• Submit A Nut
Newsletter
KnowledgeNuts
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Bizarre
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
KnowledgeNuts
No Result
View All Result
Home Facts

The Friendliest Interrogator Of World War II Was A German

The Friendliest Interrogator Of World War II Was A German
241
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
“Peace means far more than the opposite of war!” —Mister Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers

In A Nutshell

Hanns Scharff wasn’t your typical Nazi interrogator. Unlike the infamous Klaus Barbie, he didn’t believe in using physical violence. Instead, Scharff got prisoners to spill their secrets through trickery and kindness.

The Whole Bushel

Related articles

From Loans to Lifestyle: How Bad Credit Can Impact Your Life

Gender and Finances: The Averages in Bank Account Balances

September 14, 2023
Student Financial Aid Beyond Loans

Affordable Student Housing: Your Handbook

September 14, 2023

When the Gestapo arrested French Resistance leader Jean Moulin, they used just about every method in the torturer’s handbook to make him talk. Officer Klaus Barbie and his secret policemen put hot needles under Moulin’s fingernails, tightened his handcuffs until his wrists snapped, and slammed a door on his hands until his fingers broke. Despite the brutal beatings, Moulin never cracked. He kept his mouth shut until he slipped into a coma and died. It was a tragic ending to a heroic life, and a strong indicator that Barbie’s methods, while bloody, weren’t all that effective. Perhaps if Moulin had been sent to Hanns Scharff, the story would have had a happier ending.

Scharff was the friendliest interrogator of World War II. Fluent in English, Scharff grilled pilots who were shot down over Germany. Unlike the notorious Barbie, Scharff had a much more positive approach to interrogations. This Luftwaffe officer was a master of mind games. Before he quizzed a prisoner at the Dulag Luft camp, Scharff dug up as much background information on his subjects as possible. Even if he could only find basic info, he fooled prisoners into thinking he already knew all about their objectives. Since he was already aware of their activities, they might as well talk about them, right?

ADVERTISEMENT

Next, Scharff disarmed his prisoners by becoming their best bud. He often took them on trips to the local zoo, and he even let one prisoner take a ride in a German plane. After building a rapport with a POW, Scharff would take him on walks through the Oberursel forest. Together, the Nazi and the Allied pilot would stroll through the pine trees, observing the birds and chatting about America or England. The whole time, Scharff was listening for little slip-ups that would reveal information vital to the German war machine. Prisoners might inadvertently mention something about bomb sights or causally say something about operational plans. They might tell a story about their training or talk about the planes they used to fly. Scharff was such a smooth talker, such a friendly guy, that the prisoners had no idea they were being conned. They were just glad they weren’t being electrocuted. Many of them signed his guestbook before leaving the camp. In fact, after the war, he was invited to many POW reunions because he was such a gentleman.

Article Continued Below

Eventually, Scharff moved to the US where he helped the Air Force come up with survival techniques for downed pilots, and taught intelligence agencies how to peacefully interrogate suspects. The Army was so impressed with Scharff’s methods that they incorporated his methods into their curriculum, and soldiers attending interrogation school learn all about his techniques. Although he had a knack for discovering secrets, Scharff’s real passion was art. He opened a studio in California and was commissioned to create mosaics at UCLA, the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas and, most shockingly, Disney World. Scharff passed away in 1992, but you can still see his work inside Cinderella Castle and at the Epcot Center. Next time you visit the Magic Kingdom, just remember the artist who designed those mosaics had a 90 percent success rate when it came to interrogating Allied POWs.

Show Me The Proof

BBC History: The WWII interrogator who used kindness over violence
LA Times: Hanns Scharff; Creator of L.A., State Capitol Mosaics
Art Of The Mouse (photos of Scharff’s Disney World mosaic work)
Jewish Virtual Library: Klaus Barbie

Post Views: 2,557
Share96Tweet60
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

From Loans to Lifestyle: How Bad Credit Can Impact Your Life

Gender and Finances: The Averages in Bank Account Balances

by Knowledge Nuts
September 14, 2023
0

  Managing money can be a daunting task, regardless of who you are. Did you know that there is often...

Student Financial Aid Beyond Loans

Affordable Student Housing: Your Handbook

by Knowledge Nuts
September 14, 2023
0

Finding affordable student housing can be a daunting task for many. The "Affordable Student Housing: Your Handbook" is here to...

Your Mortgage Hack for Financial Freedom

Your Mortgage Hack for Financial Freedom

by Knowledge Nuts
September 8, 2023
0

Mortgage payments can feel like a burden that lasts forever. Did you know however, that it's possible to pay down...

An Easy Financial Aid Roadmap for College Funding

An Easy Financial Aid Roadmap for College Funding

by Knowledge Nuts
August 10, 2023
0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1266t2ee7CY Heading to college is exciting, but figuring out how to fund it can be overwhelming. With "NavigatingFinancial Aid: Your...

Medicare’s Grocery Allowance: How to Know if You Qualify

Medicare’s Grocery Allowance: How to Know if You Qualify

by Lauren Ashley
July 18, 2023
0

If you're on Medicare, did you know there could be extra monthly money in your pocket? It's true! You may...

Load More
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Nurturing Financial Smarts in Children: 5 Key Tips

Nurturing Financial Smarts in Children: 5 Key Tips

September 21, 2023
Discover the 10 Must-Read Books for Saving and Investing

Discover the 10 Must-Read Books for Saving and Investing

September 20, 2023
Budget-Friendly Meals for Single Parents

Budget-Friendly Meals for Single Parents

September 20, 2023

KnowledgeNuts.com: Your go-to source for insightful information and financial guidance. Explore, learn, and empower your future with us.

Categories
  • Artist
  • Artwork
  • Attitude
  • Bizarre
  • Business
  • Creative Insight
  • Design
  • Differences
  • Facts
  • Finance
  • Forgotten
  • Forgotten Horrors
  • Innovation
  • Inspiration
  • Learning
  • Listicles
  • Market
  • Misconceptions
  • Other
  • Personal Finance Tips
  • Places
  • Thinking
  • Uncategorized
Tags
aid bad credit Business car insurance cash flow credit debt difference disability Education family Finance finances Financial Aid food government assistance Health healthcare help history home home loans housing how to make money how to save insurance Invest Japan jobs loan loans make money Misconceptions Money myths personal finance quick cash saving money savings side hustle side hustles student student aid Superstitions taxes
Newsletter
[mc4wp_form]
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Mobile Privacy Policy
  • Mobile Terms & Conditions
  • SMS Opt-in

© KnowledgeNuts.com – A Division of Media Comms Networking.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Facts
  • Misconceptions
  • Differences
  • Finance
  • Bizarre

© 2023 KnowledgeNuts.com