Germany's Royals Want Their Riches Back

[Gusington]

Interesting - I thought that Hitler and the Nazis were always anti-monarchy, especially the last Kaiser (Wilhelm II) but it doesn't sound like it from this article. There's even reference to a possible plan of Hitler in the early 1930s to re-establish the German monarchy, which I've never heard of. By the time WWII started the article does jibe with what I have learned - Hitler definitely saw the German monarchy as a threat by then.

I did know that a lot of Germany's art and artifacts were taken by the Allies as 'trophies of war,' etc.

I have always wondered if my own family could attempt to go back to the eastern German border town some of us are from and reclaim our property - but the legal battle we would probably have to go through to get any progress would probably bankrupt us.

I can't help but be a little angry and jealous that the current German royals can be thankful that their ancestors were able to side with Hitler and thus survive, when 2/3 of my family were killed.

Anyway, interesting article:

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/hohenzollern-prince-georg-prussia/index.html

[ArizonaTank]

Interesting - I thought that Hitler and the Nazis were always anti-monarchy, especially the last Kaiser (Wilhelm II) but it doesn't sound like it from this article. There's even reference to a possible plan of Hitler in the early 1930s to re-establish the German monarchy, which I've never heard of. By the time WWII started the article does jibe with what I have learned - Hitler definitely saw the German monarchy as a threat by then.

I did know that a lot of Germany's art and artifacts were taken by the Allies as 'trophies of war,' etc.

I have always wondered if my own family could attempt to go back to the eastern German border town some of us are from and reclaim our property - but the legal battle we would probably have to go through to get any progress would probably bankrupt us.

I can't help but be a little angry and jealous that the current German royals can be thankful that their ancestors were able to side with Hitler and thus survive, when 2/3 of my family were killed.

Anyway, interesting article:

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/hohenzollern-prince-georg-prussia/index.html

It is interesting...

But in my book, the Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs got off way too easy for starting, then continuing WWI.

If the Hohenzollerns make headway in getting loot back, I think Kaiser Bill and his side-kick Franz Joseph should be convicted of war crimes posthumously (don't know if that is possible). Then an indemnity should be placed on anything the royals held prior to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Sound extreme? No, I don't think so given the history. Those two families brought real terror and suffering to the world. In addition to the millions of war dead, they brought starvation (sometimes forced) and the mass murder of civilians (particularly in Serbia, Belgium and the Eastern Front). They also brought terrible destruction to their own people.

I would say these "royal" families have no right to anythng they held prior to the end of WWI. They are lucky that people can even say their name without spitting. 

One of my favorite stories about Hohenzollern "loot" happened about a month after the WWI Armistice. A bunch of semi-drunk US officers became pissed that the Kaiser had managed to escape to asylum in the Netherlands. So they rode out to the Dutch mansion where Kaiser Bill was under asylum, ignoring the fact that they crossed into a neutral country. Their intent was to kidnap the former Emperor and bring him back to France for trial. They didn't really have a plan...it was just an alcohol fueled road-trip (I could see myself doing this with my college fraternity). Anyway, the Americans actually managed to bluff their way into the mansion, and almost got an "audience" with Billy Boy where they planned to nab him. But the mansion staff started to get suspicious and jig was up. The Americans dashed out of the Netherlands, with the Dutch army apparently shooting toward, but not actually at them.

Strangely, the story of "Hohenzollern" loot has a baseball angle. One of the US officers was Larry MacPhail, who would later become a Baseball Hall of Fame General Manager. He was in charge of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the late '30s, turning his baton over to the now very famous Branch Rickey (the guy who brought in Jackie Robinson). MacPhail also took over the Yankees in '45. Anyway, apparently while in the Kaiser's mansion, MacPhail swiped one of the Kaiser's distinctive family ashtrays. The ashtray must have had some personal meaning, or maybe the Kaiser just used it to make a point...anyway, Billy tried to make a diplomatic incident out of the missing ashtray and demanded its return...it didn't work. MacPhail kept the ashtray in his office for years as a conversation piece.

So, I'd love to see the Hohenzollerns try to get that ashtray back....:)     

[Gusington]

^I've heard that story before, including the Dodgers connection but I'll be damned if I can remember where...

And the more I think about it the more I agree with you - that Hohenzollern prince sure does have a set of brass (or iron) ones. Some nerve.

At least the story did reference that many Germans are outraged at his current attempts.

[CptHowdy]

^I've heard that story before, including the Dodgers connection but I'll be damned if I can remember where...

And the more I think about it the more I agree with you - that Hohenzollern prince sure does have a set of brass (or iron) ones. Some nerve.

At least the story did reference that many Germans are outraged at his current attempts.

maybe from this thread? http://www.grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=23581.0

[Gusington]

Can't believe you found that! But I don't think so, I don't remember reading about here.