Frederick did have an opinion about German nationalism, however. On one hand, he, like his father, was apolitical and had no interest in government. But unlike Karl, Frederick wasn’t a diehard patriot longing to wear a military uniform for his country. He didn’t put on any airs or walk around repeating inflammatory rhetoric. That was not his nature.

He was in the Hitler Youth, along with his sister, Charlotte, because participation was mandatory for anyone with children who wanted to avoid scrutiny or be accused of disrespecting Hitler and Germany. “After school you had to go to meetings from seven to nine, singing songs,” said Charlotte. “We all greeted each other with ‘Heil Hitler.’ We had to everywhere, on the street, in stores, ‘Heil Hitler, Heil Hitler!’” Frederick said “Heil Hitler” too, because that was expected of him and he really had no choice. The times in which they lived required 100 percent compliance, and Karl and Margarete wouldn’t have allowed any dissent in their household.

However, in 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, Karl would finally reveal, in a strategic and unassuming way, an objection to what was happening around him. He received orders to leave his family in Vienna to assist with the occupation of Poland. He didn’t know the details of the assignment before he arrived, but once there, when he realized they were rounding up Jews and shooting them, he asked for an immediate transfer back. Karl was a German nationalist, not a murderer. He had done his duty in the Great War and was a loyal soldier, but what was going on in Poland was entirely different. Though he couldn’t openly object, he convinced military leaders in the Wehrmacht that he was far more useful to the war effort by running his company and that the production of materials would be significantly compromised if he weren’t back in Vienna overseeing operations. His argument worked, and Karl returned home to resume his business obligations.10