Political Convictions
Elser was prompted to take an interest in politics during his years as an apprentice. His understanding of politics was influenced by his love of personal freedom and striving for independence. He became a member of the woodworkers’ association and in 1928/29 joined the Red Front Fighters’ Alliance, the paramilitary organization of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), but was never a very active member of either. Up to 1933, he voted KPD because he considered them the best representatives of working-class interests.
Georg Elser radically rejected National Socialism from the outset. He paid no attention to National Socialist demonstrations, refused to perform the “Hitler salute,” and avoided communal gatherings for listening to Hitler’s speeches on the radio. One of his first and most important motives for becoming an opponent of National Socialism was the deterioration in workers’ living conditions during the early years of the Nazi regime.
