Georg von Schnitzler
Encyclopedia
Georg August Eduard Schnitzler, since 1913, von Schnitzler (born October 29, 1884 in Cologne
- died May 24, 1962 in Basel
) was a member of the board at IG Farben
and a convicted war criminal.
in 1907. After a year's travel he went to work for Bankhaus J.H. Stein of Cologne. He married Lily von Mallinckrodt in 1910. His new wife was a noted figure in German high society and Baron von Schnitzer himself was noted for his immaculate dress sense and expensive tastes in wine and the arts.
, a company where his father held a leading position, and worked as a salesman of dyes in Munich
for them. He joined the board as an alternate member in 1920 and achieved full membership in 1924. The company merged with IG Farben in 1925 and he was appointed an alternate member of their board, eventually becoming manager of their sales department in 1930. In 1927 he oversaw the establishment of a Franco
-German dye sales cartel and by 1932 had added Swiss
and British
companies to the arrangement. He became chairman of the Commercial Committee of IG Farben in 1937.
organised by Hjalmar Schacht
and addressed by Adolf Hitler
and had been impressed by the Nazi leader. Schnitzler did not immediately seek to join the Nazis after their seizure of power although he did establish a "salon" in Berlin
at which high-ranking Nazis and leading industrialists could meet and discuss issues of mutual benefit. However he joined the Sturmabteilung
in 1934 and eventually held the rank of Hauptsturmführer
. He was admitted to the Nazi Party itself in 1937.
In 1938 Schnitzler developed a scheme whereby IG Farben would fund German newspapers in Czechoslovakia
to drive a massive pro-Nazi propaganda campaign. The scheme, which was eventually directed by Max Ilgner
, played a central role in gaining ethnic German support for the annexation of the Sudentenland and the destruction of Czechoslovakia. He was also aware of the projected invasion of Poland during the summer of 1939 after being told of the plans by his friend Claus Ungewitter, an official in the Economics Ministry and an associate of leading figures in the Schutzstaffel
. Following the invasion of Poland Schnitzler was sent into the country as the leader of an IG Farben delegation and in this role he ensured that a number of important Polish chemical factories came under the company's control. Following the invasion of France
Schnitzler was once again despatched and once again he secured a number of chemical sites in France for IG Farben.
He was named one of the Nazi regimes Wehrwirtschaftsführers (war economy leaders) in 1942. His role at IG Farben continued to grow and in 1943 he was named chairman of the Chemical Committee. According to Diarmuid Jeffreys Schnitzler was around this time also made aware of the "Final Solution
" after his friend Martin Müller-Cunradi had told him about it following a visit to Buna Werke
in 1943.
With defeat imminent Schnitzler dropped off the IG Farben scene in March 1945, retiring to his country estate at Oberursel (Taunus). Russell Nixon and James Martin, two agents attached to the US Military Government's Cartels Division, arrived on the estate in May and arrested Schnitzler.
. Following their conversation Schnitzler announced that he wished to withdraw his earlier statemnts, claiming that they had been delivered under extreme pressure.
Brought to trial
by the United States
after the Second World War for war crimes, von Schnitzer was found guilty of "plunder and spoliation" and sentenced to five years imprisonment. However he served only one year of the sentence. Following his release he returned to the business world as president of Deutsch-Ibero-Amerikanische Gesellschaft. He also returned to high society and occasionally showed up in the pages of European magazines covering these upper echelons.
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- died May 24, 1962 in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
) was a member of the board at IG Farben
IG Farben
I.G. Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical industry conglomerate. Its name is taken from Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG . The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major companies that had been working together closely since World War I...
and a convicted war criminal.
Early years
Schnitzler studied law at a number of universities, eventually completing his doctorate at the University of LeipzigUniversity of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in 1907. After a year's travel he went to work for Bankhaus J.H. Stein of Cologne. He married Lily von Mallinckrodt in 1910. His new wife was a noted figure in German high society and Baron von Schnitzer himself was noted for his immaculate dress sense and expensive tastes in wine and the arts.
Corporate career
In 1912 he moved to Farbwerke HoechstHoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
, a company where his father held a leading position, and worked as a salesman of dyes in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
for them. He joined the board as an alternate member in 1920 and achieved full membership in 1924. The company merged with IG Farben in 1925 and he was appointed an alternate member of their board, eventually becoming manager of their sales department in 1930. In 1927 he oversaw the establishment of a Franco
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-German dye sales cartel and by 1932 had added Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
companies to the arrangement. He became chairman of the Commercial Committee of IG Farben in 1937.
Under the Nazis
In February 1933 von Schnitzer supported moves for IG Farben to provide financial backing to the Nazi Party. He had recently represented the company at a summit of leading German industrialistsSecret Meeting of 20 February 1933
The Secret Meeting of 20 February 1933 was a secret meeting between Adolf Hitler and 20 to 25 industrialists at the official residence of Hermann Göring in the Reichstag Presidential Palace aimed at financing the election campaign of the Nazi Party.The German elections were to be held on 5 March...
organised by Hjalmar Schacht
Hjalmar Schacht
Dr. Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht was a German economist, banker, liberal politician, and co-founder of the German Democratic Party. He served as the Currency Commissioner and President of the Reichsbank under the Weimar Republic...
and addressed by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and had been impressed by the Nazi leader. Schnitzler did not immediately seek to join the Nazis after their seizure of power although he did establish a "salon" in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
at which high-ranking Nazis and leading industrialists could meet and discuss issues of mutual benefit. However he joined the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
in 1934 and eventually held the rank of Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
. He was admitted to the Nazi Party itself in 1937.
In 1938 Schnitzler developed a scheme whereby IG Farben would fund German newspapers in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
to drive a massive pro-Nazi propaganda campaign. The scheme, which was eventually directed by Max Ilgner
Max Ilgner
Max Ilgner was a German industrialist. He was a member of the board of IG Farben and a Wehrwirtschaftsführer or war economy leader under the Nazi regime.-Early life:...
, played a central role in gaining ethnic German support for the annexation of the Sudentenland and the destruction of Czechoslovakia. He was also aware of the projected invasion of Poland during the summer of 1939 after being told of the plans by his friend Claus Ungewitter, an official in the Economics Ministry and an associate of leading figures in the Schutzstaffel
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...
. Following the invasion of Poland Schnitzler was sent into the country as the leader of an IG Farben delegation and in this role he ensured that a number of important Polish chemical factories came under the company's control. Following the invasion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Schnitzler was once again despatched and once again he secured a number of chemical sites in France for IG Farben.
He was named one of the Nazi regimes Wehrwirtschaftsführers (war economy leaders) in 1942. His role at IG Farben continued to grow and in 1943 he was named chairman of the Chemical Committee. According to Diarmuid Jeffreys Schnitzler was around this time also made aware of the "Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
" after his friend Martin Müller-Cunradi had told him about it following a visit to Buna Werke
Buna Werke
Buna Rubber was named by BASF Ag, and through 1988 Buna was remaining a trade name of BASF. According to Joseph Borkin in his book entitled "The Crimes and Punishment of IG Farben", BASF Ag was the majority financier for Auschwitz 4, a camp that contained a production site for production of...
in 1943.
With defeat imminent Schnitzler dropped off the IG Farben scene in March 1945, retiring to his country estate at Oberursel (Taunus). Russell Nixon and James Martin, two agents attached to the US Military Government's Cartels Division, arrived on the estate in May and arrested Schnitzler.
Post-war
In the questioning following his arrest Schnitzler admitted to some "mistakes" on his part and agreed that IG Farben as a company had played a central role in the growth of Hitler and his arming of Germany. His frank responses did not meet the approval of many of his old colleagues and during a period of fraternisation in prison he was confronted by an angry Fritz ter MeerFritz ter Meer
Fritz ter Meer was a German chemist and Nazi war criminal.The son of Edmund ter Meer , ter Meer founded the chemical company Teerfarbenfabrik Dr. E. ter Meer & Cie in Uerdingen that later became part of Bayer. His family tree can be traced back to the 15th Century.Fritz ter Meer also worked for...
. Following their conversation Schnitzler announced that he wished to withdraw his earlier statemnts, claiming that they had been delivered under extreme pressure.
Brought to trial
IG Farben Trial
The United States of America vs. Carl Krauch, et al., also known as the IG Farben Trial, was the sixth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany after the end of World War II....
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the Second World War for war crimes, von Schnitzer was found guilty of "plunder and spoliation" and sentenced to five years imprisonment. However he served only one year of the sentence. Following his release he returned to the business world as president of Deutsch-Ibero-Amerikanische Gesellschaft. He also returned to high society and occasionally showed up in the pages of European magazines covering these upper echelons.