The Nuremberg Interviews by Leon Goldensohn

Author:Leon Goldensohn [Goldensohn, Leon N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-42910-0
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2004-09-04T04:00:00+00:00

May 18, 1946

This afternoon we discussed some personal history, particularly regarding Schacht’s family. He said, “For centuries my ancestors came from Schleswig-Holstein. Originally they were peasants and farmers, but my paternal grandfather was a physician. My grandfather was a Danish official district physician, who had eight sons and one daughter. My father was the fourth or fifth child. Three of my father’s elder brothers emigrated to the U.S. and their families are still living there. Two remained here in Germany. My own father emigrated to America, became an American citizen, but after six years in the U.S. returned to Germany. Two of my older brothers were born in America. One of them is still alive, a physician in general practice in Baden-Baden. I myself was born in Schleswig-Holstein.

“My maternal grandfather was also a Danish official, by the name of Baron Eggers. He was president of police in Schleswig. His father was a famous man — a Danish minister for Schleswig-Holstein, also a baron.

“All of my mother’s brothers and sisters, with the exception of one, remained in Denmark after 1864. Their families are still living there. My mother had six brothers and three sisters. One of them emigrated to the U.S. and is still there. On one of my trips to America, I met a cousin, but I don’t know if he is still alive.

“My maternal great-grandfather was a great Danish financier and, like myself, was a Freemason. Ironically enough, he stabilized Danish currency. His masterpiece was the liberation of Slav farmers, in Schleswig-Holstein, with the help of a count who was another Danish minister.

“Another granduncle of mine was the discoverer and inventor of many important things in the field of electricity. One of my mother’s sisters married his son. He was also a Dane. So, you can see that Denmark is my second fatherland. I have another cousin who was married to a physician in Denmark, and my other Danish relations include a pharmacist, judge, lawyer, and colonel in the Danish army.”

Regarding his father, Schacht said, “My father died as a young man at the age of eighty-three in 1930. I say he was a young man because my grandfather, who always smoked a long pipe, died at the age of eighty-five. I began smoking at the age of sixteen — also a long pipe.” I remarked that Goering had a long hunter’s pipe which he smoked in the prison here. Schacht deprecated the length of Goering’s pipe and said, “Ach! That is only a half pipe. The pipe I smoked at the age of sixteen was a really long pipe which came down to my knees. That man Goering … is a frightful man. It is surprising that he came from a good family, I believe, whereas Hitler didn’t. But on the other hand, I don’t know. I have heard that Goering spent lots of money having his family tree investigated and written up, but that it was a hard job because although his father comes from good stock, his mother was a waitress.

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