Georg Elser
Johann Georg Elser (January 4, 1903, Hermaringen, Württemberg - April 9, 1945, Dachau concentration camp), was a conspirator against National Socialism. On November 8 1939, he attempted an assassination of Adolf Hitler on the occasion of the annual commemoration speech dedicated to the failed Beer Hall Putsch of November 9 1923, for which Hitler became famous.
Elser, a carpenter and worker in factories and quarries, had connections to several socialist or communist organisations, but did not act for them nor with their knowledge or support. He knew that the conditions for regular people got worse despite the Nazi Propaganda telling stories about growing wealth. Also, he knew from his work place that preparations for a war were made, and that it would be inevitable unless Hitler himself would be killed.
So, during the peak of Hitler's national and international popularity (e.g. Time Magazine's Man of the year in 1938), he decided to act. Taking advantage of the tools and materials he had access to, he planned to built a bomb.
It took a year of preparation, including a visit to the annual Nazi meeting the year before the attempt. He had to work secretly for more than 30 nights inside the beer hall, hollowing the pillar near Hitler's traditional position to place a bomb with a self-made time ignition mechanism. The mechanism worked accurately and the explosion happened at 21:20. The ceiling came down and killed eight of Hitler's "old comrades" - but not Hitler himself, who had left early to reach a train back to Berlin. All other high ranked Nazis left with him.
At that time, Elser was trying to escape to Switzerland, but the Police caught him by coincidence before the bombing was known.
Tragically, his heroic attempt did not only fail, but backfire: due to the lucky escape, it was widely perceived that the Vorsehung (fate) was with Hitler, and the support among Germans grew stronger.
Elser was kept as a prisoner during the war, and finally got executed.
