this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2025
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But the story of Lufthansa's role in the Third Reich war machine, one that includes the large-scale use of forced labor, remains largely under the radar. In fact, Lufthansa is just one of many companies that collaborated with the Nazi regime, big-name brands and business dynasties that continue to "hide in plain sight," according to journalist David de Jong.

He is the author of the 2022 book, "Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties." It charts how, unlike the high-ranking Nazi politicians and military leaders tried at Nuremberg, the majority of business leaders who cooperated with Adolf Hitler's regime were never really held accountable.

After Germany's defeat, the focus quickly turned to the nascent Cold War, to combating communism and Soviet Russia. West Germany was seen as capitalist bulwark and German businessmen were allowed to keep their assets, whether they were legitimately theirs or whether they had been seized from Jewish businesses.

West Germany's first postwar chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, demanded an end to denazification proceedings. The country needed experienced civil servants and professionals, Adenauer argued. His government enacted amnesty laws in the early 1950s, reintegrating hundreds of thousands of former Nazis into German society, including the civil service and the judiciary.

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