Arnold Schwarzenegger's path to stardom began not in a gym, but in the poverty of post-war Austria. In a past interview, the icon detailed a childhood shaped by near-starvation and the lingering trauma of World War II, which deeply affected his family.

Everyone knows Arnold Schwarzenegger as an iconic celebrity, but before all the fame and fortune, he was a young boy who grew up with hardships.

Two years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger sat with Jay Shetty and introduced a side of himself that not many people know. Born in 1947 in a small village in Thal in Graz, Austria, just after World War II ended, Schwarzenegger grew up in poverty and strict discipline.

"I was born and to grow up with no food mid of a starvation and uh famine and uh you know my mother going around what they call hamstering which means begging uh various different Farmers for food so she had food for the children so all of that I think had an impact uh and a strict upbringing my father was very strict."

He described his father, Gustaf, as strict, who disciplined his kids through punishment. One of his harsh routines was to make him and his brother perform exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, running drills, and strength-building movements before giving them breakfast.

He remembered times when his family suffered near-starvation, often lacking even basic meals. He even shared an emotional memory where his mother would go from farm to farm begging to feed her children.

Another force that shaped him was the military presence in Austria after the war. A young Schwarzenegger was fascinated by British soldiers and their vehicles moving through his town. It prompted him to join the Austrian army years later and even drive one of the vehicles himself.

Many years after becoming a successful bodybuilder and actor, Schwarzenegger purchased one of those vehicles that serves as a reminder of his past.

Gustaf Schwarzenegger’s Struggles Post-War

Schwarzenegger admitted never fully understanding his father before leaving home at 18. He describes him as a man torn by World War II. He had survived trapped under rubble for days, illness like malaria, and was emotionally scarred by both the war and their failure.

Since there wasn't any focus on mental health at that time, it simply became part of who he was. Despite all those hardships, Schwarzenegger remembers these experiences as a vital part of shaping his future. These experiences motivated him to leave for America and build a new life.

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil