# German speakers..did hitler sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612 "2011-08-13T21:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/1 "2011-08-13T21:45:03Z")
His accent I mean. Both being Austrian. I’ve been listening to one of those ‘teach yourself German’ audiobooks and will occasionally listen to YouTube clips of native german speakers to see how much I can pick up on. At this point, although I understand maybe 10% of what is being said, I have been able to pick up on how German regional accents differ. I listened to a clip of Arnold Schwarzeneggar(Austrian) doing a german interview and then a clip of Angela Merkel(Hamburg) doing an interview and while I can’t put my finger on it, I can hear a pretty big difference. For all I know, it may be class based accent differences and not necessarily regional. Listening to a clip of Hitler, it’s kinda hard to discern the accent in the same way, because he’s giving a speech and not speaking in a conversational tone. So, anyone know? Also, i’m not sure how varied regional accents are in austria, but would Hitlers accent be working class? middle class? country? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/2 "2011-08-13T22:52:50Z")
Here’s a private conversation between Hitler and Mannerheim about the war with Russia. He’s not making a speech in this one, but just talking regularly. So this might help if you wanted to hear how he sounded when he wasn’t speechifying. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o64QOynq0_Q) ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/3 "2011-08-13T23:20:47Z")
I’ll add that the audio **Captain Amazing** ’s linking to is actually the _only_ available recording of Hitler speaking in a normal, conversational tone. There are many _descriptions_ of his accent, though, from folks who met him. For example, here’s some relevant info: > [@](#): > > Although born in rural Austria, Hitler spoke in public with a Bavarian accent […] Some people attribute Hitler’s accent to the three years he lived in Passau, a Bavarian town, between the ages of three and six, when his speech was being formed. But Albert Speer wrote that Hitler’s Bavarian accent was purely the affectation of a man who had a fondness for all things Bavarian. Indeed, Traudl Junge, Hitler’s secretary, recalled that in private Hitler often spoke with a light Austrian accent and liked to use Austrian expressions. So there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/4 "2011-08-13T23:41:07Z")
Is Obama right? They speak “austrian” in Austria? ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/5 "2011-08-14T00:06:00Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Is Obama right? They speak “austrian” in Austria? They speak German, with an incredibly cute, “sing-song-y” accent. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/6 "2011-08-14T00:16:11Z")
I’ve also noticed that when listening to clips, an austrian or bavarian accent seems to sound less ‘german-y’ to my ears. My guess, and correct me if i’m wrong, is that the stereotypical harsh sounding german(to english speaking ears) is an aristocratic prussian accent? Meaning like any war movie with the ramrod straight german officer clicking his heels and sounding evil. That accent. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/7 "2011-08-14T00:18:44Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Is Obama right? They speak “austrian” in Austria? They speak Austrian German. There are actually several dialects spoken in Austria, but there is a recognized Austrian standard dialect. It’s my impression that Germans and Austrians can generally understand each other’s speech pretty well, but there are definitely differences. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/8 "2011-08-14T00:25:43Z")
And yet another question in case a german speaker happens along… When a native english speaker is speaking german, can germans differentiate between a brit speaking german vs an american? Or are the the differences between british accents and american lost and just kind of blends into an ‘anglo speaking german’ accent? ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/9 "2011-08-14T01:21:21Z")
I find the depth of Hitler’s voice somewhat surprising. I guess it’s due to only having heard him shouting before. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/10 "2011-08-14T01:45:50Z")
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find it a lot easier to understand Mannerheim in that than Hitler. Hitler’s kind of mumbly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/11 "2011-08-14T02:22:53Z")
Yeah, well, you know who ELSE sounded like Hitler? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/12 "2011-08-14T02:39:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yeah, well, you know who ELSE sounded like Hitler? Here’s Arnold speaking German. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/z_OaPkR-rVs/hqdefault.jpg "Schwarzenegger german Interviews") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_OaPkR-rVs) ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/13 "2011-08-14T03:13:00Z")
Hitler sounds like Werner Herzog. If someone told me that was a clip of him arguing with Klaus Kinski I would’ve believed it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/14 "2011-08-14T03:14:14Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Here’s Arnold speaking German. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z\_OaPkR-rVs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_OaPkR-rVs) Man, I’m struck by just how much he sounds like Arnold speaking English. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/15 "2011-08-14T05:40:10Z")
Why does Hitler uses the word ‘tank’ instead of ‘panzer?’ ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/16 "2011-08-14T05:59:02Z")
I’m pretty sure “der Tank” is just one of those English loan words that found its way into German. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/17 "2011-08-14T06:13:33Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Here’s Arnold speaking German. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z\_OaPkR-rVs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_OaPkR-rVs) I liked the comment below the video: “This isn’t German, it’s hillbilly Austrian”. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/18 "2011-08-14T08:27:07Z")
Hate to be the spoilsport, but I don’t hear _any_ similarities between Hitler’s and Schwarzenegger’s accents _at all_. Schwarzenegger’s displays precisely that deep Austrian peasant twang (“hillbilly Austrian” is spot on – thanks, **user\_hostile**!) Hitler so carefully suppressed. Mannerheim, belonging as he did to the Swedish minority in Finland, would probably have had German as (at best) his third language, and so does in that clip what most people in such a situation would have done: He en-un-ci-ates ex-tre-me-ly clear-ly, so as not to be misunderstood by his very, very important guest. That’s probably why some of you find him easier to understand. Bonus fact: If you want to hear a _really_ fucked-up, completely incomprehensible version of German, Austria ain’t the place to go – try _Switzerland_. Actually, speaking of Herzog, I can recommend _The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner_, a documentary he made about a brilliant Swiss ski jumper, Werner Steiner, who speaks with the craziest Swiss-German accent of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/19 "2011-08-14T09:50:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Although born in rural Austria, Hitler spoke in public with a Bavarian accent Could also be because he came from a town on the Bavarian border. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612/20 "2011-08-14T09:55:44Z")
> [@Quintas](#): > > And yet another question in case a german speaker happens along… When a native english speaker is speaking german, can germans differentiate between a brit speaking german vs an american? Or are the the differences between british accents and american lost and just kind of blends into an ‘anglo speaking german’ accent? It depends on both the speaker and the listener, but if the speaker’s accent is thick enough, and the listener has some knowledge of different English dialects, then certainly it’s possible. Conversely, it is often possible for an English speaker to differentiate between Austrians and (non-Bavarian) Germans speaking English. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-speakers-did-hitler-sound-like-arnold-schwarzenegger/592612.md?page=2)