Bodo Lafferentz
Encyclopedia
Bodo Lafferentz was a member of the Nazi Party from 1933 and an SS
-Obersturmbannführer
(Lieutenant Colonel) from 1939. He served in World War I
and received the Iron Cross
2nd Class in 1916.
In 1928, he completed his doctorate at the University of Kiel
in "Economic Planning and Price Regulation". He subsequently worked in the management of the German Employers' Association, and from 1929 was voluntarily on the management board of the National Institute of Benefits and Insurance for the Unemployed.
On 1 May 1933, Lafferentz became a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and was made leader of the "Office for Travelling, Rambling and Holidays" (which was later amalgamated into the Strength Through Joy organisation).
In January 1938, Lafferentz was promoted to Reich
Agency Leader, and was given sole leadership of the Agency in the Central Office of the German Labour Front
in Berlin. In May 1937, he was made a manager (along with Ferdinand Porsche
and Jakob Werlin) of the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH ("Association for the Preparation of the German People's Car
"), and in 1938 voluntarily became one of the CEOs of the company. He travelled extensively, searched for a good company location, and his recommendation of Fallersleben
was accepted.
From 1939, he was a high ranking officer in the SS (SS-Obersturmbannführer), and on the staff of the SS "Race and Settlement Central Agency". In 1942 he founded an "Association for Research and Development", to research oil shale sites and the use of wind power
. In Bayreuth he founded the "Institute for Physical Research", an outpost of the Flossenbürg concentration camp
, to develop the V-2 Rocket
.
Lafferentz organised the Bayreuth "War Festival", as he had married Verena Wagner
, the daughter of Siegfried
and Winifred Wagner
, and the granddaughter of Richard Wagner
in 1943. He would have five children with her: Amelie (born 1944), Manfred (born 1945), Winifred (born 1947), Wieland (born 1949) and Verena (born 1952).
At the end of World War II, he was interned. He was released in 1949 after de-Nazification.
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
-Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Lieutenant Colonel) from 1939. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and received the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd Class in 1916.
In 1928, he completed his doctorate at the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
in "Economic Planning and Price Regulation". He subsequently worked in the management of the German Employers' Association, and from 1929 was voluntarily on the management board of the National Institute of Benefits and Insurance for the Unemployed.
On 1 May 1933, Lafferentz became a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and was made leader of the "Office for Travelling, Rambling and Holidays" (which was later amalgamated into the Strength Through Joy organisation).
In January 1938, Lafferentz was promoted to Reich
Reich
Reich is a German word cognate with the English rich, but also used to designate an empire, realm, or nation. The qualitative connotation from the German is " sovereign state." It is the word traditionally used for a variety of sovereign entities, including Germany in many periods of its history...
Agency Leader, and was given sole leadership of the Agency in the Central Office of the German Labour Front
German Labour Front
The German Labour Front was the National Socialist trade union organisation which replaced the various trade unions of the Weimar Republic after Adolf Hitler's rise to power....
in Berlin. In May 1937, he was made a manager (along with Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
and Jakob Werlin) of the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH ("Association for the Preparation of the German People's Car
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
"), and in 1938 voluntarily became one of the CEOs of the company. He travelled extensively, searched for a good company location, and his recommendation of Fallersleben
Fallersleben
Fallersleben is a district in the City of Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, with a population of 11,269 . The village of Fallersleben was first mentioned in 942 under the name of Valareslebo. Fallersleben became a city in 1929, and was incorporated into Wolfsburg in 1972. Before 1972, it belonged...
was accepted.
From 1939, he was a high ranking officer in the SS (SS-Obersturmbannführer), and on the staff of the SS "Race and Settlement Central Agency". In 1942 he founded an "Association for Research and Development", to research oil shale sites and the use of wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
. In Bayreuth he founded the "Institute for Physical Research", an outpost of the Flossenbürg concentration camp
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
, to develop the V-2 Rocket
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
.
Lafferentz organised the Bayreuth "War Festival", as he had married Verena Wagner
Verena Wagner
Verena Wagner is the fourth child and youngest daughter of Winifred and Siegfried Wagner and the granddaughter of German composer Richard Wagner....
, the daughter of Siegfried
Siegfried Wagner
Siegfried Wagner was a German composer and conductor, the son of Richard Wagner. He was an opera composer and the artistic director of the Bayreuth Festival from 1908 to 1930.-Life:...
and Winifred Wagner
Winifred Wagner
Winifred Wagner was an English woman married to Siegfried Wagner, Richard Wagner's son. She was the effective head of the Wagner family from 1930 to 1945, and a close friend of German dictator Adolf Hitler....
, and the granddaughter of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
in 1943. He would have five children with her: Amelie (born 1944), Manfred (born 1945), Winifred (born 1947), Wieland (born 1949) and Verena (born 1952).
At the end of World War II, he was interned. He was released in 1949 after de-Nazification.
Literature
- Hans Mommsen, Manfred Grieger: Das Volkswagenwerk und seine Arbeiter im Dritten Reich (The Volkswagen Factory and its Employees in the Third Reich), ECON, Düsseldorf 1996, ISBN 3-430-16785-X
Sources
- Most of the material in this article is from the German Wikipedia article