'We wanted to end the dreadful crimes'
Published: 14 Mar 13 06:04 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20130314-48509.html
Ewald Heinrich von Kleist, a former German army lieutenant who took part in a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, has died at the age of 90. The last surviving member of the "20th of July" plot is The Local's German of Week.
- Dentist cut off own finger for insurance cash (19 Jun 13)
- 'Michelle is more popular than her husband' (19 Jun 13)
- Germany home to one million millionaires (19 Jun 13)
Under the "20th of July" plot, German army officers teamed up with members of the resistance including trade unionists to try to blow up Hitler at Rastenburg, in Eastern Prussia, now part of Poland.
Among the key plotters was Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg – played by US actor Tom Cruise in the 2008 film "Valkyrie" about the failed assassination – who had personally recruited Kleist.
Kleist was 22 at the time and volunteered to wear a suicide vest at a meeting with Hilter. But the plot failed and Hitler survived although he was injured in the blast. Leading members of the plot were arrested shortly afterwards and executed.
Kleist was imprisoned at the Bendlerblock building in Berlin where the plot had been hatched and today is used by the defence ministry, before he was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.
After the Second World War, he studied law and economics and went into publishing.
He was also a co-founder of the Munich Security Conference, which annually brings together global defence and foreign policy chiefs.
"We lost a great German, a great security policy maker," Oliver Rolofs, spokesman for the conference told news agency AFP.
During a 2010 commemoration of the failed plot, Kleist said "we wanted to end the dreadful crimes" of the Nazi regime, which continued for nearly another 10 months after the assassination attempt.
AFP/mry
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Nuclear cuts top Obama's Berlin speech
President Barack Obama said Russian and US nuclear weapons should be slashed by up to a third in a keynote speech in front of Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate in which he called for a world of "peace and justice." READ () »
Dentist cut off own finger for insurance cash
A German dentist who was so desperate for cash that he cut off his own finger for the insurance money has been found guilty of fraud and sentenced to a year in prison to be served on parole. The man said he was the victim of an attack. READ () »
'Michelle is more popular than her husband'
The Local met a colourful crowd gathered to glimpse First Lady Michelle Obama in Berlin on Wednesday - from the Dutch man who came all the way to Germany to see her, to the commuter annoyed to find his way to work barred by police. READ () »
Germany home to one million millionaires
Germany has the third highest population of millionaires of any country in the world, and according to a study released on Wednesday, their piles of gold are growing faster than the world economy. READ () »
New in German cinemas: ‘Monsters University’
Find movies playing in English in Germany with The Local’s cinema guide. READ () »
Bahn feels heat as cooling systems fail
With temperatures creeping up into the high thirties on Wednesday Deutsche Bahn said broken air conditioning systems could see train cancellations across the country. The network is still battling to get back on track after the floods. READ () »
Centre-left SPD party plummet in polls
It's been a tough few days for Social Democrat chancellor candidate Peer Steinbrück. At the weekend he made headlines for crying at a party event and just three months before the election, support for his party is at an all-year low. READ () »
Six famous American quotes about Germany
Barack Obama follows JFK and Ronald Reagan in his Berlin speech on Wednesday. Can he match being a Berliner or calling for Gorbachev to tear down that wall? The Local List has six other famous US quotes about Germany. READ () »
- 18/06 Attacking Obama 'shows European weakness' »
- 13/06 'I am Senegalese, but firstly I am German' »
- 11/06 'We must learn to give rivers space' »
- 06/06 Sandbag volunteers: 'You have to help' »
- 31/05 Heidi Klum: supermodel, supermum, media mogul »
- 29/05 'Diversity in Germany has become reality' »
- 24/05 'Germany is indifferent to neo-Nazi violence' »
- 22/05 'I hate Wagner but I hate him on my knees' »
- 21/05 Germany's collective blame phobia »
- 16/05 'At his final heartbeat I knew I had to act' »
- 19/06 Breakthough in hunt for serial arsonist in Brittany »
- 19/06 France maps out defence for war on mosquitos »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
- 19/06 Norwegian airline to offer free water on long flights »
- 18/06 American tourist dies in Arctic cruise mishap »
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
More news from Sweden at thelocal.se
- 19/06 Murderer jailed for life 15 years after stabbing man »
- 19/06 MPs quash deal with US over tax evasion »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop - The online supermarket for expats -
PsyShrink Munich
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
PsyShrink Frankfurt
The Expat Psychologists in Munich, Frankfurt and worldwide -
Chambervelt Rooselain & Cie Ltd.
Insurance and financial planning for English speakers in Germany
886 jobs available
582 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today
- Print Media Expert (m/f) - Print Advertising for FMCG sector
- Specialist Local Employer Brand Services (m/f)
- Local HR Advisor
- IP Solution Manager (m/f)
- Supporter (m/f) in the Area of SAP Globalization Services
- Software Developer .NET (f/m)
- Personal Assistant
- Service Technician After Market Services
- EH&S Specialist Europe (m/f)
- Manager German Tax (m/f)
- Apr/09 Touring Tempelhof – Europe’s Largest Historical Monument
- Apr/09 Spring in Berlin 2013 – Where, What Why and When!
- Mar/12 Living Like a Local – Tell us what you think and win a weekend in Berlin!
- Feb/04 Escaping the City – Our Recommended Suburban Getaways
- Feb/04 Berlin Tegel Airport Transfers – How to get into the City
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- “Kippi” Like You Wouldn’t Believe – Martin Kippenberger in Berlin
He was considered to be an enfant terrible of the art business, he lived a life of excess and died at an early age. - More Space, More Art – The “New” Lenbachhaus in Munich
Following a long period of restoration work that included an extension, the year 2013 has seen the reopening of the Lenbachhaus in Munich. - By Way of a Detour – Germany at the Biennale in Venice
For decades now it has been considered to be in the best possible taste at the Biennale to call the competition among the nations into question. - “The Monetary Union is Driving the Countries of Europe Apart” – Four Questions for Wolfgang Streeck
The euro is in crisis, a crisis that some say threatens to break up the European Union itself.... - Antigone as a Comic – Detlev Baur on the first theatre magazine for young people
Since 2007 the the youth magazine Junge Bühne has appeared annually.
- Germany's Guerilla Knitters
A tree in a sweater? A statue wearing mittens? A sign post with a scarf? Guerilla knitters are brightening urban spaces in Germany with a new kind of graffiti. - The Best of Germany: Städelschule
At the heart of Frankfurt’s art scene is a school that has attracted many international art students to Germany. The Städelschule has a reputation for a high level of instruction and for nurturing students working at the forefront of conceptual and experimental contemporary art. - US President Obama in Germany
The American President Barack Obama visits Berlin. - Hollywood Stars Filming in Germany
Hollywood stars such as George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Oscar award-winner Geoffrey Rush are making films in and around Potsdam. - Design Festival in Berlin
Creative young designers from around the world showcase their work at the DMY International Design Festival at Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport.
- “Culture drives development”
German cultural manager Ulrich Fuchs is Deputy Managing Director of European Capital of Cultural Marseille. - “Culture creates identity and – what is now needed most – solidarity”
Cristina Conde de Beroldingen, Director of the Instituto Cervantes in Berlin, appeals for a Europe of community and synergies. - “You shouldn’t talk about Europe, you should do it”
Georg M. - “Culture can be the ‘cement’ of a society”
Thibaut de Champris, Director of the Institut français in Mainz, attributes culture with a healing role.
- Consultant (m/f) for SAP Authorization Governance
- Design Engineer Aerospace in Toulouse
- Design Feasibility Engineer / Craftsmanship Engineer (m/f)
- Exterior Designer (m/f)
- Projekt Cost Controller (m/f) for Plant Engineering Projects
- Strategic Project Junior Manager (f/m)
- Filmproduktion sucht
- Filmproduktion sucht Fahrer oder
- Filmproduktion sucht Herstellungsleiter
- Filmproduktion sucht Kostümbildner
- 00:42 Meet up for indecisive 20-somethings
- 00:37 Cycling tours around Munich
- 00:29 The contents of your favourite sandwich
- 00:16 Police Report (Anzeige) filed against me
- 00:16 2013 TT American fantasy football league
- 23:59 Body odor (BO) from colleagues
- 22:51 Splendid meetup of the mid-20s people (STOMP)
- 22:12 Any one familiar with Jewish conversion
- 21:58 Bringing a British car to Germany
- 21:56 Getting satellite TV in Cologne (Sky, BBC, etc.)
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
'Charming, old, beamed cottage for holiday let in Jesus Pobre, Alicante, Spain
www.littlehouseinspain.com/
Professional and qualified consultancy on all insurance and finance matters in Germany, Telephone: +49 2163 571 1740, Email: bg@albatross-assurance.com
www.albatross-assurance.com
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Your comments about this article:
There is some truth in your observation, but given the level of control he had established, it was going to be a pretty tough job regardless. The Wehrmacht had considered dealing with him several times, and there were numerous "talking groups" that deplored what had happened to Germany, but none of them really had the power necessary to take him out, and realistically feared that someone else in the Nazi system would simply take over.
Hitler personally was way ahead of the curve on personal security. He frequently changed plans at the last minute, didn't go where he was expected, and generally kept people guessing. There were numerous "plots" that failed because he didn't show up or whatever. That said, yes, the real plotters got going when they could all see the war was never going to turn out well. Part of the problem they faced was that the allies never took them very seriously, and, of course, Stalin wasn't about to do anything that would limit his own potential power, so even if the US and the British had supported some group, Stalin wouldn't have agreed.
wa