Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, head of the House of Hohenzollern, and Andreas Mattfeldt, member of the Bundestag of Langwedel, founded a brewery. "Preußens Pilsener", the "Beer of the Hohenzollern", has been on the market since April 2017.
I’m interested, could you kindly translate it for meSorry, I could not find the right thread, hopefully the moderators can put it right.
in two German important newspapers "Zeit" and "Welt" it was published today that Georg Friedrich von Preussen finally decided to finish his claims of reparation for lost family fortunes after WWII. That has been a very long lasting issue here, a very long judicial procedure. He finished it now.
Sorry the articles are only in German. if anybody is interested, I could translate it.
https://www.zeit.de/kultur/2023-03/...on-preussen-hohenzollern-entschaedigung-klage
I understand that from some articles a few years ago. It’s not shocking especially because the formerly East German state of Brandenburg since being part of the Soviet occupied zone has been a stronghold for leftists who are definitely against his claims.The comments are, to put it mildly, not particularly positive towards Georg Friedrich von Preussen!
- I know too little about the background of all this to write a good summary though.
I doubt that Georg-Friedrich will sell because the remainder of the artefacts that are still around still are in his possession and many have been loaned out to museums. Georg-Friedrich hasn’t sold any important artefacts since 2012 (beau sancy diamond) and the Wummerhof. There have been a few families that received monetary compensation I.e- a branch of the Wettin dynasty, the Schonborg-Hartensteins bought back some castles,I find the reasoning a bit curious. Because CP Wilhelm supposedly was a Nazi-supporter the family goods can not be returned now? With that logic they could have confiscated properties of millions of German citizens, many of whom will have been a more enthusiastic supporter than the crown prince.
I understand that politically it is not popular to give money to people who already have a priviliged life compared to most. Though I am sure many trinklets would end up in an auction house had they been returned to the family, a financial compensation for these pieces would have been in order IMO.
I am not sure if any other families received compensations for lost properties in East Germany.
Sorry, I could not find the right thread, hopefully the moderators can put it right.
in two German important newspapers "Zeit" and "Welt" it was published today that Georg Friedrich von Preussen finally decided to finish his claims of reparation for lost family fortunes after WWII. That has been a very long lasting issue here, a very long judicial procedure. He finished it now.
Sorry the articles are only in German. if anybody is interested, I could translate it.
https://www.zeit.de/kultur/2023-03/...on-preussen-hohenzollern-entschaedigung-klage
That is in the Contract of the german Unity that no Property can be given back to those whose ancestors helped the nazis.I find the reasoning a bit curious. Because CP Wilhelm supposedly was a Nazi-supporter the family goods can not be returned now? With that logic they could have confiscated properties of millions of German citizens, many of whom will have been a more enthusiastic supporter than the crown prince.
If someone could kindly elaborate: so GF dropped the reparations claims, or the court ruled against him?
[...]
Prince Georg Friedrich Ferdinand on Thursday said that he had abandoned attempts to secure compensation from the state that date back to 2014.
[...]
What are the arguments against compensation?
The case hinged on whether Crown Prince Wilhelm, son of Kaiser Wilhelm II and great-grandfather of Prince George, provided "substantive" support to Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime. Under German law, proof of such support is grounds for refusing compensation.
Wilhelm II went into exile in the Netherlands at the end of World War I in 1918.
"Even if I am not an historian or lawyer myself, it cannot be shown in my view that my great-grandfather offered the regime substantive abetment, even if he perhaps wanted to," Prince George said.
Historians from German universities are divided on whether Crown Prince Wihlelm significantly aided the Nazi regime, though most concur that he wanted to.
"The former crown prince was politically incapable of providing substantive abetment to the Nazis, although he wanted to do so at times," Professor Lothar Machtan said.
[...]
What did the prince say about his decision?
"We will give our best possible support to a critical review of our family history," the prince said.
He said that he hoped that the focus of the debate would move away from Crown Prince Wilhelm, looking at the Hohenzollern family history in its diversity.
The prince said that in dropping the claim he hoped to "open the way for an unencumbered historical debate on the role of my family in the 20th Century following the end of the monarchy."
Prince Georg said that while he believed it could not be clearly proven that Crown Prince Wilhelm actively promoted Nazism, it was clear that his great-grandfather had sought close ties with the regime.
"Anyone who panders to right-wing extremism cannot be a tradition-setter for our house," he declared.
I think he did good by doing this because the public reaction when it became known wasn’t very pleasant to him and his family. Plus many historians and publications (especially those from left-wing views) have spoken out against him.An article in English from Deutsche Welle:
Full article: https://www.dw.com/en/german-prince-drops-property-compensation-lawsuit/a-64937096
The comments are, to put it mildly, not particularly positive towards Georg Friedrich von Preussen!
- I know too little about the background of all this to write a good summary though.
It sounds as though he dropped it because further investigation and publicity into CP Wilhelm was not going to end well for the family? Is that correct?
The Kaiser was an opportunist in exile, not that great a person, an antisemite surrounded by antisemites...but the letter where he repudiates Hitler is still a good one.
I don't know about a letter where he repudiates Hitler, where did you read this?
Louis Ferdinand did try to get compensation or try to get back properties, but even when he tried there were problems. The cases have been ongoing for years with no success in a few notable issues. Not to mention, his legal tussles with his uncles which ended years ago. I think for now, keeping his head low and extricating himself from the issue is the best thing to do.Due to the recent political development in Germany with fascist party winning more than 20% in local elections, mostly in East Germany the whole thing was a very risky attempt of GF. Though his claim is legal, as he is a citizen with same rights like any other the people's mood is against him. No political party wants to risk this. Its like a lithning a peace of dynamite.
Georg Friedrich was simply too late with his claim. The political and social progress has changed since the wall fell and more rapidly during the pandemic and since Germany learns that Merkel left a real mess in most innergerman matters like education, economy.....
(Just using her name because most of you might not know the abbrev. of political party here)
His grandfather who raised GF was a widely respected figure in Germany and should have done this earlier. Georg Friedrich had to take over at very young age and tried ever since, the authorities are slowly here.
Now with the strong social rift between west and east and inflation ...... its almost impossible to get away with it in public opinion. Most Germans had not shed a tear 30 y ago, but 2023 no way, even conservatives would not think positive.
And don't forget, Germany is a republic, the best thing GF has now tried is to make people forget about his claims and hope , like GF put it himself "the role of his tribe is interpreted newly and cannot feed itself from ancestors who flinged along with Nazis."
And this is ONlY interesting for historians, don't think his family is ever mentioned in school classes or has any role in public life. Yellow press picks up few pictures when GF&wife join VIPs for an event but beside this the percentage of interest for Hohenzollern is below zero.
This forum might be the biggest crowd of people ever interested in Preussen affairs, it simply doesn't exist in Germany. Germany is now 4 th generation after the last monarch.
Louis Ferdinand did try to get compensation or try to get back properties, but even when he tried there were problems. The cases have been ongoing for years with no success in a few notable issues. Not to mention, his legal tussles with his uncles which ended years ago. I think for now, keeping his head low and extricating himself from the issue is the best thing to do.
Louis Ferdinand did try to get compensation or try to get back properties, but even when he tried there were problems. The cases have been ongoing for years with no success in a few notable issues. Not to mention, his legal tussles with his uncles which ended years ago. I think for now, keeping his head low and extricating himself from the issue is the best thing to do.
I am certainly not wrong because I am aware of who is who. Louis Ferdinand is Georg Friedrich’s grandfather, and I think I read somewhere that he actually did try to initiate proceedings but probably his illness as you say prevented him from fully going through the process. He attempted to do recover lost properties but wasn’t successful. However his efforts led to changes in the compensation lawSorry, but you are wrong. Confusing the princes, Louis F. was the head of family until his death 1994, GF his grandson is since the chief of family and the one who claimed.
To be fair the law which enabled him to was only given after LF's death but being prepared for a long time before BUT LF suffered from serious sickness for a long time before his death and might not have been able to proceed things shortly before his death and again GF was very young when taking over and IMO waited much too long until 2014!!!