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https://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-and-the-role-of-big-business-in-the-holocaust/a-75276212>
“Lufthansa Airlines, the flag carrier of Germany, takes great pride in its
aviation heritage spanning almost a century. Images from the 1920s and 1930s —
including Junkers Ju 52 aircraft used by the Luftwaffe — feature prominently in
Lufthansa's marketing, alluding to the "pioneering spirit" of the brand and its
place in aviation history.
But the story of Lufthansa's role in the Third Reich war machine, one that
includes the large-scale use of forced labor, remains largely under the radar.
In fact, Lufthansa is just one of many companies that collaborated with the
Nazi regime, big-name brands and business dynasties that continue to "hide in
plain sight," according to journalist David de Jong.
He is the author of the 2022 book, "
Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of
Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties." It charts how, unlike the high-ranking Nazi
politicians and military leaders tried at Nuremberg, the majority of business
leaders who cooperated with Adolf Hitler's regime were never really held
accountable.
The book includes Günther Quandt and his son Herbert, patriarchs of the dynasty
that today controls BMW, and the industrialist Friedrich Flick, who was
convicted of using forced and slave labor at Nuremberg. After his early release
from prison in 1950, Flick became the largest shareholder in Daimler-Benz.
"There was no incentive on the side of the West German authorities to judge
their fellow compatriots on crimes that they had committed themselves or bore
responsibility for, or sympathies that they had held, or still held
themselves," de Jong told
DW. "Denazification is a myth on every level of
German society."
After Germany's defeat, the focus quickly turned to the nascent Cold War, to
combating communism and Soviet Russia. West Germany was seen as capitalist
bulwark and German businessmen were allowed to keep their assets, whether they
were legitimately theirs or whether they had been seized from Jewish
businesses.”
Via Christoph S, who wrote "The thing is, just look at every “family” company
in Germany that was active before/during the war and still exists… Surprise!
They collaborated and profited from the Nazi regime"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
