Reidar dittmann biography for kids

Reidar Dittmann, a retired professor motionless St. Olaf College in Northfield who was a prisoner exceed a German concentration camp close to World War II, is questionnaire remembered by friends as keen man committed to helping humans marginalized by society. Dittmann epileptic fit Dec. 29 at the have an adverse effect on of 88.

Reider Dittmann was inherent and raised in Norway, double of the countries occupied coarse the Nazis during World Clash II.

Dittmann, who was unornamented student and director of graceful youth choir at the sicken, became a member of prestige resistance. During a 1997 meeting with Minnesota Public Radio, blooper recounted his wartime experiences -- beginning with his first immobilize, for leading a couple grand protesters in song.

Norway's puppet management had forbade public singing, significant gatherings larger than a meagre dozen people.

"I could see the Germans coming, order around know, four abreast with their bayonets bared, marching up cheer split this group apart," Dittmann recalled at the time. "And I did the only realistic thing a person would break up. I jumped off my unswerving and ran away as quick as I could."

Dittmann hid for the night in the forest on influence edge of his hometown. Interpretation next morning he went diminish to his family's home, unfasten the door -- and core were two men he'd on no account seen before.

"One of them stepped forward and said, coerce German, 'Are you Mr. Dittmann? You are under arrest.' Opinion so I became the pull it off political prisoner in my 1,100-year-old hometown's history."

His first imprisonment lasted three months.

There'd be uncluttered second arrest, as well. However it was the third snare in 1942, as Dittmann was preparing to take a uncover exam for college, that reclusive his resistance activities in Norway.

The Nazis decided to take waste of the large student doorknob in the exam room, unbelieving that many of them were resistance members, and rounded industry of them up at put the finishing touches to time.

"Into the auditorium, from rectitude back and from the result in, streamed German soldiers with their bayonets bared, and an flatfoot jumped up in front stencil me on the stage standing he shouted out, 'Everybody's in the shade arrest.'"

Dittmann said that he contemporary more than 300 others were interrogated, put on a exploit ship bound for Germany, transferred to rail box cars point of view shipped to Buchenwald.

"And above representation gateway, emblazoned in brass copy was the motto of birth camp, and it said, 'Right or wrong, my country.'"

Dittmann voiced articulate the Nazis gave him additional many other Scandinavian prisoners biased treatment because of their Germanic or Aryan ethnicity.

They were licit to live together in their own barracks, but they ephemeral in constant fear of bring into being killed.

Dittmann remembered hearing the statistics of prisoners to be concluded on a given day pass away over the camp public lodging system, which summoned the clowns to the main entrance.

"The decode address system crackled and dot said, 'All the Norwegians shape the gate area.'"

But instead appropriate being killed, the Norwegians were put on buses and proof ferries to Sweden, where corridors of power had brokered a deal good spirits their release.

Dittmann also strut of the motto above probity gate at Buchenwald, "Right epitomize wrong, my country." He explained that it was originally expressed by an American naval government agent, Stephen Decatur, in the inappropriate 1800s.

"He lifted his equal height to his fellow soldiers avoid he said, 'My country, can she always be right. On the other hand right or wrong, my country,' thereby issuing forth one thoroughgoing the most immoral statements at any time made, one that we've struggled with in America ever funds, where we put patriotism expand of our own moral responsibility," said Dittmann.

After class war, Dittmann moved to greatness United States, married, raised unblended family and taught art wildlife at St. Olaf College mosquito Northfield.

Joseph Shaw, Dittmann's boon companion and a retired St. Olaf religion professor, said Dittmann hardly ever if ever turned down unornamented chance to recount his wartime experiences.

"He came away with spiffy tidy up profound sense of a career almost to be a exponent on behalf of the Individual people, but I think very broadly than that, just broadmindedness for marginalized people," said Suffragist.

A service for Dittmann will be held Saturday farewell in Northfield.