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Friday, November 9, 2012

A Different Sort of Hopeful Audacity

The more I find out about Werner von Haeften, the more I like him.  For those who don't recognize him, he was adjutant to Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg, a longtime member of the German resistance, and a key participant in the July 20th plot to assassinate Hitler in the  Wolfsschanze.  Despite the best laid plans, the whole attempt quickly unraveled when the bomb failed to kill its intended target.  Von Haeften, Stauffenburg, Friedrich Olbricht and Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim were executed by firing squad in the early hours of the following morning in Berlin.  Apparently at the last moment, von Haeften moved to take the bullets meant for Stauffenburg.  He was thirty-five years old and left a fiancée, Reinhild von Hardenberg, also active in the resistance.

Unfortunately, I think we might need role models like this in the future.  I don't know what may happen, but that particular strain of selfless courage and loyalty will be a necessity, regardless.

I'm not too keen on "Werner," but having a son named Haeften would be awesome.




6 comments:

  1. I suppose as a happily married woman you don't need http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/. However it is still a lot of fun!

    Rereading the post I see you weren't just saying, "Ooh, hot guy in black and white!" On the other hand ... he IS pretty hot.

    Don't tell my husband I said that.

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  2. The Looks Decent Wagon certainly didn't pass him by. :D

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  3. I would not mind a nephew named Haeften. But what would the grandparents say? :)

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  4. Just tell me how to pronounce it, and I'll work with it!

    Mommy

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    1. Somewhere between a short "e" and a long "a." German is interesting like that. :)

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  5. It's pronounced Hah-ften, with a very open a. The e is silent.

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