# Alfred Zech > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Zech > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alfred_Zech.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Zech > Source revision: 1355357816 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Alfred Zech**, born as **Alfred Czech**[1][2] (12 October 1932 – 13 June 2011),[3][4] was a German [child soldier](/source/Child_soldier) who received the [Iron Cross, 2nd Class](/source/Iron_Cross) at the age of 12 years. ## Early life and military career Zech was born in [Zlattnik](/source/Z%C5%82otniki,_Opole_Voivodeship), [Upper Silesia](/source/Province_of_Upper_Silesia) (present-day Złotniki, [Opole Voivodeship](/source/Opole_Voivodeship), [Poland](/source/Poland)) and was enrolled in the *[Deutsches Jungvolk](/source/Deutsches_Jungvolk)*, as was mandatory at the time. In early 1945, Goldenau (as Zlattnik was re-named in a campaign to Germanise [Silesia](/source/Silesia) from 1936–1945) was under attack by advancing elements of the [Soviet](/source/Soviet) [Red Army](/source/Red_Army). During the attack, Zech saw a number of German soldiers injured by mortar fire, and decided to use his father's farm cart to retrieve them. He made two trips, bringing a dozen wounded to his family home.[5] According to Zech, a German general appeared at the family farm several days later and asked the parents to send the boy to [Berlin](/source/Berlin), for an audience with [Adolf Hitler](/source/Adolf_Hitler). His father agreed and Zech joined several other *Jungvolk* child soldiers who were decorated by Hitler with Iron Crosses (2nd class) for bravery. The recording of the ceremony was widely circulated in German propaganda material.[1][6][7] A photograph of Zech being inspected by Hitler was captured by Büro Laux, a German Foreign Ministry photo agency, and later – via Pressens Bild – distributed to the [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press).[2] At the subsequent banquet Zech stated that he volunteered to remain in service, unaware that his home village was already captured and his father was killed in action, after he was pressed into the *[Volkssturm](/source/Volkssturm)*.[5][8] Zech was sent to the front in [Freudenthal](/source/Brunt%C3%A1l) (present-day [Czech Silesia](/source/Czech_Silesia)). There he was wounded in combat and [captured](/source/Prisoner_of_war). After his release in 1947, he returned home, learning about his father's death upon arrival.[5] ## Later life As an adult, Zech joined the [Polish United Workers' Party](/source/Polish_United_Workers'_Party) in order to receive leave to emigrate. In 1964, he settled in [West Germany](/source/West_Germany) where he worked as a [laborer](/source/Laborer).[5] ## Personal life Zech was married and had ten children.[5] ## In popular culture In the German epic historical war drama film *[Downfall](/source/Downfall_(2004_film))*, the character of Peter Kranz is based on Zech, a member of the Hitler Youth during the last stages of the war. ## See also - [12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend](/source/12th_SS_Panzer_Division_Hitlerjugend) - [Armin D. Lehmann](/source/Armin_D._Lehmann) ## References 1. Field, Jacob F. (2014). [*D-Day in Numbers: The Facts Behind Operation Overlord*](https://books.google.com/books?id=NVNtAwAAQBAJ). Michael O'Mara Books. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-1782432395. – via Google Books. 1. Crary, David. ["Associated Press releases in-depth review of its coverage of Nazi Germany"](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-ap-review-coverage-nazi-germany-20170510-story.html). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). Retrieved June 9, 2018. 1. ["ALFRED Czech"](https://www.aachen-gedenkt.de/traueranzeige/Alfred-Czech). *Aachen-gedenkt.de*. Retrieved 2023-11-22. 1. ["Czech, Alfred "Hitler boy"."](https://ww2gravestone.com/people/czech-alfred/). *ww2gravestone.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-22. 1. Paterson, Tony (April 25, 2005). ["Downfall: The story of a Nazi boy hero"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/downfall-the-story-of-a-nazi-boy-hero-520880.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091108164453/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/downfall-the-story-of-a-nazi-boy-hero-520880.html) 2009-11-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 29, 2018. 1. Selby, Scott Andrew (4 September 2012). [*The Axmann Conspiracy: A Nazi Plan for a Fourth Reich and How the U.S. Army Defeated It*](https://books.google.com/books?id=zXX4lgL4-BYC&q=iron+cross+awards+to+deutsches+jungvolk&pg=PT24). Penguin. ISBN 9781101611388. – via Google Books. 1. Kater, Michael (2009). [*Hitler Youth*](https://books.google.com/books?id=IlIOP1O7H4wC). Harvard University Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0674039353. – via Google Books. 1. Groenewoud, André (April 2006). "Was macht eigentlich ... Alfred Czech?" (in German). *[Stern](/source/Stern_(magazine))* ## External links - [Newsreel of the ceremony at which Zech received the Iron Cross](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvDOcuEScps) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alfred Zech](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Zech) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Zech?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.