hitler

19House of Bavaria appeared in the Cinderella rôle of minorroyalty.The Prussians might joke about the Bavarians occupyinga place between men and the Austrians, but the Bavariansknew better. Were they not a Christian folk as early as theseventh century when the site of present-day Prussia was thehappy hunting ground of pagan Slavs? Was not Bavaria‟sown Regensburg the capital of Louis the German after thepartition of Charlemagne‟s empire, when the Mark of Brandenburg,which later became Prussia, was nothing more thana wilderness infested by hordes of semi-Oriental tribes? Hadnot the Bavarians been the subjects of that famed king, Arnulfthe Bad, who had repelled the attacks of the Hungarians andsaved the western world?The average Bavarian may know little about these comparisonsof history, but Adolf Hitler was familiar with thesubject. He was in high spirits when he entered the vastcellar of the Buergerbraeu where the Ramschl music bandentertained a medley of civilians and soldiers with a potpourriof patriotic songs. Cheeks were flushed, beer jugswere emptied, threats were uttered against the enemy andthere was much noise and joy. Hitler was with two comrades,genuine Bavarians from Burglengenfeld und Schnabelwald,basking in the glory reflected upon them by theiruniforms. Girls smiled at them and offered them flowers.The soldier men were in great vogue. In the cellar of theBuergerbraeu the two Bavarians and the Austrian used stronglanguage about the “Kukuksbrueder” and the “Saupreuss” –the Austrians and the Prussians. The night was warm, the