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I have talked to you in the past but we have always exchanged pleasantries. And it has always been assumed that I am Kaltenbrunner, the big bad man next to Himmler and the successor of Himmler. But I think you can see by this time, after having treated my brain hemorrhages, both in the hospital and here in my cell, that I am not the disagreeable, uncouth fellow the public probably thinks because of all the atrocities committed under Himmler's rule, and of which I am totally innocent.

Ernst Kaltenbrunner#12

ReputationInnocencePublicPublic perceptionSelf defense

About this quote

What does it mean?
Kaltenbrunner claims he is not the evil figure the public thinks, citing his health issues and innocence regarding atrocities.
In plain terms
He says people think he is bad, but he is not guilty of the crimes committed under Himmler.
What can you take from it?
Public perception often differs from an individual's self-view.

Where it applies

  • courtroom defense
  • public relations
  • personal denial

Putting it to work

  • address public misconceptions
  • clarify personal role

Questions to consider

  • Is it possible to be innocent of atrocities committed under your command?
  • How do you defend a tarnished reputation?

Another view

He may be downplaying his involvement to protect his reputation.

More from Ernst Kaltenbrunner

  1. Among the spiritual forces secretly working in the camp of Germany's enemies and their allies in this war, as in the last, stands Freemasonry, the danger of wh…

    Permalink to quote #11
  2. I am thought of as another Himmler. (Smiles.) I'm not. The papers make me out as a criminal. I never killed anyone.

    Permalink to quote #13
  3. I know only that in my belief in Adolf Hitler I put all my strength at the disposal of my people. As a German soldier I could only put myself at the service of…

    Permalink to quote #10

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