Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi

September 9, 2007 5:27 PM

Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi was born on 1926 in Hamburg and grew up in Nazi-Germany. He dreamed of joining the Hitler youth but besides best efforts was always rejected. But you can see him here wearing a swastika.

He even was rejected joining the German army when it was making it last stand in world war II. I guess I forgot to mention he is black. Maybe you are interested in reading his book "Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany".

posted by yoyo_nyc (26 comments total)

If he was white he could've been Pope.
posted by Poolio at 5:31 PM on September 9, 2007 [5 favorites]

Fascinating. I'm ordering his book.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:39 PM on September 9, 2007

Really interesting! Thanks for the post.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:51 PM on September 9, 2007

I guess I forgot to mention he is black.

That's why you should always preview!
posted by mrnutty at 6:03 PM on September 9, 2007

Interesting subject matter, but a jpg, a wikipedia entry and a link to Amazon leaves me wanting a bit more from this post.
posted by dhammond at 6:06 PM on September 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

Get used to disappointment.
posted by hal9k at 6:11 PM on September 9, 2007

Here's something with a little substance
posted by edgeways at 6:16 PM on September 9, 2007

An old Chicago Sun article (1999)
posted by edgeways at 6:19 PM on September 9, 2007

and you thought thomas pynchon was kidding
posted by pyramid termite at 6:34 PM on September 9, 2007

"Dave Chappelle ... Paging Mr. Dave Chappelle ... "
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:36 PM on September 9, 2007

And if that wasn't bizarre enough for you, how about an Israeli Neo-Nazi group?
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:02 PM on September 9, 2007

pyramid termite:

The wikipedia entry doesn't say anything about Massaquoi being imprisoned in the nose of a rocket and launched. Pynchon must have been writing about a different schwartzkommander.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:05 PM on September 9, 2007

Facinating. Amazon.com lets you read a few pages of the book.
posted by delmoi at 7:10 PM on September 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Wie sagt man "kognitiv Dissonanz" auf Deutsch?
posted by rob511 at 7:10 PM on September 9, 2007

Heh, according to the back cover, he lived in New Orleans when the book was written.
posted by delmoi at 7:11 PM on September 9, 2007

Wie sagt man "kognitiv Dissonanz" auf Deutsch?

No idea, but I bet the word is compounded from at least a dozen weighty philosophical terms, and loaded with gutturals.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:21 PM on September 9, 2007

Afroblanco, don't be a spoiling dick.
posted by Evstar at 7:43 PM on September 9, 2007

And if that wasn't bizarre enough for you, how about an Israeli Neo-Nazi group?

One man's bizarre is another man's redundant. (Quite thankfully, I am neither man.)

Pynchon, schmynchon. Vonnegut, man. Vonnegut.
posted by Reggie Digest at 8:05 PM on September 9, 2007

It sounds like the guy actually wrote two autobiographies.

edgeways, cool articles, especially the second one.
posted by salvia at 8:37 PM on September 9, 2007

Looks like the second one is in German.
posted by delmoi at 8:50 PM on September 9, 2007

Nobody expects Martin Bormann nazi in exile.
posted by hortense at 9:05 PM on September 9, 2007

From wikipedia.

[After 1947] he emigrated to the United States. He served two years in the army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Man. A little later and the 101st instead of the 82d, and he could have been assigned to escort black students in Little Rock. That would have completed the story.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:49 PM on September 9, 2007

Evstar, with all due respect, if I had wanted to spoil Dick, I would have mentioned how Deckard was actually an android, and how the Allies really did win World War II.

Just sayin'.
posted by Afroblanco at 1:46 AM on September 10, 2007

Is that a rebuttal? Puh. All I'm saying is that if I'd read your comment while I was halfway through GR, it would have devastated me.
posted by Evstar at 6:50 AM on September 10, 2007

Hey Afroblanco! I'm exactly halfway through reading GR (and have been for 10 years).

Thanks! That's one less thing to worry about.
posted by sneebler at 1:07 PM on September 10, 2007

I'm not sure if this is more of an AskMe question, but is Hans-Juergen related to the same Massaquoi who played football for Michigan about ten years ago?
posted by John of Michigan at 2:00 PM on September 10, 2007