Biography Fritz Thyssen

1 biography

1.1 youth
1.2 weimar germany
1.3 nazi germany
1.4 world war ii
1.5 later life

biography
youth

thyssen born in mülheim in ruhr area. father, august, head of thyssen mining , steelmaking company, had been founded father friedrich , based in ruhr city of duisburg. thyssen studied mining , metallurgy in london, liège, , berlin, , after short period of service in german army joined family business. on 18 january 1900 in düsseldorf married amelie helle or zurhelle (mülheim rhein, 11 december 1877 – puchdorf bei straubing, 25 august 1965), daughter of factory owner. child, anna (anita), (later anita gräfin zichy-thyssen), born in 1909. thyssen again joined army in 1914, discharged on account of lung condition.

weimar germany

thyssen political conservative , german nationalist. in 1923, when france , belgium occupied ruhr punish germany not meeting reparations payments in full, took part in nationalist resistance against occupiers, leading ruhr steelmakers in refusing co-operate in producing coal , steel them. arrested, imprisoned , received large fine activities, made him national hero. through 1920s thyssen companies continued expand. thyssen took on thyssen companies on father s death in 1926, , same year formed united steelworks (vereinigte stahlwerke ag), controlling more 75 percent of germany s iron ore reserves , employing 200,000 people. played prominent role in german commercial life, head of german iron , steel industry association , reich association of german industry, , board member of reichsbank.

in 1923, thyssen met former general erich ludendorff, advised him attend speech given adolf hitler, leader of nazi party. thyssen impressed hitler , bitter opposition treaty of versailles, , began make large donations party, including 100,000 gold marks ($25,000) in 1923 ludendorff. in unusual among german business leaders, traditional conservatives regarded nazis suspicion. thyssen s principal motive in supporting national socialists great fear of communism; had little confidence various german anticommunist factions prevent soviet-style revolution in germany unless popular appeal of communism among lower classes co-opted anticommunist alternative. postwar investigators found had donated 650,000 reichsmarks right-wing parties, nazis, although thyssen himself claimed have donated 1 million marks nazi party. thyssen remained member of german national people s party until 1932, , did not join nazi party (national socialist german workers party) until 1933.

in november, 1932, thyssen , hjalmar schacht main organisers of letter president paul von hindenburg urging him appoint hitler chancellor. thyssen persuaded association of german industrialists donate 3 million reichsmarks nazi party (national socialist german workers party) march, 1933 reichstag election. reward, elected nazi member of reichstag , appointed council of state of prussia, largest german state (both purely honorary positions).

nazi germany

thyssen welcomed suppression of communist party, social democrats , trade unions. in 1934 1 of business leaders persuaded hitler suppress sa, leading night of long knives . thyssen accepted exclusion of jews german business , professional life nazis, , dismissed own jewish employees. catholic, objected increasing repression of roman catholic church, gathered pace after 1935: in 1937 sent letter hitler, protesting persecution of christians in germany. breaking point thyssen violent pogrom against jews in november 1938, known kristallnacht, caused him resign council of state. 1939 bitterly criticising regime s economic policies, subordinating rearmament in preparation war.

world war ii

on 1 september 1939, invasion of poland marked commencement of world war ii. thyssen sent hermann göring telegram saying opposed war, shortly before leaving switzerland family. expelled nazi party , reichstag, , company nationalised. company returned other members of thyssen family years after war.

in 1940 thyssen took refuge , moved france, intending emigrate argentina, caught in german invasion of france , low countries while visiting ill mother in belgium. arrested vichy france , sent germany, confined, first in sanatorium near berlin, 1943 in sachsenhausen concentration camp. wife amelie did not escape argentina , spent whole war in concentration camp husband.

in february 1945 thyssen sent dachau concentration camp. comparatively well-treated , transferred tyrol in late-april 1945 other prominent inmates, ss left prisoners behind. liberated 42nd infantry division & 45th infantry division on 5 may 1945.

later life

while thyssen imprisoned in germany, biography published in united states in 1941 under title paid hitler. book written journalist emery reves, based on memoirs dictated thyssen. book supports reves idea german industrialists class supported , funded hitler , put him power. not regarded historians of period, has material thyssen s memoirs found else.

thyssen tried being supporter of nazi party. did not deny had been nazi supporter until 1938, , accepted responsibility companies mistreatment of jewish employees in 1930s, although denied involvement in employment of slave labour during war. on 2 october 1948, denazification tribunal declared thyssen lesser offender , sentenced him fine of 15 % of assets. thyssen agreed pay 500,000 deutschmarks compensation suffered result of actions, , acquitted of other charges. in january 1950, , wife emigrated buenos aires, died following year. thyssen buried in family mausoleum in mülheim.

in 1959, thyssen s widow amélie , daughter anita gräfin zichy-thyssen established fritz thyssen foundation advance science , humanities, capital of 100 million deutschmarks. amélie thyssen died in 1965. anita gräfin zichy-thyssen ran foundation until death in 1990. family has no in running of foundation.