Contents
Chapter 13 - Hitler’s Birthday, 1940
Overview
As Molching prepares an enormous April 20th bonfire for Hitler’s birthday, Liesel still hopes for word from her missing mother. Hans Junior visits, clashes with Hans over Nazism, and storms out, calling him a coward, as Death foreshadows his fate at Stalingrad. Liesel heads to the celebration where a theft awaits.
Summary
Through March into April, Liesel checks the mailbox daily despite a visit from Frau Heinrich confirming the foster office lost contact with Paula Meminger. Meanwhile, Molching fervently prepares for Hitler’s birthday with a parade and a celebratory book-burning, collecting propaganda and “enemy” materials for the fire.
At home, the Hubermanns scramble to find their flag, finally locating it behind Hans’s accordion. The family banters, then Liesel pins the flag in the window as the town displays swastikas in every pane.
Hans Junior and Trudy arrive from Munich, reviving old tensions. Hans Junior presses Hans to reapply to the Nazi Party; Hans refuses. The argument escalates when Hans Junior derides Liesel’s reading and declares, “You’re either for the Führer or against him.” He calls Hans a coward and leaves. Hans chases him to the street, but Hans Junior shrugs him off and goes.
Death interjects, foreshadowing Hans Junior’s path to the Eastern Front and Stalingrad. Back inside, Rosa withholds her usual scolding, sensing Hans’s hurt. Hans silently questions whether caution in war equaled cowardice, then deflects Liesel’s questions and tells her to get ready for the event.
In the evening, Liesel dresses in her Hitler Youth uniform and heads to the square with her group for speeches and the bonfire. The moment sets the stage for what will follow: flames, celebration, and a book to be stolen.
Who Appears
- Liesel MemingerStill hoping for her mother’s letter; joins the Hitler Youth gathering for the bonfire.
- Hans HubermannRefuses Nazi Party zeal; is called a coward by his son and silently wrestles with it.
- Hans JuniorConvinced Nazi; denounces his father and leaves, with fate foreshadowed at Stalingrad.
- Rosa HubermannManages the flag panic, restrains her temper after the confrontation, observes Hans’s hurt.
- Frau HeinrichFoster official who reports total loss of contact with Paula Meminger.
- Trudy (Trudel) HubermannVisits with Hans Junior; stays quiet during the family confrontation.