I’ve always enjoyed history.
I liked it when I was in school and I’ve always enjoyed reading about
the past and talking to people who were there.
This has allowed me some perspective into events that you don’t get from
a text book. I especially like it when I
discover some little fact that is different than what you’d expect from the “official”
text book version. Call them “ah ha” moments.
Those moments can change your view of things. For example: The
first man claiming the right to own slaves in the United States, was a black
man. The reason for the War of 1812 was
the attempted annexation of Canada. The
Civil War wasn’t about slaves, it was about Federal tax policy and protecting Northern
industrial interests. The British lied about WWI and connived to get us into it. The world would have been better off if the
US had stayed out of WWI and WWII. Etc. etc.
I stumbled across a “ah-ha” moment today. In Nazi Germany, there was a man, who had
inner circle access to the Nazi Leadership that saved Jews from the holocaust. His name was Albert Goering. His brother was Reichsmarschall Herman
Goering. Albert used his family
connections to escape jail, flaunt the law, and expatriate Jews and their money
from Germany during the war.
It seems that the Gestapo had quite a file on Albert, they even
arrested him a couple of times. However,
his big brother Herman reminded them that family loyalty was important to the
Goerings and he was released. Then
Albert went right back to helping his Jewish friends.
Today, all of this poses a problem for an Israeli woman, named Irena Steinfeldt. Mrs. Steinfeldt is a researcher for the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in
Jerusalem. She has compiled a thick portfolio
of documentation in support of naming Albert Goering to "Righteous among the Nations". This is Israel’s highest honor bestowed to a
gentile. Sometime later this year 10 survivors of the Holocaust will deliberate
and vote on adding a member of the infamous Goering family to Israel’s most honored
order.
It will be
interesting to see what they decide to do.
If he did those things they should let him in.
ReplyDeleteWhy would there be any doubt?
ReplyDelete"Why would there be any doubt?"
ReplyDeleteAfter the war, many Germans with the same last name as prominent Nazi's simply changed their name. That way they escaped the stigma of the Nazi years.
Albert refused to change his name. Herman did not disavow his family in life at the height of Nazi rule, when it would have been very convenient for him to do so. Albert never denied his family after the war, when it was nearly imperative that he do so.
Herman Goering was famous for his looting of Europe and the vast amounts of art work he took from conquered nations. What’s not normally talked about is the Goering’s were rich prior to the war. They owned estates, castles and industries. During the war, Albert benefited form his families connections and holdings. The family lost nearly everything they had after the war, yet they never renounced their nobility or their heritage.
To some that appears like Albert approved of what Herman did, and negates whatever good work he may have done. He was never “ashamed” of being a Goering, so they think he never “repented” of Nazism.
To me its not clear that he ever had anything to “repent” of.