Discussion & Research about Walther Sommerlath's Role in the Nazi Period


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Marengo

Administrator
Site Team
Joined
Aug 13, 2004
Messages
26,985
City
São Paulo
Country
Brazil
Queen Silvia is 'furious' about new alligations towards her father Walther Sommerlath, her brother told the press on monday. The Swedish court refused any comment.

Television station TV4 claimed on sunday evening that the father of the Queen took over a company that belonged to a Jewish person in 1939 under the arianising programme of the Nazi's. The company produced material that was used for air defence. The Queen always told that her fathers company only made toy trains and hair dryers.

It was already clear that Walther Sommerlath joined the Nazi party in 1934. Queen Silvia said that her father was happy by the economic boost that Germany went trhough during the first years of Nazi rule. Newspaper Dagens Nyheter called that 'absolutely impossible' at the time.

source: ANP/DPA through Reformatorisch Dagblad
 
The sources you quote are partly mis-informed, Marengo.

In this year's Bernadotte TV documentary, Queen Silvia didn't talk about 'toys and hair dryers' as products from her father's factory, but did mention the production of components for gas masks.
The factory was indeed bought in 1938 (not '39...) at a bargain price by Sommerlath from its Jewish owner, who subsequently emigrated to Brazil.
As a matter of fact, this can be considered part of the deplorable 'Aryanizing' executed by the fascist Nazi regime.

The Swedish Court did not 'refuse any comment', but released a press statement already yesterday:

Kommentar med anledning av programmet Kalla fakta i TV4, 28 november 2010 - Sveriges Kungahus [NS4 version]

My translation:
"Concerning the discussions about Walther Sommerlath in the media, which deal with events which took place before The Queen was born, The Queen has no reason to comment on the content of the program.
Of course The Queen is sorry about her father becoming a member of the National Socialist Party in 1934. The Queen first got knowledge of his membership in adulthood, and she never had the opportunity to discuss this with her father."
 
Last edited:
Oh dear, if even the orthodox protestant 'Reformatorisch Dagblad' isn't reliable anymore I wonder which newspaper can still be trusted ;):

Koningin Zweden

Thanks for the correction! Do you know if the former owner ever tried to get the company back or any other financial compensation after the war? It seems that the story is blown out of proportion, hence the angry comment of HM's brother.
 
The Swedish TV documentary is shown in two parts; the second part is exclusvely dealing with the fate of the factory's former owner Efim Wechsler after his emigration, and will be broadcast next Sunday.

I find it rather amazing that comments about this revelation are for the most part completely devoid of any sympathy for Queen Silvia (and I'm not saying this only because she obviously has a rough time anyway currently).
It's very likely that she herself and her brothers only knew half about their father's past, and finding out unpleasant details about it so late in life via the media is certainly not easy to digest.
 
Last edited:
The guestbook that Kalla Fakta uses was filled with stuff like: "Since when do we blame the children for the wrongdoings of the parents" or "I am a repulican, but stop this nonsens" or "Payed by the republican movement are we?". Atleast when i checked yesterday. Have decided to avoid that page from now on.

I didnt see it but the people that did woundered why it is necessary to bring it up at all since Silvia wasnt even born yet when it happened.
 
That's good to hear, those comments sound like they put things into perspective.
When I wrote above of un-sympathetic 'comments', I was actually thinking of those in the Swedish print media. Worst example: a nasty 'Aftonbladet' article with the headline "No, Silvia! Your father was in fact worse than others".
Link:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/kultur/article8202419.ab
It's fortunate that the Swedish people in general seem to assess the story differently.
 
It's ridiculous. Unfortunately, I think the new book about the King has provided 'money-making ideas' which are currently being tried out. Unless they're going to do this to every single person who has an ancestor involved in the Nazi regime, they should leave the Queen alone. Nobody can choose their parents or change their past actions especially if they occurred before they were born. I don't excuse Walter Sommerlath's early membership of the Nazi party (when he wasn't coerced to join) but I don't blame the Queen for it either.
 
I don't excuse anybody's membership of the NSDAP either, but in hindsight it is of course easy to judge (as some in the Swedish press seems to be doing). Sadly, mr. Sommerlath didn't have a crystal ball in 1934, so he couldn't see that his party would be responsible for the worst crime in human history. Of course there were many who didn't see that either but who still didn't support the party. The economic success blinded many voters of the NSDAP, and when they realised that things were going wrong it was too late. It isn't right but the motives can be understood, they are not unsimular to the same reason why many voters in Western Europe are turning to populist anti immigrant parties right now.

And indeed, you can not hold Queen Silvia or any of her siblings responsible for the actions of their father. Although it seems that the Swedish headline Boris' mentioned is more concerned with the Queen downplaying her fathers role. Something which also happened in my own country when many were rather cynical about princess Máxima's defence of her father (deploring the regime but believing her fathers lies).
 
Last edited:
You can't hold Queen Silva responsible for her father's actions. That's very unfair.

I knew two German women who are now in their early 80's who grew up during the Nazi era. One was a child, the other was a toddler when Hilter came to power and was a teen-ager when World War II ended. They told me that what the Nazis did was never discussed before, during or after the war ended. It was very taboo subject and not something you would ask your parents or your teachers or any other adult. The whole topic was swept under the rug because of what one might find when looking for answers.

A lot of this had to do with survival and fear. Even when these women opened up, they were very guarded.
 
Queen Silvia and the family Sommerlath have launched an investigation about Walther Sommerlath´s activities in 1930s - and '40s.
The informationschef of the court, Bertil Ternert, will be interviewed at TV4´s program "Kalla fakta" today.​
He tells that the Queen together with family Sommerlath has launched a fact-finding regarding Walther Sommerlath´s operations in Brazil and Germany in 1930s - and '40s. The inquiry has lasted several months and it is not decided when and how the results will be presented. The aim is to present the material at some point in autumn 2011.
Drottning Silvia och familjen Sommerlath undersöker Walther Sommerlaths verksamhet under 1930- och 40-talen - Pressrum - Sveriges Kungahus
Drottningen inleder egen granskning - Nyheterna.se - Sveriges nyhetskanal på nätet - nyheterna.se
 
It has to be painful for them (for Queen & her brothers)...
It's widely known that some of prominent Nazis found shelter in Brazil.
 
Sometimes the truth (whatever it may be) can be very painful. Usually the truth comes out in one way or another.
 
Yes, better the truth come from them straight out and at once than being played out and potentially twisted by the media to maximize sales.
 
German media is interested in the topic
Recherchen: Königin Silvia erforscht väterliche NS-Geschichte - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Panorama

Of course Queen Silvia is not responsible for what her family has done during Nazi rule but unfortunately there was the impression that she always tried to sweep the topic under the carpet instead of being upfront. What she is doing now should have been done years ago.
Silvia represents a country and the citizens have the right to know about the past. Its not about passing on a judgement on the Queen herself, its not her issue but her fathers.
 
Perhaps this is the time for all the royal houses and all politicians in high positions (they also represent the people and at times the respective country) to investigate and make public their previous generations involvement and actions during the Nazi times.

There are lots more skeletons rattling around in Europe than I believe will come out of this investigation by Queen Silvia and her family. And lots of well to do families not in public positions will also find out where their wealth originated.
 
grevinnan said:
Perhaps this is the time for all the royal houses and all politicians in high positions (they also represent the people and at times the respective country) to investigate and make public their previous generations involvement and actions during the Nazi times.

There are lots more skeletons rattling around in Europe than I believe will come out of this investigation by Queen Silvia and her family. And lots of well to do families not in public positions will also find out where their wealth originated.



No matter the outcome of the investigation, the controversy will remain an issue. The purpose of the investigation is for naught - HM the queen is simply not responsible for members of the Sommerlath's family member's past actions. What would result if Walter Sommerlath was indeed found 'guilty?' How would this outcome change actions committed so long ago? (I am in no way supporting the followers or leaders of the third reich of Germany in the 1930's and the 1940's.)
 
Plausibility

I hope that none of us should have to answer for what our parents did, or did not do, before we were born, and that our children will not be liable for the acts we did before they were born ...
 
Today, Queen Silvia presents the research results of her privately financed investigation into her father’s past, his purchase of a previously Jewish owned factory and his Nazi membership.
The first in a series of detailed interviews of the Queen with ‘Göteborg Posten’, in google English:
Google Translate

In a remarkably thorough and open approach, the full report of the investigation was published on royalcourt.se in several pdf files in Swedish, German and English (also including the CB of the professional historian employed to do the research):
Undersökning om Drottningens far, Walter Sommerlath, publiceras - Sveriges Kungahus [NS4 version]
 
From AP:

New report on Swedish queen's father's Nazi ties

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A report commissioned by Sweden's Queen Silvia investigating claims her German father had ties to the Nazi says he helped at least one Jew escape Hitler's Germany.
Swedish media in 2002 reported Walther Sommerlath joined Germany's Nazi party in 1934 and took over Efim Wechsler's business under unclear circumstances in 1939.
World War II expert Erik Norberg says in the report that documents indicate Sommerlath exchanged his coffee plantation in Brazil for Wechsler's company, helping him escape to South America in 1939.
Other researchers question the nobility of Sommerlath's actions, suggesting he too gained from the deal.
The report published Tuesday says Sommerlath belonged to the NSDAP Nazi party but that he appeared to have been an inactive member.
 
It's rather unfortunate that many articles commenting on the report claim that it turns Queen Silvia's father into a 'hero', which it doesn't, or even claim that Queen Silvia herself called him a hero, which she did not.
The report is actually far more precise and nonjudgamental than the media make it sound and very detailed in describing the circumstances in Nazi Germany at the time in general and the destiny of the Wechsler/Sommerlath factory in particular.
A quite interesting historic document which is also a fascinating read for everyone who has more than a superficial interest in history; IMO it has to be applauded that the decision was made to present it on the official website for everyone to read and form an opinion of their own.
 
Silvia want´s to whitewash her family

I pray to God I never going to be held to account for that my parents claimed to have done before I was born, regardless of whatever it might be, and to my own children will not have to defend my actions before they were born. For me it is not at all strange that Queen Silvia, as public figure, wants to whitewash her family from the horrific allegations of scandal journalists.
 
For me it is not at all strange that Queen Silvia, as public figure, wants to whitewash her family from the horrific allegations of scandal journalists.
The attitude you describe here as Queen Silvia's is fortunately not the one I detect in the way she and the historian who wrote the report handled the matter.
Thankfully, the report published on royalcourt.se is focusing too thoroughly on historical facts for the quite ugly term 'whitewashing' to apply.
Neither the Nazi party membership of Walter Sommerlath nor the fact that his factory produced materials for the war effort after 1940 are denied, but analyzed instead, as is the precise nature of the purchase of the Berlin factory from Jewish Efim Wechsler in exchange of Brazilian real estate formerly belonging to Queen Silvia's maternal family.

Link to part 2 of the interview articles in ‚Gothenburg Post’ which accompany the report, in google English – this one deals with the war and post-war years of Queen Silvia the Sommerlaths:

http://translate.googleusercontent....kriget&usg=ALkJrhg4_HwYwSyisDLvWq077neOsYi40w
 
Last edited:
The American association for Holocaust survivors compares the Queen to 'A butcher who is judging the quality of his own meat'. The critisism was already heard before the actual report was published.

According to royalblog, the queen could have spared herself some critisism if she wouldn't have been involved in the research and when it would have been considered more independent. This doesn't mean that the historian didn't do his work independently and by all sources Erik Norberg has an excellent reputation.

IMHO it is a bit cheap to automatically label the report as 'white washing the past', before reading it.

Some unawnsered questions (as posted on royalblog):

- Why did Walther Sommerlath return to Germany in 1937 and returned to Brazil in 1939, after the business deals (or 'deals'?) with Efim Wechsler. In business deals all is about the position of the two parties, and it is a fact that Wechsler didn't have much choice but to sell his company.

- It is unclear how Wechsler came in touch with Sommerlath, though according to a relative the family thinks that he reacted to an advertisement posted by Sommerlath, in which Sommerlath says that he wants to by a business in Germany. Another thing that is unclear is if Walther Sommerlath was aware that in Germany businesses belonging to Jewish people were for sale for very low prices. The report is however sure about a 'fair deal'.

The article ends with the question: what can we blame Silvia for? The awnser is: nothing. It is only noble that you want to defend your parents. But it isn't always productive, both Máxima as prince Bernhard tried and failed.

Silvia oogst kritiek met eigen onderzoek naar vader - Achtergronden ROYALBLOG.NL
 
Last edited:
I think one should not automatically assume that because Mr. Wechsler was the Jew and Walter Sommerlath the German, that Wechsler was the looser in this deal.

This deal helped Mr. Wechsler to own property in Brazil which was the key to his getting official permission to leave Germany. If he had stayed he surely would have ended in a concentration camp, as he was already know to the authorities, so not much chance to live undetected in Berlin like some other managed. Concentration Camp in 1939 meant there was close to nil chance of survival.

OTOH I cannot believe Walter Sommerlath had any idea what had become of Germany through the Nazi-reign. Otherwise he wouldn't have brought his Brazilian wife and his "half-blooded" children to Germany for fear of their safety. Alice Sommerlath did not look like the type of female the Nazis wished for and Brazil was far away - it could have easily happened that a strict Nazi in charge did not accept her as a "real" German citizen and that meant a lot of (potentially deadly) problems. in addition Alice is said to have spoken only broken German - thus adding additional suspicion on her, espeically when the war was started. So all in all I think Walter Sommerlath was well-meaning and ended up leaving the security and social position he had in Brazil, exchanged it for Nazi and than Nazi/War-time Germany, lost all and came back to Brazil a refugee who needed the help of his wife's relatives. Not the story of someone who wanted to enrich himself of jewish money....

Just my thoughts, but there have been many, many cases when Germans took over Jewish businesses and helped the former owners to escape. There is never only greed in a nation, but altruism as well.
 
Thank you Jan Maarten for making this a seperate topic, and thank you and Kataryn for sharing your very interesting thoughts on the issue.
IMO the simple fact that the publication of the detailed report allows and provokes an intelligent and also critical discussion of this kind can be considered an achievement on Queen Silvia's part. Im certain that she must have been aware from the start that her decision to start the investigation would invite accusations of the resulting report being biased.
That she proceeded regardless and went for this publication gives everyone the opportuntity to consider the facts here by themselves and to form an own opinion on the matter - an open and productive approach, as well as a courageous one, since the report does also produce a few facts which she herself previously tended to deny, either intentionally or due to her lack of knowledge about them.
 
Rubbish is rubbish

The origins of the discussions comes from Republican sources. No reasonable person can ask someone who was not born to take a beating for what was done before you came to this earth. To involve the Queen in the discussion was cheap dirty and unethical. But Silvia is just like any other healthy human being - she wants to defend her family. But no one had an interest in the history of the Republican club does not have driven smear campaigns.
 
Kataryn, thank you for your insightful input into this discussion. The Commission was hired by Her Majesty, yet the conclusions remain balanced and carefully researched. The absolute odious thing about all of this is the press stirring up controversy about events that occurred nearly 70 yr. ago. The whole issue was brought out now to add further hurt and embarrassment to the Royal Family. The press is desperate for news and if these actions were so dire, then why wasn't it brought up when the King and Sylvia were seeing each instead of many, many years later?
 
Back
Top Bottom