down!" Reinhardt: "You don't go pummeling one of your own men nearly to death and then leave him lying in the dirt, Kamerad Franke!" Franke: "He disobeyed an order and talked back to me. There's no excuse for it! I have to set an example for the rest!" Reinhardt: "What sort of example, that you're even worse than Kamerad Dannecker was? He didn't know how to run a camp and neither do you. You know the way we do things and this isn't it. You're not fit to be commandant here." Franke: "Wh...what?" Reinhardt: "You're to gather your belongings and leave camp property immediately. For a medical emergency." Franke: "Med--medical emergency? But--I'm perfectly fine!" Reinhardt: "You're obviously not. Gather your things and take a medical leave." Franke: "You can't do this! This isn't your camp!" Reinhardt: "Effective immediately, it is. Now you can get your things and take a medical leave, or I can send you to a doctor myself. Which would you prefer?" Well, considering what the Nazis do to the mentally unstable, Franke sees the writing on the wall; fuming and humiliated, he gathers his belongings and departs, though he mutters lots of vague threats under his breath as he does so, and at the gate even shakes his fist back at the camp--"I'm not just going away! I'm going to be back!"--before storming off. (The last time I talked about Franke's "voluntary" departure, I had no idea what would become of him. I've since learned some details. He successfully transfers into the Waffen-SS, joins a panzer division (both the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS have these in my story, and the two often get into sparring matches with each other--the SS think they're badasses while the Wehrmacht think they're idiots who suck at fighting, plus their tanks break down a lot), and gets some of the aggression out of his system that way. He may or may not unwittingly become involved in Project Doomsday, which starts administering the serum to unsuspecting Waffen-SS members. Another thing I found out is, ah, he has a thing for drag performers. But he gets really, really pissed off if you mention he has a thing for drag performers; he just refers to them as women. Some serious denial going on. Anyway. Say goodbye to Franke for now, back to Reinhardt.) Well, Reinhardt finds he's inherited a labor camp. He doesn't really want it, but here it is. He starts taking action--first order of business is seeing to the prisoners still milling around outside. He asks a guard if they've been fed; no, not since yesterday. Orders some soup cooked up in the kitchen and handed out, then for the prisoners to head back to their barracks since there's no point getting them back to work that day. He'll figure out what else to do with them tomorrow. Checks on the injured guard now in the medical ward; he's regained consciousness but is groggy and in a lot of pain and likely to be out of commission for a while. Gathers the other guards in the yard, gives them a brief summary of what to expect--"Expect some changes"--then sends them back to their posts. Returns to Dannecker's office--now his office--and is surprised to find Schindel still there, wringing his cap in his hands. Reinhardt never dismissed him, so of course he never left; he was so quiet Reinhardt forgot he was there. Requests him to fetch the nearest guard and bring him to the office, and stares at the bloodstain on the floor; he'll need to get that taken care of, too. Schindel returns with a guard, who salutes. Reinhardt: "That'll do, Herr...ah..." Schindel: "Schindel, Herr Obersturmbannführer." Reinhardt: "Herr Schindel. Return to your duties, bitte." Schindel: (bobs head and leaves) Reinhardt: "Kamerad. There are any other Sturmbannführer here?" Guard: "Nein, Kommandant Reinhardt." Reinhardt: "Hm. Do we have personnel files on site?" Guard: "Ja, Kommandant Reinhardt." Reinhardt: "Gather the files of all the Untersturmführer through the Hauptsturmführer and bring them to me, bitte." Guard goes to the files and records room. An Obersturmführer named Jan Delbrück is here; he used to patrol the yard, and is in charge of administering the final shots that finish off prisoners who are to be executed by firing squad--a highly unpleasant job that he hates. Dannecker, however, got fed up with his habit of "fraternizing" with Schindel--by offering him cigarettes and the two of them standing and smoking together as they watched the yard--so relegated him to the file room and away from the prisoners. He's perplexed by the other guard's request: "What the f**k you want all those files for?" When he's informed that Kommandant Reinhardt wants them he's all "Who the f**k is Kommandant Reinhardt?" When he's told Reinhardt booted Franke and is now in charge he's all "What the f**k is going on out there??" Turns out nobody's bothered to even check in on him and he's missed everything, even the hasty roll call earlier. Despite being beyond flustered, he gathers the requested files and hands them over, then takes a break to go smoke since this is all way over his head. Returns to the file room and to whatever tedious but stable job it is Dannecker gave him to do there, but some time later, is again interrupted by the guard, now informing him that Reinhardt has requested him. Goes to Dannecker's--Reinhardt's--office and meets him for the first time. Reinhardt has Delbrück's file in his hand. He's been browsing through them all, seeking an appropriate replacement for Franke--a new adjutant--and he thinks Delbrück fits the bill just nicely. Flustered all over again--and not really interested in additional responsibility--Delbrück stammers that the previous adjutants were all just one rank below the commandants, whereas he's three ranks below. Reinhardt waves his hand and dismissively says, "Oh, fine, fine--Hauptsturmführer--Sturmbannführer. There. I'll make it official later. Move your belongings to Kamerad Franke's old suite, he won't be needing it anymore. And report back here in the morning and...well, start doing whatever it is adjutants do, we'll figure it out." Delbrück's pretty sure that's not how promotions work but is too confused to argue. He stands there for a moment, then returns to his bunk, gets his belongings, and moves out of the guard barracks and into Franke's old quarters in the administration building. Reinhardt, meanwhile, unlocks and enters the suite that was supposed to be Dannecker's--it's just off his office--yet has gone unused all this time. Commandants are required to live on camp property and never be away for longer than 24 hours without permission, yet this is just another of the SS regulations that Dannecker disregarded, choosing instead to live in a house offsite with his wife and stepchildren. Reinhardt looks around the barren quarters and lets out a small sigh. There will need to be big changes here. But they'll have to wait until morning. Camp mornings come early, but Reinhardt is used to waking before dawn. Roll call is taken for both prisoners and guards, and the former are sent to work as usual, though Reinhardt takes some additional time to address the guards. The current situation and schedule will remain for now but a new one is to be phased in over time. Firstly, renovation of the prisoner barracks. Of course the prisoners themselves are going to handle all the heavy work, but it'll result in better living conditions, which means improved prisoner labor. Speaking of labor, the entire way this is handled is to be overhauled. No more back breaking just for the sake of back breaking; it's a labor camp, and its immense labor force can be put to good use for the Reich. Labor is going to be diversified--some camps are known for their manufacture of goods, for example--and prisoners are to be assessed for general labor skills and then assigned appropriate roles on the reorganized labor force. The camp will become productive rather than destructive. And speaking of destructive: Reinhardt points at the crematorium, and says, "It's my goal to keep that thing running as infrequently as possible. This is not an extermination camp. If one can be productive, if one can earn their keep, then they don't get the bullet. We're in a war; we need to keep things working." The guards listen but cast each other sideways glances. Reinhardt's ideas are beyond strange, but nobody speaks up. Over the following weeks and months, they gradually implement the new plan; the prisoners fix up the buildings, new jobs are assigned, necessary goods are brought in. Previously the camp was known only for hard, pointless labor, things like breaking and transporting rocks aimlessly, building and tearing down walls, digging and filling in holes--stupid stuff that was never intended to be productive, just to more slowly kill the prisoners. Those who were incapable of doing any of this were shot and cremated. Under Dannecker, the crematorium ran almost constantly, its acrid black smoke a frequent irritant to people in the city when the wind blew the wrong way. Now, heavy labor serves a purpose, plus lighter jobs are created--such as sewing uniforms, and the manufacture of goods for sale--and prisoners who previously might have been executed on arrival are put to work in these roles instead. Of course, there are always going to be those who can do no work at all, and the crematorium can't stop running entirely. Still, the death toll drops significantly, and Reinhardt occasionally fudges it even more by sending unwanted prisoners along to other camps rather than killing them there. This makes it clear his motivations aren't 100% altruistic and enlightened--for example, he puts these particular prisoners out of his mind, they're someone else's problem--plus he's still advocating what's basically slave labor. Still, it's a far more progressive stance than most commandants take, and it isn't long before Reinhardt's tactics start to garner attention--definitely not all of it positive. The SS-Totenkopfverbände, in particular, is concerned by this turn of events, and sends representatives to question Reinhardt and check the place out. Reinhardt shows off how much the camp has improved, the crematorium barely runs anymore, the prisoners are in better shape and making good use of their skills. A representative complains that this isn't what the camp is for. "It's a labor camp, ja...?" Reinhardt retorts. "I'm making these prisoners productive members of society, in keeping with our principles." He points at the sign over the gate, ARBEIT MACHT FREI. "You see that gate? Work sets you free." "It's not meant to be taken literally," the representative protests, but it's futile; Reinhardt says, "Unless and until I get a letter to desist from der Reichsführer himself, this is how I'm running my camp." The representatives leave, flustered and nonplussed but unable to do anything. Various times throughout Reinhardt's tenure as commandant, he gets such visits and audits, and sparks quite a bit of grumbling in the ranks of the SS-Totenkopfverbände and the Allgemeine-SS (which also investigates Reinhardt and various of his men such as Delbrück for possible criminal activities), but they can never dig up quite enough dirt to do much, and higher-ups aren't much inclined to take action, being too distracted by the war. Not to mention that everyone considers this situation a vast improvement over how Dannecker did things, and the camp really is quite productive, finally turning a profit off its labor. And the city residents find it nice not breathing that awful smoke all the time. It seems like a win-win for everyone. (Well, except for the prisoners who get sent along to other camps.) Speaking of Delbrück, even he expresses skepticism of Reinhardt's new methods--"You know they're all laughing at you behind your back, ja?" he asks as they eat dinner together (both of them are bachelors)--but Reinhardt brushes it off: "I don't worry about what they're doing behind my back when I have enough to deal with in front of my face." Since I just alluded to it...in the SS it's supposed to be a rule that eligible men get married and start families--four kids is the ideal. Many of them never bother, for various reasons. Delbrück, for example, is a loner who despises the thought of starting a family, though he does participate for a while in Lebensborn, likely fathering at least a few children he never meets, then later on gets involved with Mirjam Zweifel, a Jewish prostitute (obviously this doesn't count, though to him it ends up being a relationship). Reinhardt, meanwhile, just never gets around to it. Although it was ages ago and most of his family have passed on, he still carries the sting of being dumped by the one woman he cared about so much, and although he has a brief fling here and there (I mean, he's not entirely celibate), like Delbrück, he doesn't bother getting emotionally attached. Now nearing middle age, although still fit and in good health, he can't help but figure most women wouldn't be too interested in settling down with him anyway. So rather than deal with possible rejection he just avoids the subject. Delbrück doesn't get pestered by the SS about this due to his "contributions" to Lebensborn, though the SS does niggle at Reinhardt now and then that he's not getting any younger; he does his best to ignore them and focus on his work. When keeping track of everything at the camp gets a little too complicated, they decide they need to hire a secretary. The SS-Helferinnenkorps, the women's auxiliary offshoot of the SS (women aren't allowed to join the Schutzstaffel), accordingly sends one over. SS-Helfer Britta Azinger arrives and meets Delbrück first; he takes a good look at her--young, blue eyed, strawberry blond, petite, curvy, with the most adorable winning smile--and promptly leads her to Reinhardt's office, barely able to keep the smirk off his face. They'd been expecting a dour frumpy older woman, not this. They arrive before Reinhardt's desk and Delbrück introduces Azinger but the commandant doesn't even bother looking up from his papers at first, just offering a hasty greeting and waving for Delbrück to show her to her office, until Azinger speaks up, saying, "Guten Tag, Kamerad Reinhardt, I've heard such good things and I look forward to working with you." Hearing that bright unexpected voice, Reinhardt looks up. And blinks. The most beatific smile spreads across Azinger's face, and the lamp backlights her just so, that she literally looks like an angel beaming down at him. (It doesn't hurt that she's rather busty and the buttons on her shirt and jacket are straining, either.) He stands up to greet her--she's quite short and he's quite tall--and wonders aloud what she means by having heard good things about him; "Oh, everyone's heard of how you run your camp," she says; "It's quite revolutionary! I actually volunteered to be posted here so I might learn more about your techniques." Reinhardt's quite startled by all this, but Azinger just has the most winning smile (and oddly tight uniform), and she seems so impressed by him, that he can barely think straight; he offers to show her to her office instead of Delbrück. He tells her when he and Delbrück have dinner and invites her to join them--"I understand if you have other plans, though." Azinger, however, replies that it'd be her pleasure to join them, and Reinhardt leaves her to get settled in her new office. Delbrück's been lurking off to the side this whole time and he falls into step with Reinhardt again, still smirking, as he returns to his adjacent office. Reinhardt: "What's with that look?" Delbrück: "I think she likes you." Reinhardt: "Oh nonsense! She's just excited about the job, you heard her." Delbrück: "Mm-hm." Reinhardt: "And what's that mean?" Delbrück: "Means I've yet to meet a Fräulein so 'excited about a job,' but if that's what you'd like to tell yourself." Reinhardt: "You're being ridiculous! I'm old enough to be her father. Um Himmels willen!" Delbrück: "So?" Reinhardt: "She has far more in common with you." Delbrück: "I'm not the one she was giving that look, but whatever you'd like to tell yourself!" Reinhardt: "She--wasn't giving any look! Stop being stupid!" Delbrück: "All right then, she's just really interested in your camp techniques." Reinhardt: "Oh...shut up!!" It's obvious, though, that Azinger's presence, and her willingness to hang on every word he says, have Reinhardt flustered. He tries hard to stick to the idea that she's literally just star struck by the way he runs the camp, but has to admit to himself that her admiration is flattering, and she's awfully pretty. She gets set up in her office, gets her assignments, sets to work getting everything in order. And even though she's just one secretary, she's quite skilled at this; she's not merely a cute face and a snug jacket. (Though that sure doesn't hurt.) She joins Reinhardt and Delbrück at their suppers on site (Delbrück goes missing every few weeks, paying a visit to the brothel, though they're unaware of this), and she listens, rapt, to everything he says and laughs at every joke he makes. He has to force himself to ignore Delbrück's looks lest he get the urge to slap him. And then one day he and Azinger just happen to end up in a file room at the same time and she needs help reaching a shelf and nearly falls so he catches her and yes, you can guess what happens. Delbrück wasn't being ridiculous after all. Still, Reinhardt wonders if it's genuine or just a one-time thing. He decides to invite her back to his quarters one evening and see how it goes. This excerpt from an adult WIP is rather more...risqué...than I prefer to post here, and I considered editing it a bit, but I guess it's PG-13 enough to share. I did make TWO edits: In the original, Reinhardt calls Azinger "Fräulein Azinger," which in my version of things is not correct, he should be calling her "Kameradin." I also changed the spelling of "Commandant" as I feel it should be spelled with a K when it's in a title. ("Kamerad Hasso" isn't accidental, earlier he asked her to call him that privately. I don't think this is standard in German but my characters often use "Herr," "Frau," etc. before a first name when they're familiar yet not intimate with each other; they use these before last names when they're not as familiar. When very close to each other (e. g., married) and talking directly to each other (i. e., not referring to each other in third person) they usually drop titles altogether. Notice for example how Inga Dobermann refers to, say, Ernst Dannecker, a formal acquaintance of her husband's, as "Herr Dannecker," to her own close friend Gunter Hesse as "Herr Gunter," and addresses her husband as just "Louis." Again, this is likely a convention of my own design, not based on fact.) Any other inaccuracies in titles are due to my own ignorance (and on what I just explained), and yeah, my version of SS members have...weird morbid conversations with each other. I mean, I figure it comes with the job. He paused in the doorway and watched her gather papers for a moment before venturing, "Kameradin Azinger...?" She lifted her head to give him an inquisitive look. Ah God, her eyes were so beautiful and blue. "Would you like to join me tonight...? In my quarters?" He pushed down a twinge of worry that he was being too forward, and added, "It's certain to be more accommodating than a file room." Was that overstepping? Surely he'd overstepped. He wondered a moment why he'd let himself get so rusty with women. Azinger, though, after blinking those beautiful eyes, smiled that beautiful smile--it put dimples in her round cheeks and made the corners of her eyes crinkle in a way that made his heartbeat pick up--and tapped her papers into a neat pile. Her desk was so neat and orderly, like her uniform; he had the sudden urge to sweep all the papers off it and hoist her up onto it and rip her buttons off, and had to swallow hard--why did these images keep popping into his head, he wasn't a hormonal teenager anymore. She stepped around that lovely neat desk, clasping her folder of papers to those lovely plump breasts, and crinkled those lovely blue eyes at him. "Of course, Kamerad Kommandant. I'd love to." The way she said I'd love to made a shiver pass over his skin; it wasn't quite proper but he offered his arm, and she looped her own through it, and they left her office. This time of the evening, the chance they'd run into any of the other guards was minimal, and even Schindel and Delbrück were busy elsewhere--Schindel keeping watch out in the yard with his stick, Delbrück gone off to do...whatever it was he decided to do every couple of weeks--so surely it wouldn't hurt to walk arm in arm for once. He peered down at her and she peered back up, giving her sweet smile and pressing a little bit closer so her breast brushed against him. Ah, God...he swallowed and walked a bit faster, Azinger following suit. The camp was small enough that the commandant didn't have his own house, rather just personal quarters located off his main office. These had gone unused during Dannecker's tenure, the previous commandant preferring to break with regulations and return to his private home, not far outside camp grounds, every night; Reinhardt had decided to resume normal rules and order, which meant staying on camp property at night. He imagined this was easier for him, having no family to return home to, although now that Azinger had arrived, dim thoughts of being surrounded by beautiful plump little children had started forming in his mind. He blushed a little and pushed these thoughts down as rather premature; she was just an SS-Helfer, her position only temporary so far, and he had no clue what her thoughts were about settling down and starting a family, yet. There was time for such things in the future; right now they arrived at his office, and he unlocked the door and ushered her within. He then unlocked the door behind the desk, turning on the lamp, and gestured; Azinger stepped inside, peering around. "I've never seen a commandant's personal quarters before," she murmured, rather needlessly, he felt, though he didn't mind the attempt at conversation. "You've worked in many camps...?" he inquired. "This is my third. And I must say, a great improvement over the others. I realize they're a necessary evil...but still. I don't like very much writing up the lists of who is to go to the gas chambers every day." "Well...this is no issue, here," Reinhardt said, feeling a twinge of pride. "This is no death camp. I prefer to focus on keeping my inmates alive. What good is a labor camp if you keep killing off the labor?" He gestured at the windows and she peered at the view of the buildings in the distance. "Anyone who becomes too sick or weak to work, we humanely shoot in the head, and send to the crematorium. See no smoke? It doesn't run that often. Some commandants work their inmates into the ground, but what's the good of that. This is actually both cheaper and more efficient, plus the inmates are far less likely to cause trouble." "So sensible." Azinger smiled up at him and his heartbeat picked up again. "Ja, well...after the debacle with the previous leadership, the bar is a bit low," he admitted, not sure why he felt the need to downplay his earlier bragging. "Come, now." She set down her folder and clasped his hands in hers, pressing them to her bosom; he had to fight not to try to dig his fingers into her. "Everything I've been told says you've done most excellent work with your camp! Decent labor, decent morale! Your guards are in top form and even your kapo seems content. No more awful, horrible Dannecker with the bodies piling up and the crematorium running all the time. We all heard the stories about him. No wonder he had a prisoner escape. A lousy commandant with poor control of his camp. Good riddance!" Reinhardt blinked--that outburst had certainly been unexpected. "Ja, well," he said, and could think of nothing else. "You, on the other hand..." She clasped his hands tighter against that lovely plump swell, and he swallowed. "So efficient! So well organized and kind! A commandant doesn't have to be a soulless monster, a Dannecker. You've proven this. I hope all pay attention, I hope you and your camp become the model for the rest. Such a service to the Fatherland." She lowered his hands, as well as her voice. "Kamerad Hasso...the bedroom? I think I should like to see it, right about now." As she'd talked, her breathing had kept picking up; his had, as well. "So should I," he nearly stammered. "You...you wouldn't prefer some tea or something, first...?" he made himself ask, to be polite. Azinger quickly shook her head. "Nein, danke...bedroom?" "This way." Squeezing her hand back, he gently pulled one of his free and led her through the sitting room, down a short hall, and opened a door to usher her inside. He turned on the lamp and the rather spare but functional settings were illuminated. Azinger glanced around at the bed, the bureau, the small desk, the lack of any decor. Said Reinhardt, "I know it's likely not as much as you're used to..." She turned back to face him. "So efficient!" she breathed, clasped his tunic, and kissed him. He blinked--this was the oddest kink he'd heard of yet, and he'd heard of quite a few... I have to cut off there as it quickly turns no longer PG-13, heh. 😅 Anyway, it's pretty clear by now it's not just a one-time thing, and Azinger isn't just really into his "techniques," she's definitely interested in him. And Reinhardt's definitely interested in her. Yes, she's young and cute and enthusiastic but those are just the icing on the cake; she seems to genuinely admire him, and they have lots of long talks when not otherwise occupied. Her mindset is similar to his in lots of ways, and he finds his previous infatuation growing into something more. He really does imagine that a life with her, having a family, would be a good one, and it's not even a leap, they both meet all the SS criteria so surely a marriage would be approved. He never gets the chance to ask her, however, even if he'd been able to summon the courage; after some time Azinger's posting at the camp expires, and she's called to return to headquarters for a new assignment elsewhere. She delivers this news to Reinhardt quite gloomily; her disappointment is apparent, and sincere. Reinhardt sadly sees her off, wishing her well and standing in the yard with Delbrück to watch the car drive her away. Delbrück lights a cigarette, takes a draw, lets it out. Pats Reinhardt's shoulder. Delbrück: "Other fish in the sea, Kamerad." Reinhardt: (resigned) "Ja...yet none of them are her." The story goes on, Reinhardt keeps running his camp. As the war draws to a head, it starts to become clear Germany is not faring so well, and ominous rumors spread from the Eastern Front that more troops may need to be mustered from the ranks of the camp guards; Reinhardt attempts to ignore these as there's nothing really he can do, anyway. More prisoners pass through the camp so it has to be enlarged to accommodate some, though this also means more people are sent away on the trains; Reinhardt doesn't like this but has no real say over it. He tries to cling to his idealism but the state of things has him growing increasingly jaded, with thoughts of wanting it to be over so he can just quit the camp and retire back to his old country estate. Sure, he'll be alone, but it's better than dealing with this all the time. And then, seemingly out of the blue, a ray of sunshine: Azinger arrives back at the camp, suitcase in hand, bright smile on her face. She's gone through various postings in other locations; when her most recent one ended, her supervisor offered her her choice of her next assignment, since she'd done so well. Azinger requested to return to Reinhardt's camp. Her supervisor was perplexed by this, yet granted the request; and now here she is, "If you'll have me." Of course he'll have her; Reinhardt heartily welcomes her back in more ways than one. She resumes her previous role keeping camp records in order and keeping him company at night; he at last gathers the courage to awkwardly ask her to come to stay with him, for good, when the war is over, and she gives him that sunny smile that makes his heart flutter and says of course she will. Waffen-SS officials pay the camp a visit and request that Reinhardt summon all his guards under the age of forty: Reinforcements are needed on the Eastern Front. The Waffen-SS and the SS-Totenkopfverbände are closely aligned, with the camp system frequently drawing its guards from the ranks of wounded Waffen-SS members; the obverse holds as well now, with the Waffen-SS drawing additional troops from among the camp guards. A good number of Reinhardt's guards are under forty, so he's left with a skeleton crew, although he does get a few extra from the Waffen-SS. Among those to be mustered into service, however, is his adjutant, Delbrück; Delbrück's never been in combat before so he's a little nervous, but he doesn't protest, and responds to the call. Reinhardt watches him go this time, and pushes down his feelings of worry, that the war isn't heading in the direction it should be. When Delbrück and most of his guards return some months later, not much worse for wear, these feelings only increase; Delbrück confirms his suspicions that something is up, and the "triumphant" return of these troops is concealing it. The war is practically lost, and those in command know it's just a matter of time before either the Americans or the Red Army make it into Germany; Delbrück and the others could have continued fighting, but were called back for this mock celebration, basically abandoning the regular Wehrmacht troops. (Delbrück practically burned with shame when he and the others were ordered to leave the front, the regular troops yelling about what cowards the SS were although they offered to stay.) The only way their position would be surrendered is if those in charge knew it was futile. Delbrück says the Red Army isn't there just yet, but they should be arriving in the coming months. He urges Reinhardt to make a plan to bail out the first chance he gets; he says that he sure will. Reinhardt is dismayed by this news, but not ready to go. When news reaches them that Allied troops have in fact entered the country, he advises Azinger to return to her family and head someplace safe. She asks him to come with her, but he says he has to stay at the camp. "Maybe I'll see you after all this," he says, though he knows his chances are dim if he's captured. Realizing she can't convince him to leave his post, Azinger vows, "I'll wait for you," kisses him, and departs. Delbrück and a handful of the guards are the next to go, after enemy troops have entered the city; Reinhardt doesn't try to stop them, and even wishes Delbrück good luck before he goes. (Delbrück runs into the camp chauffeur, Andreas Cranz, and they, Cranz's mother, the prostitute Delbrück's been seeing, and her daughter escape the city.) Reinhardt ventures into the city but gets hit by a random shot and returns to the camp, in great pain and bleeding heavily; he makes his way to the room where the loudspeaker system and other controls are located. He announces over the loudspeakers that the gate is to be left open, and he's turning off the electricity to the fences; any guards remaining are free to leave, but even more, any prisoners who are able to walk are allowed to flee as well. He's heard rumors of other camps being liberated so he assumes the same will happen here, and any prisoners too weak or sick to leave on their own will soon be rescued anyway. He turns off the microphone, shuts off electricity to the fences, and slumps to the floor to wait for the troops to show up, figuring they're likely to shoot or hang him; he's not too afraid of that, though he regrets that he won't get to spend more time with Azinger. After a little while, as he's dozing off, he hears footsteps. He blinks his eyes open when a shadow falls over him, expecting an American soldier (if he's lucky) or a Russian soldier (if he's unlucky), which is why he's so confused to see instead Isaak Schindel, the kapo, looking down at him. Something I actually forgot to go over while I was detailing the relationship between Reinhardt and Azinger is the relationship between Reinhardt and Schindel. It's an odd one, but just as genuine. Although he was appointed kapo by the previous commandant, Ernst Dannecker, after getting into a fight with another inmate, Schindel was also treated terribly by him; he wasn't a frequent target of Dannecker's, but the handful of times Dannecker went after him were bad, especially an incident where he forced Schindel and another prisoner, Josef Diamant, into a humiliating and degrading situation--what made that incident especially rough was that Schindel hadn't even done anything to warrant being involved, he was just there. Diamant, the true target of Dannecker's spite, is of course the one who killed him and escaped, leading to Reinhardt taking over. (Schindel witnessed the escape, and despite their enmity--he'd started targeting Diamant for beatings and harassment after the incident with Dannecker since he couldn't target Dannecker himself--Diamant left the figurative door open for him to join them, but he was too afraid to participate.) Schindel has no idea what to expect of a new commandant. The job of kapo is an especially dangerous one, as you're hated by the guards, yet you're hated even more by your fellow prisoners. You have to constantly watch your back. Schindel has a wife and child on the outside (or so he hopes) and is focused on surviving long enough to get back to them; he decides the guards are the lesser of two evils (the kapo gets a weapon, a private room, some extra food, and no beatings, improving his chances of survival), and tries hard to keep them placated, which includes sitting by and protecting the guard beaten by Franke, since he knows he'll be killed by the other prisoners, otherwise. (After he stands over the guard and threatens the approaching prisoners with his club, one of them spits at him yet they resentfully retreat.) When Reinhardt arrives in the yard and first addresses him, he's as submissive as ever, removing his cap (a requirement when interacting with the SS) and obeying everything he requests. He hopes he won't be as bad as Dannecker. Reinhardt is a big imposing guy, so it's easy to get the wrong impression of him, yet he's not exactly cruel to the prisoners, and especially not to Schindel. He ends up relying on the kapo quite a bit, even having him run errands that aren't typical for a prisoner functionary--light work, like fetching things and people. Lest I give the wrong impression, this is not an egalitarian "friendship"--it's more like Reinhardt as a benevolent master and Schindel as a favorite slave, or a pet. Indeed, I already went over how Reinhardt assumes other races are just too mentally deficient to be on the same level, so of course he treats them almost like semi-intelligent animals. (He starts to modify this view after interacting with Tobias Schäfer, the Dobermanns' in-home physician and a former prisoner of the camp under Dannecker; he's surprised when Schäfer holds his own discussing intellectual matters with him and even appears to know more than he does, forcing him to reassess his belief that Jews are lacking in intelligence. After Lt. Hesse shuttles Schäfer away, Reinhardt asks him, "Kamerad Hesse! Who was that fascinating Jew??"--he's just so amazed.) Schindel is the one in the best position to know what's going on in the camp, so Reinhardt often turns to him for information--not outright snitching, but more to get a feel of the atmosphere. He even asks his opinions on things and makes smalltalk at him--I say "at," as Schindel, unlike Schäfer, is poorly educated, working class, and not so erudite or knowledgeable--he really IS ignorant of a lot of intellectual things, so he's not good at conversation. He's also confused why a commandant would want to chat with him rather than threaten him. So their interactions usually consist of Reinhardt doing most of the talking while Schindel listens with his head lowered and his cap in his hands, offering a "Ja, Herr Kommandant" or a "Nein, Herr Kommandant" or an "I don't know, Herr Kommandant." It's fine, though--Reinhardt just likes to talk, and Schindel listening is good enough for him. He grows quite fond of the kapo, to the point that he develops the habit of taking Schindel's cap and putting it back on his head whenever Schindel takes it off; considering that prisoners are required to remove their caps when dealing with the SS guards, Reinhardt's actions are quite a breach of etiquette, as well as very meaningful: In at least this one small thing, he considers Schindel nearly an equal, and deserving of respect. Schindel, in turn, grows devoted to Reinhardt, mostly out of gratitude that he treats him so well. The inequality between them and the circumstances of their friendship--similar to Dr. Schäfer and Lt. Hesse, a relationship between a persecuted party and a persecutor--makes Schindel's reaction similar to Stockholm syndrome; it likely wouldn't have occurred in any other circumstances, and he and Reinhardt technically are enemies. He's so beaten down by his past treatment at Dannecker's hands and his poor relations with his fellow prisoners that the kindness Reinhardt shows him--however condescending--earns his loyalty, and he does whatever Reinhardt asks, without question. Schindel hears Reinhardt's final message over the loudspeaker, has already seen the guards bailing out, watches the rest of them--and those prisoners who are able--flee the camp as soon as the gate opens and the electric fences turn off. He's literally free to make a run for it--but just like the last time such an opportunity presented itself, during Diamant's escape, he freezes, and can't bring himself to leave. He's gotten used to being a prisoner, and the uncertainty of the outside world is terrifying--ironic, considering how hard he's been fighting to stay alive long enough to be freed. He doesn't head for the wide-open gate. Instead he heads into the administration building, and goes looking for the control room. He finally locates it (he's passed through various parts of the building before) and tentatively enters. Finds Reinhardt here, sitting on the floor, slumped and bleeding, and hurries over to him. Reinhardt blinks up at him and sees the kapo still wielding his club--for once, Schindel is looking down at him and he's looking up, and Schindel could very easily hit him in the head and kill him if he wanted to. Yet all that Reinhardt does is murmur, "Herr Schindel...? What are you doing here?" Schindel sees how badly Reinhardt is wounded and tries to tend to him, though isn't sure how. He leaves temporarily to rummage through the medical building, where a few ill/injured prisoners remain, digs out antiseptic and bandages, returns, does what little he can though Reinhardt tells him it's too dangerous for him to try removing the bullet; all he can do is apply pressure to the wound. Reinhardt again asks him why he's there, tells him he has the chance to go now--doesn't he have family waiting for him? "I don't know where they are," Schindel stammers, eyes tearing up, "I don't even know if they're alive." For obvious reasons that comment stings Reinhardt a little. Further attempts to convince Schindel to leave result in him admitting he's too afraid to: "I don't remember what it's like out there, this is all I know." By now Reinhardt is growing drowsy and weak; Schindel tries to keep him awake, but he loses consciousness. He comes to not long after at the sound of loud footsteps approaching, and immediately after, soldiers storm into the room, aiming their guns at Reinhardt and Schindel and yelling in another language. Schindel throws up his hands and panics, babbling that he can't understand, though they don't listen to him, just yell even louder. Reinhardt, on the other hand, recognizes the language--English--and is relieved that the Americans are the ones to find them, not the Russians. He's fluent in English and the soldiers are demanding their names, ranks, and serial numbers. He gives his name and rank and SS number, confirms when asked that he's the commandant of the camp, but insists Schindel can't understand and has no rank or number to give as he's a prisoner, not a Nazi. The soldiers don't immediately take his word for it as they've already come across plenty of SS officers attempting to escape while disguised as civilians or even as camp prisoners; "Cowards," Reinhardt mutters, but sticks to his story. The soldiers keep asking why a prisoner would stay behind with him rather than escape and he admits he can't answer that, he doesn't understand either. Eventually the Americans grudgingly accept that Schindel is who Reinhardt says he is--a search of the records left behind confirms that he's the kapo, which explains him being armed with a club--and he's taken away, still protesting, while another group of soldiers roughly pull Reinhardt up and take him to receive medical attention; they definitely aren't gentle about it, but at least he's still alive. So far. While a medic is attending to his wound (sans anesthetic or painkillers), a military official visits him. Knowing he has nothing to gain from holding out, Reinhardt cooperates as best he's able. He confirms his identity and that the camp is his, and that he turned off the fences and opened the gate. He doesn't know where any of his guards ran off to as he made a deliberate point to never ask. He says there may still be prisoners who were too sick to leave the camp (the Americans have already found them). When asked why the crematorium is cold and has been cleaned out, he explains it hasn't been run in months. He asks if Schindel is being cared for and is surprised to learn Schindel has been asking after him as well; he requests the Americans to help Schindel find his family if possible. He doesn't have much useful information to offer, so he fully expects to end up on the wrong end of a rope or a gun, but the Americans persist with their interrogation in the hopes that he can provide something. He does tell them the location of SS-Totenkopfverbände administrative headquarters, where they might find more records--and he describes how to find the hidden passage leading under and away from the camp, which he and Delbrück had located some time previously. This, the SS had finally discovered, is how Josef Diamant and the others had escaped from the camp so long ago, and they'd learned of its presence from Margarethe Dannecker, whom Commandant Dannecker had once taken down there to abuse and threaten her to silence. (He claimed that down there, nobody could hear her scream.) Diamant had enlisted Gret's aid in killing her stepfather and escaping through this passage, which Dannecker himself had concealed behind a devil tapestry (Dannecker's nickname being Der Teufel, or The Devil). This confirms that Diamant, Gret, and their companions are in fact members of the resistance Diamond Network, which has worked against the Nazis ever since. Reinhardt hadn't thought he had any particularly useful info to offer the Allies, but this bit here is more illuminating than he knew, and helps ensure the safety of the remaining Network members as the Allies are taking over the city. Reinhardt, to his surprise, is spared execution, though he is sentenced to around a decade in prison. He's brought to an old converted castle to serve his time. To his further surprise he's visited by Schindel. His joy at seeing him again is dampened once he learns his reason for being there: Schindel was able to locate his wife, alive and well with their young daughter, though both she and the rest of the old friends and family who survived the war want nothing more to do with him, due to his time spent as a kapo, a collaborator with the Nazis. He's alone and heartbroken: "I tried so hard to stay alive for them, and now they don't want me...I wish I'd died in the camp." Reinhardt is literally the only friendly face he can think of. Reinhardt tries to convince him it isn't his fault, though coming from him, he knows the words ring pretty hollow; all he can do is urge him to hold out hope, and offer a listening ear if and when Schindel needs it. He otherwise has plenty of alone time to think things over, and admits to the American military authorities who occasionally visit that, while he was wondering over the ignorance and stupidity of the "inferior" races, "I was the stupid one." Reinhardt is eventually declared to no longer be a threat; he shows no interest in stirring up pro-Nazi sentiment or seeking out any remaining colleagues from the SS. He would honestly prefer to just return to his old family estate, though the property has since been confiscated and put to other use so it's no longer his. He serves out his full sentence and is released. On his way from the castle prison, he glances up and notices somebody standing some distance ahead. She's a little older, a little heavier, her strawberry blond hair a little darker, but there's no mistaking those crinkling blue eyes and that beaming smile. Britta Azinger indeed waited for him. After they embrace and greet each other, she explains that the world that awaits isn't kind to people like them--understandably--and while she was fortunate to find a job to support herself, she doubts he'll have the same luck. Reinhardt replies that he'll think of something. She asks him to join her and they go on a ride further into the country. They come to a stop and exit the car, looking around at the grass and trees. Reinhardt takes in a deep breath--fresh air. Azinger: "It's not safe for you to be in the cities. Someone will always be able to track you down and know who you are." Reinhardt: "I imagine." Azinger: "I doubt anyone will let you have a job. I was lucky to find the one I did, save up some money just in case. I'm not sure what you'll be able to do, though." Reinhardt: "I see no use in worrying. What will happen will happen. If it's not in my favor...well, I made my own bed." Azinger: "Do...do you remember, back before the war ended, when you asked me to come stay with you? Once everything was over?" Reinhardt: "Ja, I remember...what is it?" Azinger: (gestures) "Come, this way. I want you to see something." Reinhardt follows Azinger on a short walk through the trees and grass. A country path appears, then, at the other end, a tiny cottage. Reinhardt furrows his brow, looks quizzically at Azinger. Azinger: "I figure you have nowhere left to stay. The money I saved up, I put it here. I know it's not really what you're used to..." Reinhardt: (blinks) "You...you did this for me?" Azinger: "For us, I hope." (pauses) "You asked me to come stay with you...I wondered, would it be so different if I asked you to come stay with me?" Reinhardt: (pause) (smiles) "It wouldn't be so different at all." Azinger smiles as well. Takes his hand--he grasps hers back--and they head for the little house together. [Hasso Reinhardt 2022 [Friday, December 16, 2022, 3:00:08 AM]] [Hasso Reinhardt 2022 2 [Friday, December 16, 2022, 3:00:18 AM]] 5/28/23: Rough character sketches anticipating the next theme. [Rough Character Sketches 2023 [Sunday, May 28, 2023, 11:20:35 PM]] 5/29/23: r/SketchDaily theme, "Expressions." Was a long day so I decided to try some rough character sketch practice. Would be nice to draw them in different poses. These aren't technically expression practice though a few have one (Schäfer has his lovely deer-caught-in-headlights look). I'd just like to get better at this. (You can see the first effort really sucked. Seems a boxy shape is better than a round one.) They were done sans reference so some details are off. I drew different expressions exactly a year ago, it turns out. Didn't realize it'd been so long. [Rough Character Sketches 2023 2 [Monday, May 29, 2023, 2:01:04 AM]] |