The Courageous Acts of German Soldier Franz Hasel during WWII

I was a child in occupied Netherlands during world war II.(Born Sept 3 1934).I grew up with a sense of war in my veins. Soldiers marched and sang their songs, and some were even nice, though we were not supposed to talk to them. Every weekend there was the drone of planes overhead on their way to bomb the......out of the factories in Germany....(.Come to think of it...quite civilized to do this on the weekend when the workers had the day off.) Once during our horrible hunger winter....we lived in a town north of Amsterdam....my uncle who was from the city of Utrecht, told us of a raid on one of his neighbors who were suspected of harboring Jews. A high ranking officer and a few soldiers entered the house and the officer ordered them to searched the main floor and the cellar, while he took charge of the upper floor. He found four people hiding in a bedroom and motioned to them to be quiet and shut the door. He went downstairs and told the soldiers all was clear ...false alarm. Thank goodness there were more Franz Hazels those days. It gives one some hope in humanity, even today. History can so easilly repeat itself. From B.C. Canada.

We're humbled by the viewer who shared how their father and grandfather embodied the same moral courage as Franz Hasel. Though we accidentally deleted that heartfelt comment while trying to respond (a mistake we deeply regret), we want to take this opportunity to honor all those unsung heroes. In the midst of war's utter depravity, which so often brings out the worst in humanity, stories like these are beacons of light and hope. They remind us that even in the darkest of times, there were individuals who, like Franz Hasel, refused to let hatred and violence extinguish their compassion for life. We celebrate people of unwavering faith who stayed true to their convictions, no matter the cost. Their bravery to uphold human decency when all around them had abandoned it is a testament to the enduring power of righteousness over evil. While their names may be lost to history, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to these extraordinary souls. They proved it is possible to resist the moral decay of wartime atrocities through the strength of one's principles. In that defiance, they embodied the highest ideals of our shared humanity.

So many think of pacificists as cowards, but he was braver than all of the critics. We all want to think we could be as brave as Franz under the same circumstances, but few could live up to this incredible example.

What an amazing man Franz Hasel was to defy Hitler and go against killing his fellow men. If he had been found out and caught by the Nazis, he might have been court-martialed and executed for perceived treason against the regime, either by firing squad or by hanging. Thank for this eye-opening and insightful video of a brave soldier who refused to kill anyone.

It touch my heart what Franz Hasel did of his Incredible kindness saving lives of others. As well as Capt. Wilhem Hossenfeld and also he is almost similar to Desmond Doss who preferred not to use a Gun. May God Bless Their Souls such Salute, Love and Respect. If I have a chance to visit in Germany I will pay respect and honor these Kind German Soldiers who choose to spare and save lives of those in need.

May his memory and the memory of all those like him, be honored and blessed. May everybody watching this, raise children and grandkids with the same Scriptural values and integrity as this man.

This was an awesome and inspiring documentary. A must see.

What an incredibly amazing story! I so love this and want to share it with others. Praise God for this man Franz Hassel!

I read the book twice, & listened to a CD in my car several times. It’s so encouraging to hear about someone that stood for his faith thru such a horrendous situation. Should give us all courage to stand when our turn comes.

There is a book "A Thousand Shall Fall" by Hasel's youngest daughter Susi Hasel Mundy about her father that all should read.

Thank you for this - Franz took the Bible and God’s commands seriously, and made them part of his actions and character. A wonderful example of love for your neighbour. God bless all who made this video.

Good video. I'm glad I found your channel.

What a wow soldier and man. Stories like that bring back my believe in humanity and the hope that we can all be like that.

Sorry to correct you, but it wasn’t the 30th of June 1941 when Germany invaded the USSR. It was the 22nd of June 1941. This coming from a WW2 Geek.

A remarkable exception. Many Christians died for their faith in Germany and Austria. See Franz Jägerstatter, for instance. Sometimes God performs miracles in front of other people, like in the case of Hasel, but one should not count on anyone else or anything else except on being with the Lord, whether it be in life or in death.

Thank you for the video! It’s good to finally see Franz’s story told! The German Desmond Doss. I read the book “A Thousand shall Fall” and it was nothing short of amazing and encouraging. There’s so much miracles he and his family back home encountered because they chose to hang onto to God despite persecution. May we be inspired to do the same! Be pretty cool to see Franz’s story turned into a series someday. Interestingly, the story featured in the video about Franz saving the man under the bed was not in the book, but recounted by his daughter on a website online. Can’t remember which site, but it’s wonderful to see this part reenacted!

"Thank you" for this great message in our daily walk ,that gives us all hope !

I was truly impressed by the moral code and adherents by the lone German Soldier who never wavered in his beliefs❤

He was a 7th day Adventist. Become a professor of Old Testament...He died August 11th 1994 age 59...

Love the video. Thank you for sharing.