Does someone have details of his life and death? Here´s the real audio version to be heard: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/horstwessel.html
Horst Wessel fought on the eastern front during the rapid and bloody decline of Germany's fortunes, particularly in Hungary and the Ukraine. The division specialty seemed to be operations designed to keep wavering allies in line - such as the occupation of Hungary and the brutal repression of the Slovakian uprising, both in 1944. By May 1945, protracted heavy combat against the Soviets had virtually destroyed the division. Nazi Storm Trooper killed by a rival Communists Party member in 1930. The Nazi party propaganda machine made Wessel into a heroic martyr. In reality, the murder may not have been political; as the police suspected the motive concerned the affections of a prostitute. Here's a little something for you Kai.
In 1929 Goebbels was eagerly seeking a Nazi-party 'martyr' to use for political proganda purposes. After a couple of 'false starts', he found Horst Wessel, 23 year old son of the Pastor of Berlin's Nicolai-Kirche. A university-educated building worker and SA activisit, he was also involved with an SA band and wrote songs. He became a 'marked man' for the Communists due to his prominent involvement in SA incursions into pro-Communist areas. In a less heroic vein, Wessel had started a liaison with Erna Jaenicke ( possibly a prostitute ), who rented a room from a certain widow Salm. Jaenicke and Wessel quarreled with Salm who complained to her late husband's Communist friends. A tatooed pimp called Albrecht Hohler ( possibly also involved with Jaenicke ) plus another comrade set out to evict Wessel from the apartment. As the door opened, Hohler promptly shot Wessel at point-blank range. As Wessel lay dying in hospital. Goebbels set about transforming this sordid tale into the creation of a Nazi hero. When Wessel finally died on 23 February 1930 Goebbels commented ; 'A new martyr for the Third Reich'.... This information is taken from Michael Burleigh's ' The Third Reich - A New History ' ( Macmillan, 2000 ).
Early martyr for NSDAP Albert Leo Schlageter, a WW1 veteran and Freikorps member, was arrested 5 Apr 1923 by the French troops in the occupied Ruhr for taking part in sabotage operations. He was sentenced to death by a French military tribunal and executed by firing squad 26 May 1923. Within 24 hours the Schlageter-Gedächtnis-Bund was formed and plans were made for a memorial (a large cross erected in 1931), Schlageter was becoming a martyr of the right-wing groups, among them the NSDAP as he had been a member of the NSDAP and SA as well as other fringe groups. http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6257
