The Krupp Foundation in Essen continues to research the attitude of its founder and namesake Alfried Krupp (1907-1967) to National Socialism. This was announced by the chair of the foundation’s board of trustees, Prof. Ursula Gather.
A year-long search for sources led by the Marburg historian Prof. Eckart Conze revealed sufficient research potential. The foundation will support the further investigation over a period of about two years with up to 150,000 euros.
The last sole owner of the Krupp company was sentenced to twelve years in prison and confiscation of his assets in the Nuremberg war crimes trials in 1948, but was pardoned in 1951 for crimes related to forced labor, among other things.
He sees possible new insights, for example, in planning and preparatory work at Krupp in 1942/1943 for a production facility in Auschwitz involving forced laborers from the concentration camp, said Conze. The personal involvement of Alfried Krupp must be examined. There is also a need for research in the so-called “Landsberghilfe” – named after the prison in Bavaria in which Krupp was also imprisoned.
High SS members supported with money?
Alfried Krupp supported 38 former fellow prisoners – quite a few former high-ranking SS members – after their release with money or tried to find them new jobs. According to Conze Krupps, another topic is the motives for membership in the SS as a supporting member since 1931.
Shortly before his death, Alfried Krupp contributed his assets and the company to the non-profit Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, which is currently the largest shareholder and holds almost 21 percent of the Thyssenkrupp Group. The proceeds are used to support science, art and culture, education, health and sports.
When asked by journalists, the spokesman for the foundation, Volker Troche, currently rejected the deletion of Alfried Krupp from the name of the foundation. However, “the whole thing could also tip over,” Troche admitted. He’s confident that won’t happen. Nevertheless: “If our business, if our mission of charitable work is endangered by this name, you have to ask yourself this question in the committees.”
