A serious diplomatic conflict has arisen between Poland and Germany. The newly appointed German Ambassador to Poland has yet to be formally accepted by the Polish Government. Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven presents problems for the Poles as he is a former leading figure in the German Intelligence Services and his father was a highly honoured Nazi tank commander who worked closely with Adolf Hitler.
ARNDT Freytag von Loringhoven
He is a former German spy (in the German Intelligence Services BND) his father was a leading Nazi soldier who commanded the 2nd Panzer Regiment and received the German Cross in Gold for leading the Nazi assault across Eastern Europe all the way to Stalingrad (from which he escaped). He became Adjutant to Hitler in the final days in the Berlin Bunker where he was responsible for daily military reports to Hitler. He was born in his family’s ancestral home in what is now Estonia and his father was named after Napoleon!
No wonder the Poles have delayed formal approval of Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven as the new German ambassador to Poland. Three common features of post second world war life emerge from this story.
Firstly many prominent Nazi military and Intelligence figures were as active in post war Germany as they were during the Hitler Dictatorship – and that so many of them had children who are now prominent in German politics today.
Secondly it is surprising – especially to British eyes – to see so many aristocratic families active in German politics and diplomacy today.
Thirdly it is remarkable how many of those families had their ancestral homes in Eastern Europe
Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven
The Father of Arndt von Loringhoven whose official acceptance by Poland has been delayed out of protest at his and his family’s history wrote a book after the war “Mit Hitler im Bunker” about his time serving Hitler during the Fuehrer’s last days in Berlin, was not prosecuted for any war crimes after the war. Nevertheless he did receive a very high honour from Nazi Germany for leading his tanks across Eastern Europe, crushing Polish resistance on the way.
Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven was born in Arensburg, Governorate of Livonia (now Kuressaare in Estonia) to Baron Burchard Haro Charles Napoleon (!) Freytag von Loringhoven and Leonide Klara Oda von Möller. The family left their ancestral home after Estonia proclaimed independence in 1918 and the German land titles and assets were confiscated.
Having been flown out of the Stalingrad battle, Loringhoven was promoted to Major and from July 1944 to April 1945, he served as an adjutant to the Chief of Army General Staff (first, General Heinz Guderian and then General Hans Krebs). Finally he became a staff officer in Hitler’s entourage responsible for daily intelligence and military reports to the Fuehrer.
He was captured by the British Army on 3 May 1945 and spent two and a half years as a prisoner of war. He joined the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) in 1956 after West Germany joined NATO. He served in various army and NATO positions; His highest rank was lieutenant-general and was later appointed Deputy Inspector General of the Armed Forces. He retired from the army in 1973, with full honours.
While such a post war career was not unusual for a successful Nazi, his leading role in the assault on Eastern Europe and his close military ties with Hitler and the Nazi Army Chiefs of Staff naturally rub off on his son – especially in Poland.
His son, Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven worked for the German BND – the secret service – and later as Intelligence Co-ordinator for NATO. It is this role as a “spy” (rising to Vice President in the German Security Services) which apparently is the main objection by the Polish Foreign Office. Poles themselves are probably more disturbed by who his father was.
His earlier diplomatic roles had been as head of the political department at the Embassy in Moscow and Ambassador in the Czech Republic.
EU POWER STRUCTURE A REMINDER OF THE PAST
This whole diplomatic conflict shows the extent to which the nations conquered by Nazi Germany (and today lacking self determination in the German dominated European Union) are naturally sensitive to these reminders of an obnoxious past and how those who caused so much suffering in the past (individuals, families, corporations and the German State) seem to have come out of the last 75 years rather better than their previous victims.
A recent admission by the giant CONTINENTAL corporation that during the Nazi era swastika banners were hung at its headquarters, slave labour was employed, middle management were ordered to join the Nazi party and Jews were purged (and yet today flourishes with a 44bn Euro turnover) is just one example of many!
