© Elliott Erwitt, 1977, Portrait of Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father: a voluntarily member of the Nazi Party. His mother’s name was Jadrny, a common name in former Czechoslovakia before WWII. War widow. Not an so-called ‘Aryan’ I guess. They married after the war. Roman Catholics who didn’t spare the rod. (+) Many questions, only a few answers - like in so many Austrian or German families, also in my own family.

Only one thing’s for sure: it’s Arnold’s 65th birthday today.

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