Another big company in Germany has revealed a couple of months ago (October 2013) their family firm’s past links to Germany’s Nazi party. In the long interview with the Die Zeit newspaper, the head of the company August Oetker said, “My father was a National Socialist”.
For many people the news came as a shock and they expressed their opinion in the media, of their disbelief, of the Dr Oetker Pizza firm’s connection to the Nazi’s.
I was only surprised why people in Germany still get shocked about any big firms or companies past connections to the Nazis. Anyone who had been taught a little bit history lesson in Germany or anyone who has a bit knowledge of how a small pudding-maker can succeed to create a multi-million businesses, should not be surprised especially knowing that majority of business’s survived during Nazi time due to their links to the Nazi party.
In the long interview in the Die Zeit newspaper, August Oetker told of his father Rudolf-August Oetker, who was a member of Nazi Party, was mentored and guided into the Nazi ideology by his step-father, Richard Kaselowsky. Who took over the business of his best friend Dr. Rudolf Oetker based in Bielefeld when he died in the battle of Verdun in 1916 and married his widow Ida Meyer in 1919. In the extensive interview the chairman of the firm August Oetker tells of how his step-grandfather Richard Kaselowsky ran the business on behalf of his step-son Rudolf-August Oetker very loyally.
Richard Kaselowsky was a great admirer and a “leading supporter” of Adolf Hitler and made large financial donations to Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS organisation. Rudolf-August Oetker, followed in his step-father’s footsteps and volunteered for Hitler’s SS in 1941.
Rudolf-August Oetker never spoke to his family or about his Nazi past and he denied coming to terms with his company’s past. His son August Oetker, being different to his father wanted to bring everything into the open and clear the air about his company in the public. For this he commissioned researchers and a team of historians led by Andreas Wirsching of University of Munich to lead a study on their findings to light.
August Oetker understood very well and was against the continued denial of the past of his father Rudolf-August Oetker, as historian Joachim Scholtyseck states that no company was really clean during World War II. Chairman August Oetker knew sooner or later the company would have to confront its past, so better to do it themselves and exercise control over it. And for that I think it is important to acknowledge that, as it might not be an easy journey digging into the disturbing, upsetting and horrifying past of the company and the family. August Oetker merged his companies into many other German companies who have come clean on their close ties with the Nazis, many years after the end of World War II.
The comedian Russel Brand criticised the German fashion designer Hugo Boss for making uniforms for Hitler’s regime, while receiving his GQ Men of the Year Award, which was sponsored by Boss. Hugo Boss also apologised for its Nazi ties after it finally admitted, he had designed and made uniforms for Hitler’s soldiers. Siegfried Boss said, “Yes of course my father belonged to the Nazi Party”.
That “yes” indicates everything, as almost no one or no company survived till today (perhaps with a small exception) that has not supported the Nazis. Majority of the multi-billion Euro big firms and companies who survive today were part of the machinery of Nazi ideology and apparatus.
Russel Brand taste for criticising or trying to make a political point was ineffective as he had the option not to go to the award ceremony. Or Russel Brand should have more history lessons on British colonialism and all the companies which were set up during the empire not only exploited the labour force but also other nation’s cultures, resources and lives. For some Multi-billion Pound Company businesses today life still goes on as normal, which served and worked for the British colonial empire such as the modern day Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, P&O and the merchant banks.
Lessons from history should be learned, but horrifying history should not be repeated. Therefore the duty of these big companies such as Dr.Oetker who made their money during the Nazi era in Germany and built the company into a huge business, that should show more moral responsibility to support the anti-racist, anti-fascist activities in order to challenge the ultra-right-wing National Democratic Party of Germany (NDP) which is regaining in support in Germany.
Recent killings of Turks (largest of the ethnic minorities in Germany are Turks) in Germany by the neo-Nazis illustrate the danger of militant neo-Nazis political gains all over Germany and they should not be underestimated. I’m sure, the firm Dr.Oetker has employed Turkish workers over the past 50 years, and therefore it should be their responsibility to protect their workers from this rising hostility and xenophobia in Germany. The rise in anti-Semitic and racist attacks in people and property are also on the rise across Germany. According to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation which campaigns against racism shows that there were 811 recorded attacks on Jews in 2012 of which 16 were classified as violent attacks. Only active involvement in today’s anti-Nazi movement by companies like Dr.Oetker can prove that they are sincere by opening up their archives and past involvement with the Nazis.
Otherwise what the chairman August Oetker has done, will be one of millions of books which have been produced for German history lessons.
Copyright Semra Eren Nijhar – All rights reserved
Semra Eren-Nijhar 