The price: The true story of a Mormon who defied Hitler

by Karl-Heinz Schnibbe

Karl-Heinz Schnibbe's story is one of incredible hardships, a story of survival when life, to many, was a cheap commodity. Yet despite all he has gone through, he "All my trying experiences....have been for my own good.....I think I am better for having undergone them." For Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, freedom came at a high price.

Genres: Nonfiction, World War II, History, Biography, War, Religion, Germany

126 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've made quite a study of the Helmuth Hubener story. I first read "Three Against Hitler" by Rudi Wobbe about 15 years ago, and have been searching ever since for a version that does justice to Helmuth's appearance before the Blood Tribunal. Wobbe's version made me feel like the author was saying, "you had to have been there." This one does a little better, but still not the gripping climax I think the story merits. Though I feel the story could be better told, the author paid a high price for his role in it. I am grateful he could revisit such a painful past to pay this tribute to the friend who led him there.

Below is a comparison of Hitler and Hubener I wrote, based on the Hubener books I've read, along with other research I've done of Hitler.

Two Rooms in Berlin

1943

Had the man been out in public, rather than sitting at his heavy oak desk, he would have been surrounded by cheering crowds. He brought hope to a people burdened under the Treaty of Versailles. He had a superb gift of oral persuasion. As he used it, his circle of influence expanded to the tens of millions.

He had a file in his desk that he pulled out whenever he had a chance to ponder his dream. Germania was the civilization he envisioned. It would last for a thousand years, populated by the Aryan race. Such a civilization deserved a glorious infrastructure. He pulled out the folder and thumbed through his plans to build structures that would rival those of the ancient pharaohs. It pleased him to think that, being the founder of this great nation, monuments to him would be scattered across his homeland.

You can imagine that a man of his importance wouldn’t have much time to sit and dream about his utopia. He was far too busy pushing his plans through to make them reality. And if the challenge of world conquest wasn’t enough, he had to deal with the occasional detractors among his own people that needed to be rooted out.

Speaking of which, a request for clemency had sifted its way to the top of his stack. Ah, yes. This was the boy whose anti-Nazi tracts were so professionally done that no one could believe they weren’t written by a team of adults. The Gestapo had spent hours torturing people acquainted with this youth to find out who was responsible. Finally they concluded their mastermind was a mere 16-year-old. And this was the young man who was requesting his mercy. Hitler would not need much time to deliberate over this request. If the boy was going to play in the political arena of the adults, he could be punished as an adult.

“DENIED” he scrawled in angry letters across the clemency request and handed it to his clerk, activating the countdown of a young man’s final hours of mortal life.

In another room, Helmuth Huebener was handed the three sheets of paper he was granted as his final wish. His swollen fingers awkwardly gripped the pen. It was good, though, to see his thoughts once again flow onto paper. So greatly did he value the freedom to communicate that he had risked his life to print the words which had landed him in this cell.

He had seen through Hitler’s propaganda and endeavored tirelessly to let his fellow Germans know the truth. He had listened nightly to the BBC and then printed and distributed flyers carrying the real news. His only remorse was imperiling his two loyal friends, Rudi and Karl-Heinz, who had helped him distribute the flyers.

For months since he’d been sentenced by the Nazi Blood Tribunal, he hadn’t known if his execution would be carried out in a day, a week or another month. The suspense was almost worse than the sentence itself. But evidently the request for clemency had been denied (as he had expected) and he was now near the end.

Helmuth remembered the moment he was sentenced. He stood before his accusers and boldly stated, “You kill me for no reason at all. I haven’t committed any crime. All I’ve done is tell the truth. Now it’s my turn—but your turn will come!” The stunned assembly was too shocked to silence him. His words turned out to be prophetic.

Helmuth wrote three letters, only one of which survives. (His letter home was destroyed in the bombing raid that killed his family nine months later.) He wrote to his close friends:

“Dear Sister Sommerfeldt and Family,
When you receive this letter I will be dead. . . .
I am very thankful to my Heavenly Father . . . I know that God lives and He will be the proper judge of this matter.
Until our happy reunion in that better world I remain,
Your friend and brother in the Gospel,
Helmuth

There are no monuments to Hitler in Germany. You will not find one street nor park that carries his name. But if you travel to Hamburg, you will find a park, a street and a monument to young Helmuth Huebener.

Helmuth’s two friends, Rudi Wobbe and Karl-Heinz Schnibbe were sentenced to years of hard labor, but they lived and moved to the USA after WW II. One day not long ago, Karl-Heinz was visiting Helmuth’s memorial in Hamburg where a group of students were learning about “the Heubener Group.” A traveling companion pointed out Karl-Heinz and told them he was part of the group. He was quickly surrounded by the youth, eager to hear the story of how, when he was their age, he had the pleasure to work with a valiant young hero.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. Helmuth Hubener is one of my heroes and I have read several books, both true and fictional, about his life. Without exception in these tellings, Karl-Heins Schnibbe and Rudi Wobbe play minimal, background parts. Maybe this is because they seem to have been fully on the Helmuth train themselves. The boy was a hero, no doubt about that. But I really liked reading Karl's account of his experiences,and sacrifices. I had begun to believe that both Karl and Rudi were working with Helmuth in his resistance movement mainly out of friendly loyalty or duty, or perhaps even peer pressure. Karl makes it clear that he shared Helmuth's convictions, he did not simply copy them. Seeds were planted in Karl by his parents and grandparents that prepared him to be the hero he became. I have a new found respect, not that a high opinion was lacking, for both Karl and Rudi. Another thing I really enjoyed was Schnibbe's use of small facts to bring home the reality of what they were experiencing in Germany before, during, and after the war. One such example is the exchange rate for German marks to Dollars that he includes toward the beginning of the book. I loved to read of his deep love and respect for Helmuth, for his bravery and his sacrifice. And while all of those things are true of Helmuth, I think that Schnibbe actually ends up telling us more about himself than his friend with his words.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandma gave this to me to borrow at my cousin’s mission farewell, and I really had no interest in reading it. The last thing I needed was another self-aggrandizing Mormon story. But, I suppose I was too hasty with my judgement, because I ended up really enjoying this. It was less about Mormonism and more about anti-fascism, and I really appreciated the unique perspective. It made me think a lot about the current political battlefield in the United States, and one quote really stood out to me: “My father could see that Nazism, which relied on force instead of freedom, enticing people to place their absolute faith in a man and in a political system created by men, was the diametrical opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” I find it really hard to go back to church knowing how many people in the very congregation I’m sitting with support Donald Trump. It’s idolatry, it’s blasphemy, and it’s everything I’ve been taught IN CHURCH to go against. I fear history is simply bound to repeat itself because the very people that preach of freedom and free thinking cannot think for themselves and instead look to the big old men in power that tell them what to do and who to be.
Anyway. Good book.

[Photina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Photina Haumschilt
Genre: Biography

Karl-Hienz Schnibbe was just a teenager when he was taken into custody by the Gestapo in Nazi ruled Germany. In The Price Schnibbe details his life from before he was arrested for his part in handing out fliers with anit-Nazi slogans on them through his life now in the United States. Schnibbe, along with Helmuth Hubener and Rudi Wobbe, handed out fliers with anti-Nazi slogans and information Helmuth heard on the British radio station to inform people of the truth of what was really happening during World War II. While Hubener was ultimately sent to death for his main role in the fliers Schnibbe and Wobbe were sentenced to hard labor. Schnibbe kept to his LDS faith as much as he could and he believes this is what got him through the rest of the war and the four extra years he spent in Russia as a POW. You can see his life through his eyes in The Price and all he went through. He speaks plainly but the messages are powerful and you can feel the emotions he felt as you read. Schnibbe does an excellent job of writing his autobiography and bringing the reader on his journey from teenager to prisoner to POW and then back home. Readers who enjoyed reading The Price will also enjoy reading Susan Campbell Bartoletti's Hitler's Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago I became aware of German teens of the Latter Day Saints faith and their involvement in spreading the truth through the distributuion of leaflets about WWII, which was according to the Reich, was a treasonous act. In 2025, Angel Studios released a film about the actions of these teens, including Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, the author of The Price. Schnibbe's masterful, yet heartbreaking account providrd offensive graphic details of the torture those spared execution endured at the hands of the Gestapo, the SS, the German guards, and the Russian army. Throughout his narrative he touches on the humanity, or lack thereof, that comes when young people are forced to endure such harshness, and lack of food and shelter. In several places throughout this biography, he reminds us of the importance of friendship and their bonds, especially those with Rudi Wobbe and Helmuth Hubener. I wish Angel Studios had referenced Schnibbe's work, as this book answered many questions that I had at the end of their film.

[Douglas Fugate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first-person account of civil disobedience in Hitler's Germany. Karl-Heinz, his friends Helmuth, and Robbi are all teenagers. They are arrested for distributing flyers. All three are arrested, tortured, tried and one of them is executed. Karl-Heinz and Robbi are sentenced to Hard labor. Karl-Heinz is a prisoner of the Third Reich, released from prison to be drafted into the Army. He is then captured as a prisoner of war by the Russians. His accounts of various prisons, his treatment, his captors, all makes very interesting reading.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely relevant for today. Eye opening. A must read for better understanding the extent some will go to support fascism while others will sacrifice freedom liberty and even their lives for democracy. Three heroic young men we have much to learn from. Excellent!!!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an autobiography of a very intense time in human history, set in World War II, in Nazi Germany.

The author is one of three teenage boys who tried to spread the truth when Hitler only fed his people lies. And with a title like 'The Price: The True Story of a Mormon Who Defied Hitler', who wouldn't want to read it?

However, as exciting as Schnibbe's life had to have been at times, this book is a little on the boring side. I loved reading about how life was for a Mormon and a German in Nazi Germany, and some of the things he spoke of were things I never would have thought about, for living in that time, but... I think that the title sets you up for an exciting tale that just isn't there.

When you stop and think about what he went through, it's absolutely awful, but I don't feel as if he always translated that to the page very well. Though, I would imagine writing a book about the worst experiences in your life would be very painful, and you wouldn't want to put down every single detail.

One of my favorite parts, however, was after Schnibbe was freed. While we tend to glorify war, we seem to ignore the damage done to the soul and the mind, so it was interesting to read about the author's adjustment back into normal society, and how much he had socially been stilted in growth.

Overall, it was an interesting read, showing that not all Germans were bad people during WWII, and that many were fed lies and knew nothing of the truth of what was actually going on. There were parts of it that felt a little slow, but yet I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like, to go through what the author went through.

[Porter May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an autobiography that took place during world war two in Germany. It tells the story of the author how he spread the truth about Hitler with his friend. The two kids were caught and tried for criminal acts. The author’s friend was sentenced to death, but not the author. The rest of this book tells of his journey during world war two.
This book was never made into a movie. It is a great book that I loved reading. A lot of people don't want to read this book because it’s about a Mormon. It is not a religious book. It tells an amazing journey of a man who defied Hitler in Germany.
I loved reading this book and suggest everybody should read it. It is an amazing story of what happened to this man. It is not just a religious Mormon book and I suggest it to everybody. I liked how the author wrote this book it is well done. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to everyone.

[Francie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was wonderful to read Karl-Heinz Schnibbe's account of the story that has come to mean so much to us in the last year. It is a short read but tells of all the events that happened from Karl's perspective. It was touching to feel of his respect for Helmuth, to hear of his feelings for the gospel, and to get some insight into his life and background. I was especially interested in reading about his experiences after he was sentenced by the Blood Tribunal. His experiences as a Russian POW were shared without bitterness or recrimination -- in fact, he pays tribute to the Russian villagers he associates with as being kind, loving, good people. I loved how honest he was about his smoking habit, his desires to be an active member of the church despite his apparent vices, and about his failed marriage and the time it took him to fully recover from his captivity. He shares his humanity so openly and it made my admiration for him deepen as I read of his life.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a young Mormon man and his two friends who defied Hitler by writing leaflets which refuted the lies being spread by the Nazis. They were arrested by the Gestapo and one was put to death. The other two, including Schnibbe, were sent to prison camps. The author was taken prisoner by the Soviets after the war and forced to spend several more years in a camp. This is a compelling story. I know there are many other books written around the story, but at the time I read this (1999) it was about the only one.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of Helmuth Hubener and his 2 teenage friends when I read Hitler Youth. I was fascinated with their story, and wanted to read more. This is the autobiographical story of Karl-Heinz Scnibbe, one of the boys who was sent to prison for treason for his actions resisting Hitler. This is a very short, easy to read book. I hardly put it down from start to finish.

I have since learned that this book is kind of an abridgment of the author's more extensive autobiography, When Truth Was Treason.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of an LDS boy who helped pass out anti-Nazi pamphlets secretly during World War II. The story follows him before he is captured, his time in German jail and camps, and lastly in Russian camps after the war. The autobiography itself is short and very plain in speech.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book because the author was my neighbor. The things that he was forced to bear during and after WWII made me pause and reflect on how blessed those of us are who have not had to experience war in our own country.

[Dick Bollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the uplifting tone of what could be considered a depressing tale of young men betrayed by their friends and neighbors, and who ultimately lost their lives for their beliefs.

[Connor Boyack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling (and sadly true) story of Karl-Heinz Schnibbe's experiences defying the Nazi regime and his subsequent punishment and trials. It's a quick red, though certainly not light material.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but it leaves me wishing I could hear Helmuth tell me his story in his own words.

[Christy Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of 3 LDS boys who stood up against evil and paid the price for it. It amazes me that these boys were 16 and went through what they did.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mormon boy who defied Hitler.

[Delisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brief auto-biography captivated me from beginning to ending. I wanted more more more details and life experiences, and will read the author's additional auto-biography.