“Saw Bodies Hanging From Trees”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Mother’s Horrifying Experience During War That Left Her Scared for Life

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been an ideal for his fans for almost two generations. The bodybuilder turned actor and former Governor, has also earned his name in social services. Alongside running charities for school children, Arnold Schwarzenegger also aims to eliminate hatred worldwide.

The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation invited Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2022, to accept an award for fighting hatred. Schwarzenegger visited the Auschwitz Nazi camp, where he met holocaust survivors and shared a spine-chilling story from his childhood.

The story that has stuck with Arnold throughout

Arnold Schwarzenegger, aka the Austrian Oak, was born in 1947, two years after world war II ended. When Arnold was young, his mother didn’t speak much about the war. But one of her stories has always been stuck with Arnold. He shared this story in one of his e-newsletters.

During the rise of the war, Arnold’s mother was traveling to work when she saw bodies hanging from trees. The sight filled her with fear and outrage, and she narrated the incident to her supervisor. Arnold continued, “Her supervisor pulled her aside and told her sternly but quietly to never bring it up to anyone else, or she’d be hanging alongside them.“

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Arnold Schwarzenegger, son of a Nazi soldier, and Simon Bergson, AJCF Chairman, and son of Holocaust survivors, shared the stage. The two stood united against hate and set an example for everyone to follow. Schwarzenegger believes he cannot change what his family did, but he does not choose to defend or celebrate it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has an important message for everyone

Schwarzenegger claimed, “I see people say, that’s my heritage. I am sorry, but if hate is your heritage, f*** it, it’s time to create a new heritage. It isn’t worth celebrating or defending – let it go. You don’t have to pass this s*** down to the next generation. I didn’t.“

For Arnold Schwarzenegger, fighting hate is an urgent issue. He believes all people hold some form of prejudice inside, and it is crucial to work on reducing it every day. Schwarzenegger wants people to let go of what their generation believed in and be better than them.

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What do you think about Arnold’s story and message for the world? Tell us in the comments!