Hitler Loved Irish Folk Music

Nazi leader had piper play a private concert in 1936
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2010 2:39 PM CST
Hitler Loved Irish Folk Music
circa 1938: German dictator Adolf Hitler in uniform, wearing the Iron Cross.   (Getty Images)

An exhibit of new photos has revealed an odd scene: Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels listening with rapt attention to Irish musician Sean Dempsey as the piper sat on an SS member. Hitler invited Dempsey to play his uileann pipes in 1936 while the musician was visiting Berlin. However, when Dempsey arrived, there was nowhere to sit.

Ever resourceful, Hitler demanded that an unlucky SS member get on his hands and knees to serve at Dempsey's stool for the performance. After the concert, Hitler and Goebbels were smitten, and the dictator gave Dempsey a gold fountain pen, Irish Central reports.
(More Adolf Hitler stories.)

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