A disturbing book that reconstitutes the mechanisms of violence and corruption that are at the origin of the wealth of several of the most powerful business dynasties in the world.
Nazi billionaires is proof that the rescue of historical memory about this sinister period remains relevant and necessary.
Is the history of Nazism in Germany inseparable from the biographies of the industrialists and financiers who helped Adolf Hitler gain absolute power and profited millions from the atrocities of the Third Reich? are names like Von Finck, Porsche, Oetker and Quandt.
Flattering and unscrupulous, they expanded their empires through the theft of Jewish property and the exploitation of forced labor from victims of Nazi barbarism, in addition to the manufacture of weapons and ammunition.
The mildness of the judgment of his crimes in the post-war period allowed the continuity of his business dynasties, whose heirs accumulate fortunes and manage world-famous brands until today, such as Volkswagen, Dr. Oetker, BMW and Allianz.
And why, after so many decades, are they still doing so little to acknowledge the crimes of their ancestors?
Poring over thousands of documents and original sources, as well as extensive historiographical research, journalist and historian David de Jong ? Dutch of Jewish origin? dissects the obscure origins of fortunes multiplied by iron and fire between 1933 and 1945.
In this book, his debut work, the author makes a call to rescue the memory of the Nazi genocide, a primordial task in times of resurgence of anti-democratic extremism.“The challenge, as De Jong reminds us, is to re-update this history to continuously find new ways to bring it to the present.”
The book “Nazi Billionaires” tells the story of the richest dynasties in Germany and their links with the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. The work is divided into three parts, each focusing on one of the families: the Krupps, the Quandts and the Flicks.
The first part of the book presents the story of the Krupp family, one of the richest and most powerful families in Germany, who made their fortune producing arms and ammunition. The author describes the rise of the family during the First World War and its relationship with the Nazi regime, which intensified during the Second War.
The second part of the book focuses on the Quandt family, owners of BMW and one of the largest shareholders in Daimler-Benz. The author describes how the Quandt family made their fortune during World War II by exploiting the forced labor of Nazi concentration camp prisoners in their factories.
The third and final part of the book presents the story of the Flicks, a family of entrepreneurs who controlled a vast network of companies during the Nazi period. The author describes how the Flicks profited from the war, providing raw materials and resources for the Nazi regime.
Throughout the book, the author explores the relationships between these rich and powerful families in Germany and the Nazi regime, showing how they benefited from Nazi ideology and war to further increase their wealth. The author also discusses how these families dealt with accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity after the end of World War II.
Ultimately, the book reveals how the wealth and power of the Krupp, Quandt and Flick families were built on the suffering and death of millions of people, and how these dynasties continued to prosper even after being complicit in the greatest genocide in history. history of humanity. The book is a grim reminder of how money can corrupt and how history must not be forgotten.
