Letter 18

15th February 1933 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Greatly to my surprise I spent the weekend in Dresden. We started off straight away listening in to Hitler. Much dissatisfaction on the family’s part. Mrs. Oldenbourg (who is Granny Hop’s sister-in-law) said the English were robbers because they had gone off the gold standard. I savagely contradicted her. I may say the woman pretends to be English herself, and knows about as much about political matters as I do, so our arguments are long, belligerent, and contradictory. Only I do really hope and believe that I’ve got a little more horse sense than she has.

We had dinner in a well-known restaurant in Dresden, where I horrified them by having fried sausage and toadstools, and two large beers –. But Max had five of the latter. It was Pilsener and very light. My sausage was very good.

Suddenly the Radio spoke up and inundated us with speeches from Hugenberg, Papen and Selder, or whatever the man calls himself. No doubt of it – Papen can speak. Hitler stirs the emotions, Papen the intellect. It remains to be seen whether the master of rhetoric or the master of oratory is the man of deeds. But Hugenberg’s was a good enough speech too. It was rather interesting – only the atmosphere and the beer had combined to make me very sleepy.

My poor Uncle Prill has slipped in the street and ruined – temporarily – his beauty. He was laid up for a day or two. But do you suppose that deterred him? Not it! His pupils were requested to go to his flat for their lessons! I bet you not another Professor in the Hochschule would do that !