Chapter 12 Chapter 2 "Life Is My School" (7)

In December, when it was cold, Hitler lined up in front of the gate of the asylum with other abandoned people who were shivering from the cold.The door finally opened.Those who were homeless were filed into the shelter, separated by gender, and children followed their mothers.Hitler received a card allowing him to live for a week and was assigned a large dormitory.It must have been a harrowing experience for a young man accustomed to living alone.First, he suffers the humiliation of showering with the crowd and having his bedbug-infested clothes disinfected.Second, his group had to line up in the cafeteria to get bread and soup.

Unless one is in the care of another charitable institution, it is difficult for any one to understand the humiliation of a young man who is accustomed to pride on his first day at the gates of such an institution.Although shelters like this are highly efficient and provide people with accommodation, once people step into this gate, it means that they have irrevocably joined the ranks of the extremely poor.People in the shelter have lost their freedom of independent action, and in a sense, they have become prisoners.The newcomers are instantly overwhelmed by the humiliation.Hitler was no exception.Most of the people in the shelter are veterans of this collective life.They live in a barracks-style dormitory and chatter endlessly.In such an environment, Hitler sitting on his tidy cot must have been a melancholy and despondent picture on the first night.

Hitler was cared for by a homeless servant who lived in an adjacent cot.He taught him a secret: if he wants to stay in the shelter longer than the stipulated one-star average time, he only needs to spend some money to buy the unused admission cards of the leavers.The servant—whose name was Reinhold Hannig—had also dreamed of becoming a painter.Hitler's manner of speaking left a deep impression on him.Hitler, in turn, was fascinated by the stories he made up about Germany—Hannig had lived in Berlin for several years.Hannishy (“We see each other every night. Despite the odds, we pull together.”) teaches his new friend how to “watch the Rhine.”He noticed that Hitler's eyes seemed to light up when he heard the words "We Germans fear no one in this world but God."

More importantly, Hannig taught his students that to survive the harsh winter at the bottom of society, no step should be wasted, no opportunity should be lost.Early in the morning they left the asylum—Adolf was "purple with chilblains" in his stretchy coat—and walked to "Kasser" in time for soup; Stayed for a few hours to escape the severe cold, drank some soup, and returned in the evening just as the shelter opened.On the way, if they stopped for a long time, they would sweep snow or carry luggage in Vishbanov to earn a few pennies.However, Hitler was too thin to do much physical work: his feet ached with every step he took.Once, he ran into someone who wanted to hire someone to dig a trench, and Hitler intended to apply.But Hannig advised him to dismiss this idea quickly. "If you do this kind of hard work, you won't be able to get up."

Adolf wants to cheat and try his luck.But he had neither the genius for deception nor the guts to reach out.He later became a client of a colleague at the shelter.This colleague specializes in selling addresses for those "soft-hearted people".Hitler agreed to split it fifty-fifty, and he not only had the address but also special instructions when he went out.For example, if he met an old lady in Sodenring, he would greet him with "Praise Jesus!" and then say that he was a church painter, or a statue-carver, but he was out of work.Normally she'd send you two kronor for that, but Hitler traded this religious platitude for trouble.For the rest, Hitler had similarly bad luck.So, he had to turn to the church again - he could get 3 small patties.The abbot gave him a crown after hearing the greeting "Praise Jesus" and told him to go to the "St. Vincent Society" in the future.

What Hannig didn't understand was why someone with such a good education and genius like Hitler would wander around.He asked what Hitler was waiting for. "I don't know myself," Hitler replied listlessly.Hannish had never seen such a painful, sympathetic face, so he decided to do his bit. But he is not purely for others.He saw that Hitler, who was skinny and worried, had meal tickets in the future, so he urged him to draw postcards to make money.Hitler said that his clothes were too tattered to sell postcards on the street or sell them door to door.No problem, said Hannishy, ​​he would sell the postcards and get a 50/50 split.However, both of them will be harassed by the police because they do not have a vendor license.No problem, Hannig would pretend to be blind or consumptive and sell them in taverns.Hitler had one more problem: he had sold his painting materials along with his clothes.Hannig, who is good at making suggestions, said, this is not a problem, don't you Adolf have relatives?Adolf emphasized again that he was out of paintbrushes, which didn't deter Hannish either.Together with a Silesian peddler, Hannig accompanied Adolf to the Ardber restaurant, opposite Heidling station.Using a borrowed pencil, Hitler wrote a postcard to his family (probably Aunt Johanna) according to the two salesmen, asking her to send some money by surface mail.A few days later, Hitler received a letter at the post office, which contained a bank check for 50 kronor (“in those days, that was a lot of money”).Hitler was overjoyed and showed off to everyone when he stood in line at the asylum that night.His cunning friends told him to hide the money, otherwise he would be robbed or "struck" by those who "borrowed".

Usually, Hitler's cough is getting worse, so the immediate need is to buy a winter coat.His friends suggested a thrift store in the Jewish Quarter, but he declined, citing that he had been scammed selling his coats.Later, he bought a black overcoat at a government pawnshop for 12 crowns.Hannisch wanted Hitler to start painting immediately, but he insisted on taking a week off.Also, there is no proper place to work in the shelter.There is a bachelor flat in Mannerheim, which, though small, has a separate room for each person, and there are communal rooms for everyone to pursue their hobbies, that is to say, they are better equipped.

This bachelor apartment is located on the other side of the Danube. On February 9, 1910, Hitler came here on a long trek through the center of Vienna.Since Hannis would rather be a servant than Hitler's valet, he did not accompany him.This district is Vienna's 20th district, called Brigittenau.Because it is an industrial area, the residents are mixed, and the number of Jews is second only to the Leopold Quarter. It is also a passing area, and many residents use this area as a foothold for climbing up.About half a mile away from the Danube is Mannerheim, a building at 25-27 Meldermann Street that can accommodate 500 bachelors.

This is a modern building, less than five years old.Some middle-class residents of Vienna were surprised by its "luxury" because of its better equipment.There is a large dining room in the main building, which is brightly lit; the lower half of the wall is also inlaid with green tiles, giving a sense of warmth.The food was served over the counter, just by stuffing the meal coupons into the most advanced equipment of the time-automatic machines.Food is cheap, good quality and plentiful.A plate of vegetables and barbecue only costs 19 copper coins, and another 4 copper coins can make a full meal.

There are more than 10 gas stoves in the isolation room, which are specially used by those who cannot pay for meals. Guests can cook their own cheap meals for free "with the best kitchen utensils".The staple food is potatoes; a favorite is hash browns with or without meat.They banded together, cooking in the apartment for those without jobs, and buying ingredients for those with jobs. Outside the kitchen, just three steps away from the stairs, there is a reading room with more than 10 reading tables.There are also many reading rooms, recreation rooms; there is a library and a "writing" room - where more than 10 people can be engaged in their own business at the same time: a Hungarian cut cardboard into postcards, and They are sold in various bars in the market; an old man transcribes the names of engaged couples published in the newspaper and sells them to shops.

There are several dormitories, and they are as tidy as the asylums; but most bachelors prefer to have a small room to themselves—about seven feet long by five feet wide, with room only for a small table, a coat-rack, a mirror, and a chamber pot. , a very narrow small iron bed.Bedding consisted of a three-section mattress, horse brown stuffed pillows, and two blankets.The sheets are changed twice a week--a miracle of miracles for any lower class dweller here.These cells are not lifeless prison cells, each room has windows in addition to adequate artificial lighting.There are many sinks, footbaths and toilets on each floor; there are more than 10 shower rooms in the basement.There is also a tailor, hairdresser, cobbler and laundry in the apartment.In addition, there is a long row of clean suitcases for rent by residents who need to store clothes. The apartment manager is known for his strictness.He insisted that the residents should strictly abide by the rules and regulations: they must leave the room during the day; only checkers, chess and dominoes can be played in the entertainment room; those who make loud noises or make noise, whether arguing or laughing, may be expelled; wine or beer can be drunk in the apartment (This is Vienna, after all), but strong alcohol is strictly prohibited; municipal property must be respected (“no standing on the bed”).There are very few infractions among the residents of the apartment; most of them are sincerely working hard in the hope that they will one day be respected again.