Wittgenstein's Hitler

The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein traveled to Berlin in July of 1939 to complete the transaction that would secure the safety of his two sisters now living in an Austria that had become part of Nazi Germany. For a large sum of Wittgenstein gold the regime would reduce the status of the sisters to an acceptable form of 'mixed-Jewishness”. Hitler, learning that his old grammar schoolmate was in the city, asked that he meet with him. Wittgenstein could hardly refuse since Hitler personally ruled on the status change. Wittgenstein by this time had moved away from his earlier philosophy which was limited to philosophers philosophizing with other philosophers to a natural language world outlook. In his exchange with Hitler he carefully argues for the security of his sisters while criticizing the system which is endangering them.