Werner Pusch

Who was Werner Pusch?

Werner Pusch was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany during the years of the Weimar Republic and witnessed first hand the coming to power of Adolf Hitler and the rise of Nazi Germany. A student in 1933, Pusch attended several early Nazi Party rallies, prior to 1933 at a time when Hitler was considered "just another politician".

After seeing the rapid and fearful suppression of democracy by the Nazis, Pusch decided that, as a Social Democrat, the best way to survive the new era was to work from within in order to resist the Nazi state. To this end, Pusch joined the SS and at one point was an SS guard at several rallies where Hitler attended.

Pusch was interviewed in The World at War mini-series where he recounted his experiences.