Hitler's Table Talk

PREPARATIONS FOR CONFESSION
article. We left the shop indignantly, complaining in loud
voices.
Opposite the school, in the Herrengasse, there was a convent.
An excellent recruit came to us from Vienna, a real scamp. He
used to blow kisses to the nuns when they passed a window.
One day one of them smiled back at him. At once an old prude
got up and drew the curtain violently. We even heard a cry.
Half an hour later, our Rector gave us a scolding, expressing
his amazement at our lack of respect.
If there hadn't been a few teachers who would intercede for
me on occasion, the affair would have ended badly for me.
Before Easter we had lessons to prepare us for confession. It
was a tremendous rag. As we had to give examples of sins to
confess, we chose them in such a way as to tease Father Schwarz.
One boy confessed that he had had bad thoughts about his
teacher, another said he had deliberately vexed him, and so on.
The priest told us we were guilty of a grave sin in not going
more deeply into ourselves, and in confining ourselves to these
superficial confessions. So we agreed we would confess to a
series of appalling sins. During break I wrote out on the blackboard
a terrifying confession, headed by the words: "Copy out."
I was busy at work when there was a whistle. It was the
signal from the boy whom we'd posted to keep "cave". I
knocked the blackboard over and rushed to my form. The
holidays went by, and everybody, including myself, forgot the
matter.
At the beginning of next term, a boy was answering questions.
He filled the empty side of the blackboard, which was facing
him, and when he got to the bottom of the blackboard, he
turned it round. The words I'd written came into sight: "I
have committed fleshly sin, outside of marriage ..." The
teacher studied the handwriting, thought he recognised it as
mine, and asked me if I was the author. I explained to him
that this was an example of deep introspection—Father Schwarz
having told us to be very precise on this subject. "You, Hitler,
keep your examples to yourself. Otherwise /'// make an
example of somebody. . . ."
Often I promised myself to moderate my ways, but I couldn't
help it, I couldn't endure all those hypocrisies. I can still sec