For the Umpteenth Time, Hitler Was NOT a Vegetarian

Once again, someone claims that Hitler was a vegetarian. This time it’s Jack Turner in his opinion piece, "Bar None," in today’s New York Times, Turner writes:

Ram a message down people’s throats and they tend to gag. Unremarkably, the point was lost on Hitler, a vegetarian who tried convincing the Germans that the future was meat-free, and whose efforts at dietary reform went the way of his other delusions. From what I’ve seen, present-day Germany is a lonely place for a vegetarian.

Mr. Turner is the author of “Spice: The History of a Temptation,” and is writing a book about cooks, so you’d think that maybe he would have read Hitler’s personal cook’s stories about his favorite dish (stuffed squab), and his liking of ham sausage and other cured meats, and also caviar. The cook’s name was Dione Lucas, and her Hitler anecdotes are in her "Gourmet Cooking School Cookbook."

Turner is also wrong about Hitler trying to convince Germany that the future was meat-free, as the reality is that Hitler outlawed organizations that advocated vegetarianism and rebuked proposals to ease Germany’s food shortages by reducing meat consumption. But don’t believe me, read renowned Hitler biographer Robert Payne’s "Hitler: The Life and Death of Adolph Hitler."

The REALLY FUNNY part of all this is that on March 15, 2005, the New York Times posted a correction to a previous article (a film review about Hitler’s final days), saying that Hitler "did eat at least some meat," which, call me crazy, makes him a meat-eater and not a vegetarian.

This reminds me of back in the 1980s, when people would say things like: I’m a vegetarian, but I eat chicken and fish.