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By Larry David<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. David is a comedian and writer who created \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and was a co-creator of \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leer en espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine my surprise when in the spring of 1939 a letter arrived at my house inviting me to dinner at the Old Chancellery with the world\u2019s most reviled man, Adolf Hitler. I had been a vocal critic of his on the radio from the beginning, pretty much predicting everything he was going to do on the road to dictatorship. No one I knew encouraged me to go. \u201cHe\u2019s Hitler. He\u2019s a monster.\u201d But eventually I concluded that hate gets us nowhere. I knew I couldn\u2019t change his views, but we need to talk to the other side \u2014 even if it has invaded and annexed other countries and committed unspeakable crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two weeks later, I found myself on the front steps of the Old Chancellery and was led into an opulent living room, where a few of the F\u00fchrer\u2019s most vocal supporters had gathered: Himmler, G\u00f6ring, Leni Riefenstahl and the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII. We talked about some of the beautiful art on the walls that had been taken from the homes of Jews. But our conversation ended abruptly when we heard loud footsteps coming down the hallway. Everyone stiffened as Hitler entered the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was wearing a tan suit with a swastika armband and gave me an enthusiastic greeting that caught me off guard. Frankly, it was a warmer greeting than I normally get from my parents, and it was accompanied by a slap on my back. I found the whole thing quite disarming. I joked that I was surprised to see him in a tan suit because if he wore that out, it would be perceived as un-F\u00fchrer-like. That amused him to no end, and I realized I\u2019d never seen him laugh before. Suddenly he seemed so human. Here I was, prepared to meet Hitler, the one I\u2019d seen and heard \u2014 the public Hitler. But this private Hitler was a completely different animal. And oddly enough, this one seemed more authentic, like this was the real Hitler. The whole thing had my head spinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said he was starving and led us into the dining room, where he gestured for me to sit next to him. G\u00f6ring immediately grabbed a slice of pumpernickel, whereupon Hitler turned to me, gave me an eye roll, then whispered, \u201cWatch. He\u2019ll be done with his entire meal before you\u2019ve taken two bites.\u201d That one really got me. G\u00f6ring, with his mouth full, asked what was so funny, and Hitler said, \u201cI was just telling him about the time my dog had diarrhea in the Reichstag.\u201d G\u00f6ring remembered. How could he forget? He loved that story, especially the part where Hitler shot the dog before it got back into the car. Then a beaming Hitler said, \u201cHey, if I can kill Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals, I can certainly kill a dog!\u201d That perhaps got the biggest laugh of the night \u2014 and believe me, there were plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it wasn\u2019t just a one-way street, with the F\u00fchrer dominating the conversation. He was quite inquisitive and asked me a lot of questions about myself. I told him I had just gone through a brutal breakup with my girlfriend because every time I went someplace without her, she was always insistent that I tell her everything I talked about. I can\u2019t stand having to remember every detail of every conversation. Hitler said he could relate \u2014 he hated that, too. \u201cWhat am I, a secretary?\u201d He advised me it was best not to have any more contact with her or else I\u2019d be right back where I started and eventually I\u2019d have to go through the whole thing all over again. I said it must be easy for a dictator to go through a breakup. He said, \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised. There are still feelings.\u201d Hmm \u2026 there are still feelings. That really resonated with me. We\u2019re not that different, after all. I thought that if only the world could see this side of him, people might have a completely different opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two hours later, the dinner was over, and the F\u00fchrer escorted me to the door. \u201cI am so glad to have met you. I hope I\u2019m no longer the monster you thought I was.\u201d \u201cI must say, mein F\u00fchrer, I\u2019m so thankful I came. Although we disagree on many issues, it doesn\u2019t mean that we have to hate each other.\u201d And with that, I gave him a Nazi salute and walked out into the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larry David is a comedian, writer and actor who created \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and was a co-creator of \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Times is committed to publishing <\/em>a diversity of letters<\/em><\/a> to the editor. We\u2019d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some <\/em>tips<\/em><\/a>. And here\u2019s our email: <\/em>letters@nytimes.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow the New York Times Opinion section on <\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>TikTok<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Bluesky<\/em><\/a>, WhatsApp<\/em><\/a> and <\/em>Threads<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 22 of the New York edition with the headline: My Dinner With Adolf. Order Reprints<\/a> | Today\u2019s Paper<\/a> | Subscribe<\/a>READ 1.4K COMMENTS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GUEST ESSAY April 21, 2025 (NYTimes.com) By Larry David Mr. David is a comedian and writer who created \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and was a co-creator of \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d Leer en espa\u00f1ol Imagine my surprise when in the spring of 1939 a letter arrived at my house inviting me to dinner at the… Continue reading