2 9 . ▁ ▁W ank el ▁and ▁the ▁NS D AP ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁W ank el ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁various ▁radical ▁anti - S emit ic ▁organizations . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Heidel berg ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Deutsch v öl k ischer ▁Schutz ▁und ▁Tr utz bund ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁NS D AP , ▁the ▁National ▁Social ist ▁German ▁Work ers ▁Party ▁( or ▁" N azi ▁Party ") ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁b anned ▁soon ▁afterwards . ▁W ank el ▁founded ▁and ▁led ▁youth ▁groups ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁cover - up ▁organization ▁of ▁the ▁NS D AP . ▁With ▁them ▁he ▁conducted ▁par amil it ary ▁training , ▁sc out ing ▁games ▁and ▁night ▁wal ks . ▁When ▁his ▁high ▁este em ▁for ▁technical ▁innov ations ▁was ▁not ▁widely ▁shared ▁among ▁the ▁German ▁Youth ▁Mov ement , ▁he ▁was ▁offered ▁instead ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁talk ▁about ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁technology ▁and ▁education ▁to ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁and ▁other ▁leading ▁National ▁Social ists ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁meant ime ▁W ank el ' s ▁mother ▁had ▁helped ▁found ing ▁the ▁local ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁NS D AP ▁in ▁his ▁h omet own ▁L ahr . ▁Here ▁W ank el ▁not ▁only ▁rejo ined ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁but ▁also ▁met ▁G au le iter ▁Robert ▁Heinrich ▁Wagner . ▁In ▁