The Man Who Refused to Salute Hitler

German worker August Landmesser, whose wife was Jewish, refused to salute Hitler.

This famous photograph was taken in 1936. The photo shows workers giving the Nazi salute during the launch of the training ship Horst Wessel. Only August Landmesser crossed his arms instead of saluting. This photograph is a historical document of that era when even in Nazi Germany there were people who went against the grain and bravely risked their lives to stand up against nazism.

In July 1937, a case was opened against him on charges of “race desecration”. On September 15, 1937, he was taken into pretrial detention. Landmesser allegedly managed to convince the court that he did not know that Irma Eckler was completely Jewish, and on May 27, 1938, he was released on the condition that if he continued his relationship with his wife, he would be convicted and sentenced to many years of hard labor.

Despite this, Landmesser continued his relationship with Irma Eckler and even appeared with her in public. Therefore, on July 15, 1938, he was arrested again, subsequently sentenced to two and a half years of hard labor and taken to the Börgermoor 1 camp. Three days later, the Gestapo arrested Irma Eckler herself, on charges of “race desecration”. She was subsequently executed.

On January 19, 1941, August Landmesser was released and began working as a foreman in the Warnemünde branch of the Püst transport company. In February 1944, he was called up for military service in a penal battalion, sent to Croatia and soon went missing during the fighting. He was possibly killed on October 17, 1944 near Ston. August and Irma had two daughters.