“Nonfiction twas a dark and terrifying night in Hamburg, Germany, and 17-year-old Karl-Heinz, Schnibbe ran through the empty streets. Germany was at war, and there were rumors that British bombers were prowling the sky looking for targets to destroy. Karl should have been at home with his parents, safe in : thebomb shelter. Fes ‘wurwscHovasric.comyscore + arate, 2013 5But fear of bombs was not the reason Karl was drenched in sweat, why his heart pounded louder than the cli¢k-click of his boots on the street, why he swallowed down the vomit that stubbornly rose into his throat again and again. ‘Karl was on a secret mission. If anyone caught hiin, he could be shot—or worse. Total Control It was December 1941, and life Wd eee re ea \ | 50,000 members. By 1936, membership had increased to 54 ne es Seas 2 in Germany was dangerous. ‘The country was under the control of Adott Hier and his ‘Nazi Party. In all of human history, few regimes have been more profoundly evil than Hitler's Nazi Germany. Hitler had come to power after a period of great difficulty. Unemployment was high. Many Germans felt bitter and husniliated by their defeat in World War Hitler gave the German people someone to blame for their problems: Jewish people. Prejudice against Jewish people—known as anti- Semitism—had existed in Ear for centuries. Furopean Jews resented andmistrusted for bt different, and for having differ custorns and different beliefs, ‘Many times over the years, lea had turmed the Jews into scapegoats, blaming them for problems ranging from the pl: to World War Ofcourse these ciaims wen: outlandish. But embers ofthe old beliefs smoldered.in Gérm culture. Hitler easily fanned tt flames. He singled out other ‘groups as well: Catholics, the. disabled, Gypsies, gay people ‘the Jews were his primary targpoech after speech, he Three Friends, not exist asitdoes inthe United alled them “vermin” and One Plan ‘States. Newspapers and radio aid they Wweretoblame for - ‘Spor-vare Inuly1941, Helmuth stations were expected to praise of Germany's woos eimiisthe | invited Kaslovertohis Hier andthe wa, or they woul Many Germans embraced jek sp seeret_ apartmentto showhim —_beshutdown, {idler and the NaziPartyand — ***°*** something: ‘special: a short- At 10 p.m., Helmuth tumed on Uitstood for. Those who didnot ___waverddio. The sight ofthe radio the ado. A voice crackled ole, vamedto keep qe Resiters shocked and thriled Kar Henew “The BBC London presents the reremarkedastraitorsand swiftly that could pickup British news in German.” ied. Even Ke’s parentswho broadcasts Tistening to foreign Whe: flowed would change fen expressed their hatred of radio stations was forbidden, and _the course of Kar!’s life, as well as | liter in private, dared not the penalties were severe. tn Nezi shelves ofhis frends. The serere One day as Kart was Germany, freedom of speech did report talked about what ominghome, he saw aemed Nezi ' ticers spitting ona group of eran Jews. Upset, Karlran bome aad told his mother. *Son, itis best you forget what u saw,” Karl remembezed her sying, “Thats the way our lives illbenow.” But Karl could not forget. He and his two best iiends, elmuth Hiabener, 16, and Rudi ‘obbe; 15. Bidted what Hider stood 1" Hitler promised toxestore rman pride and glory. Butlike \auy, the three boys believed that itler’srealinforest asin his own, >wer. Hitler gave {self he tte of ‘hrer, oF supreme der, and began vading smmany’s Lighbors, igniting ‘orld Wer IL The boys lieved Hitler was b “stroyinig Ge Te ener mens ett nt einer perio oying Germany, ee eee But what could three teenagers stores, and homes were Looted; dazens of people were murdered. The potice did against Hitler? ee ee‘was happening pussia, which Hitler bad recently invaded. The report confirmed the boys’ suspicions that the Nazis were lying tothe German people, that the wax was wrong, and that itderwas sending Germans into battles they couldn't win. For thenext few ‘months, Karl and his fiend Rudi would go to Helmuth’s to listen to ‘that radio as often as they could. Soon, though, listening wasn't enough—particularly for Helmuth. He wanted to do something. He ‘wanted all Germans to know the truth. So he hatched abold plan: He began typing up leaflets that erticized Hitler, the Nazis, and the war. “Hitler the Murderer!" read one pamphlet. “Do You Know You Are Being Lied To’ Rodi, Karl, and Helmuth would drop these leaflets in public places, around Hamburg. twas this mission that bad brought Karl onto the blacked-out streets of Hamburg that night in 1941. His job was to distribute ‘those leaflets throughout the city, {to stuff them into mailboxes and leave them on park benches. He expected the Gestapo—the terrifying Nazi police—to jump out from the shadows at any moment. Dt ets Pree ree se aad ee oa read another. B. scuorasricscove + ari. 2015 But hemade it home safely. Karl's mission had been a success. ‘Swept Up Karl hadn't always despised the Nazis. Infact, he used to be one of ‘them. Like many Germans, he had been swept up in the excitement when the Nazis first came to power in 1933, He loved going to the éoncerts given by the military and police bands. The grand Nazi speeches impressed him. ‘Against his parents’ wishes, Karl joined the Nazi club for boys called ‘Jungvolk, or "Young Folk," in 1986. Srey tT Tt epee Ee ekg ‘Jelivah’s Witnesses, Gypsies, gay people, and other groups the Nazis. Considered “inferior” were als) murdered, This mass Kiling would later be called the Holocaust, He was 12 years old. His friends ‘Helmuth and Rudi also joined” At rst, Kaul liked it. He got to take fin weekend trips to the countryside to hike and camp. On ‘weeknights, he and the other children memorized facts about Hitler as well as the raci Nazism, Across Germany, millions of children like Karl were being The Games Ended ‘To Ka, the Jungvoliewas mostly fun and games. In 1938, when he tured 14, he graduated into the Hitler Youth, the Nazi group thatevery “racially pure” teenage boy in Germany was expected to join. Then the games ended. ‘The Hitler Youth, as | wells the Junguolk and the League of German Gils, were tools the Ne shape the beliefs, thoughts, and actions of German youth, Boys in the Hitler Youth fired real guns. They wore military uniforms, fought pretend battles, and were assigned ranks. “hey are training us to be soldiers,” Hehinuth angrily said to Karl one day. He was right. In most German cites, Hitler ‘Youth were organized into patrols, iid of like junior police squads, One of their jobs was to find out who was disloyal and report them to the Gestapo known forts cruelty. Occasionally kids reported their own parents, Karl soon grew to resent the Hitler Youth. He stopped wearing his uniform and began skipping meetings. By the end of the year, Karl_to his relief—was expelled. ‘He had escaped the Hitler Youth, but, as he would soon find out, he could not escape the Nazis. is used to Caught! ‘nthe final months of 1941, the boys stepped up therresistance. ‘They became more confident and ore daring, churning out more “Tis 1930s naz pester reacs "The German student fights fr the Fnrer and the people.” What message dose this poster send? than 49 different pamphlets. They pasted ilyers on ‘bulletin boards and Rudi confess even dropped them, into the coat pockets of high-ranking Nazi officials. Meanwhile, the Gestapo was, ae ‘The fstnight in prison, Kur cried himself to sleep, what iad Helmuth told the Naxieo would # What would happen to their families? For several weeks, Kat and Rud) ‘were held in separate cots, interrogated, and brutally beaten Atone point, 23 Karl was taken for desperately searching "yet another interrogation, ne forthoseresponsible, caught a glimpse of Helmuth, nis The boys took face swollen and bruised. “ps precautions. They passed him, he grinned alittle stopped sitting ‘winked his eyes abit," Ken together attheirchurchendmade remembered. In that moment, Ke sure they vere rarely seen together in public. Theyalso made a pact: If ‘one of them was caught, he would assume full responsibility for the entire scheme, xno matter what. ‘The Nazi authorities soon closed in, and on February 5, 1942, Helmuth Hiibener was arested, ‘The Gestapo tortured, Helmuth fortwo ays. They refused to believe thathe hhad acted alone, Finaly, he broke down and mentioned Karl and Rudi. On the morning of February 10, the boys were arrested. new in his heart that Helmuth had keptthe pact. Indeed, Helmuth had ascimed all the blame. He Pe ert ne Ter mock battles. They were being trained as future Nazi leader. ‘wow. scuoLastic.con/store + aPRita, 2013 9told the Gestapo that Rudi and asl knew about the leaflets but that was all He sald nothing about their nighttime missions. Helmuth had saved thetz Lives. The Verdict 1m August 1942, the boys stood before a judge to hear their punishment. Kat's father, heartbroken, wasthe only family member atthe ta ‘er and Rudiwere sentenced to hard laborin a prison camp, Helmuth was sextenced to death ‘After the sentences were read, Helmuth stood and faced the judges, his face calm, “Now [must die, even though Ihave committed zo crime," be sui, “So nowit's my tam, but your tur will come.” ‘Two months later, Helmuth was beheaded. He was 17 yous old Aer the tral, Keri was shipped off toa prison work camp. Life was brutal, He rarely had enough to eat, and he was often beaten. He longed forhis family. After It Al Jn the final days of World Wax 11, Hider committed suicide to avoid Ces “Now I must die, even though I have committed no crime.” —Helmuth Hiibener capture. By the time the war ended, 53 million people had been Killed. Many Nazi leaders were put on trial and executed for their crimes, Yet the end of the war was not the end of Kat's ordeal. Karl ‘was taken prisoner by the Russians, one of Germany's wartime enemies. They did not believe that he had been a resister. Itwould be four more years * before he was finally released. Sick and haggard, his years in the prison campshad robbed ‘him of his yout. Katl’s parents ‘were overjoyed to be reunited with thelrson, but they could notdeny thathe had changed. Though his physical wounds eventually healed, it would be many years before his emotional sears began to fade. Karl eventually discovered a ‘way to live again and even, found happiness. He and Rudi moved to America and spent terest oftheir lives in Salt ‘Lake City, Utab. They both got married and raised families. They grew old together as dear friends. ‘And they never forgot Helmuth, their brave friend who believed s0 deeply inthe truth, Both Rudi and Xarl wrote books about him. In 1985, four decades after being branded as traitors, Kerl and Rudi ‘were invited to Hamburg to attend a memorial for Helmuth. They were sven medals ofhonor. “Tam not ahero. Helmuth Habener is my hero,” Kas told author Susan Campbell Bartoleti, before his death in 2010. “I do not regret one thing. fwe had to, Pd doit again.” @ - The Power of Information consider the rote of information in Nazi Germany. How and why di the Nazis control information? How and why did Karl, Helmuth, and Rut use information to fight the Nazis? Answer both questions in two to three well-organized paragraphs: Use text evidence. Send your response Roa rete ne ne eR a a Dared, a novel based on the life of Helmuth Hiibener. See page 2 for details. SCHOLASTIC SCOPE + APRILE, 2013