Joseph Ratzinger was born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl, Bavaria, Germany. He was born in his parents' house, on Holy Saturday. The same day he was baptized. His father, Joseph Ratzinger, was a very religious man and modestly paid police officer. His mother, Maria Ratzinger, was a stay-at-home mother. His brother Gerog and his sister Maria were older than him. “He was the youngest of three children” (Streissguth 11). Ratzinger's childhood was not like all the others. At the time, Germany was under Nazi rule. The Ratzinger family was anti-Nazi. Although his father was a police officer, he did his best to avoid what was happening under Hitler. To keep his distance, he took a series of less significant jobs. At an early age, Joseph witnessed things that he necessarily should not have witnessed at his age. Due to Nazi rule, he witnessed many cruelties. He saw his parish priest beaten before his eyes right before the celebration of mass. In 1929 the Ratzinger family moved to a small town in Aschau, Germany. The Ratzinger family moved constantly due to their father's work. They then lived in a small apartment right above the police station. When Joseph was five years old, he met Cardinal Faulhaber of Munich, Germany. He then dreamed of becoming a cardinal, just like the one he had just met. Many of his friends and associates described him as a kind man. They also included that he was always fair and listened to all sides of an issue and was open to opposing points of view. When he was fourteen, Hitler took complete power in Germany. The school system was forced to follow Hitler's orders and so Joseph was enrolled in the Hitler Youth Movement against his will. He was an inept… middle of paper… favorite meal to this day is Bavarian potato ravioli with pancake strips. Another interesting fact about Pope Benedict is that he is a man who speaks a variety of languages, Spanish, German, Italian and English. Some of his hobbies are that he loves playing the piano and reading. His favorite composer is Mozart. He also wrote many books. One of these is entitled What it means to be a Christian. This book discusses the true meaning of love for God and love for neighbor. Another of his famous books is The Feast of Faith, which talks about the fundamental principle of worshiping God. Overall, Pope Benedict XVI wrote more than 20 books. The books are sold in both German and English. Truth and Tolerance talks about faith, religion, freedom, culture and truth, with particular attention to the Christian religion and its relationship with the topics discussed.