Harry Männil

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Harry Männil
KUMU art museum in February 2006.
Born(1920-05-17)May 17, 1920
Tallinn, Estonia
DiedJanuary 11, 2010(2010-01-11) (aged 89)
San José, Costa Rica
Resting placeCosta Rica
CitizenshipEstonian, Venezuelan
OccupationBusinessman
Known forEntrepreneurship, art collecting
SpouseMasula D'Empaire
Children4

Harry Männil (May 17, 1920 – January 11, 2010), also known as Harry Mannil Laul

art collector
, and cultural benefactor in several countries.

Männil was born in

ACO Group, a large Venezuelan conglomerate. He formed his own company Grupo Oriand in 1994. At the time of the restoration of Estonian independence, Männil got involved in Estonian matters, actively interacting with politicians Vaino Väljas and Edgar Savisaar
, and acting as an advisor during latter's prime minister term.

Harry Männil was an active art collector and philanthropist, especially noted for his collection of pre-Columbian art. His art related activities included serving as director of

Estonian National Library
.

Männil was on the

German occupation of Estonia
. After a four-year probe, Estonian investigators could find no evidence against him and he was cleared of the charges.

Biography

Early life (1920–1946)

Harry Männil was born into an iron salesman's family on May 17, 1920, in Tallinn, Estonia, and spent his childhood in

war crimes
. After being relieved, Männil continued his studies at the University of Tartu.

In October 1943, he escaped to Finland when the German Security Service began to consider him politically dangerous as a student leader at the university.[1][3] In Finland he studied business management in Helsinki.[4] Männil was accused by a local police official of illegal trade in gold and valuables brought to Finland by Estonian refugees. These claims were, however, denied by Männil.[1]

Männil moved to

transit visa to Britain, the Swedish authorities pressured him to leave the country.[5]

In Venezuela (1946–2010)

When Männil arrived in

automobile dealership in South America, according to the Ford Motor Company (USA). A significant contributor to the success of the Aco Group was the innovative introduction in Venezuela of in-house auto sale financing using a captive finance company.[6][7] In 1983, the Aco Group was ranked as the fifth-largest private-sector company in Venezuela [El Universal]. A progressive downturn in Venezuela's economy, which had a particularly adverse on Aco's capital-intensive businesses, resulted in a reorganization in 1994 under new leadership. Mannil was voted out as CEO so he left ACO and formed Oriand, with a portion of the auto dealerships that had been part of Aco.[7][8] At that time he had been the fourth-largest shareholder, owning 20% of the company.[7]
Männil continued to own Oriand Grupo Oriand, until his death.

Männil was member of AEI World Forum,[3] founded by president Gerald Ford whom Männil personally knew.[1][2][11]

In 1990, Männil visited Estonia for the first time since 1943 at the invitation of Vaino Väljas, whom he had met when Väljas was the Soviet ambassador to Venezuela. At the time of the restoration of Estonian independence (1990–1992), during the governments of Edgar Savisaar and Tiit Vähi,[12] Männil was the president of the Prime Minister's Economy Friends Club. The club consisted of Estonian businessmen living abroad who gave economic advice and helped to explain Estonia's situation to Western nations. Männil was a godfather of Savisaar's daughter.[12]

Near the end of 2002, Männil was forced to temporarily relocate to

Venezuelan general strike.[13] Männil's sons succeeded him when he retired from active business dealings in 2003.[14] Harry Männil died on January 11, 2010, in San José, Costa Rica.[15] His ashes were placed in a chapel on his ranch located in the mountains of Costa Rica.[16]

Art collecting and work as a cultural benefactor

Männil was known as an art collector and cultural benefactor in several countries. His interest in art collecting first arose when he came into the possession of some works by

anthropologists, who criticized their relationship with the Guajiro people and their means of building their archaeological collection.[6]

On July 22, 2010, after Harry Männil's death, Costa Rican authorities raided his house in Heredia and seized 108 pieces of pre-Columbian art, including fourteen large stone spheres. The family had been given two deadlines to hand over the objects voluntarily, and since that did not happen, a raid was conducted. Officials stated that the pieces had been obtained through an illegal purchase which had broken a law against trafficking in archaeological artifacts. The objects were taken to the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in San José.[18]

Harry Männil was the founder and first director of the West Venezuela Water Sport Federation, and had been the director of Caracas Athenaeum in Caracas and the Maracaibo Art Center. He was a member of the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.[4][19] Männil, together with Henry Radeval, contributed to the establishment of the Estonian National Library's Eduard Wiiralt gallery and founded the Eduard Wiiralt Art Award in 1998.[9][20][21]

Estonian writer Olev Remsu has published a biography of Harry Männil titled Elitaarne mees (Tänapäev 2011).

Accusations of war crimes

Efraim Zuroff, the director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, has been the most vocal accuser of Harry Männil. However he admitted after Männil's death that he was unable to prove or corroborate any allegations against Männil.

Männil was accused of committing

Second World War while working for three months in the Nazi-organized Estonian political police in Tallinn in 1941. The Simon Wiesenthal Center claimed that he participated in the persecution and murder of civilians,[22] allegedly murdering 100 Jews personally and rounding up thousands of others.[23] Männil appeared on the Wiesenthal Center's "Top 10 Most Wanted" list.[24] Testimony of how Männil interrogated Jews and communists and allegedly handed victims over to the Nazis to be executed was heard by Sweden's Sandler Commission in the 1940s. He was expelled from Sweden and denied entry to Britain.[25]

In November 1989, the Simon Wiesenthal Center asked the

Kaitsepolitsei (Estonian Security Police), commented on Männil's case: "Harry Männil has no connections to any war crimes committed in Estonia during the Second World War; there was nothing criminal in his actions."[26]

In 2001, the Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity announced that they found no evidence which would indicate Männil had participated in war crimes.[28][27] However, the investigators discovered that seven Jews Männil interrogated were later executed.[29] In March 2001, Kaitsepolitsei started investigating Männil's wartime activities at Efraim Zuroff's request. After a nearly five-year-long investigation, they concluded that there was no evidence that Männil had participated in war crimes.[30] The state prosecutor, Margus Kurm, said that there are no documents or witnesses to prove Männil had participated in executions, arrests, or repressions.[31] Regarding those individuals whom Männil had interrogated, Kurm said that there is no evidence that Männil was aware of the detainees being destined for repression or execution. Several aspects support the view that Männil was unaware of such possibilities:[31] The interrogations in question took place on September 4 and 5, at which time the Wehrmacht had been in Tallinn for only six days.[31]

Zuroff criticized the investigations as "a pathetic whitewash for political reasons of an active Nazi collaborator" and cited the prosecutor's contention that Männil was purposely targeted by the Wiesenthal Center as the best proof that Estonia lacks the political will to prosecute a prominent Estonian.

FSB have indicated they have no evidence regarding Männil.[1] After Männil's death, Efraim Zuroff, while not withdrawing the accusations, admitted that they were "never able to prove that Männil personally committed murder."[33]
More clearly stated, they were never able to prove anything because they had no evidence.

Harry Männil, after temporarily moving to Costa Rica due to the Venezuelan general strike, was denied entry to Costa Rica by the country's immigration director Marco Badilla on February 4, 2003, on the basis of information received from the United States Department of Justice and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

KUMU art museum in February 2006. Männil was among the invitees.[35]

Honors

From 1968 until his death, Männil was a

honorary citizen of the city of Thibodaux, Louisiana. The Venezuelan government awarded him the Order of the Star of Carabobo and the Order of Francisco de Miranda. He received the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden.[9]

Personal life

Harry Männil was a brother of geologist Ralf Männil. He married Masula D'Empaire, a granddaughter of commercial tycoon and banker Samuel Belloso,[6] in 1955; they had four children.[1] The Belloso are a prominent family of recent Jewish heritage dating back as commercial traders and bankers in Curaçao. Many of the family members converted to become Catholics while others retained their Jewish faith to the present.

Männil's primary country of residence was Venezuela, where he lived in Caracas, but he also owned a ranch in Costa Rica, a farm in the Llanos of Venezuela, and apartments in Paris and New York.[11][36]

Notes

a.^ Männil appears to have used his mother's last name, "Laul", as a second last name in accordance with the practice in Latin America.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Erelt, Pekka (January 5, 2006). "Sonnenfeldi needus". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  2. ^ a b Eilart, Andres (13 January 2010). "Costa Ricas suri tuntud väliseestlane Harry Männil". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  3. ^ a b Männil, Harry (June 3, 2007). "Soy un empresario honorable". La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9985-70-064-3
    .
  5. ^ a b "MEGA FEATURE: Senjoor Harri Männil". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). March 21, 2001. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  6. ^
    ISBN 978-0-226-11602-0. Archived
    from the original on 2016-05-21. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
  7. ^ a b c d Liivrand, Harry; Mõtsar, Selle (September 1997). "Harry Männil: Aastas kulub kunsti peale 100 000 dollarit". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  8. ^ a b Erelt, Pekka (22 January 2010). "Mees, kes tegi Harry Männilist miljonäri". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  9. ^ a b c "11 kultuuritegelast ja poliitikut meenutavad Harry Männilit". Postimees (in Estonian). January 12, 2010. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Costa Rica ei luba Männilit natsimineviku pärast riiki". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). February 6, 2003. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  11. ^ a b Michelson, Tarmo (October 18, 2000). "Peeter Ernits surub rikkaima eestlase kaante vahele". SL Õhtuleht (in Estonian). Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  12. ^
    ISBN 9985-9304-3-6
    .
  13. ^ a b Luik, Selle (January 15, 2003). "Männil toodab kuulikindlaid autosid". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  14. ^ "Lapsed valitsevad Harry Männili impeeriumi". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 2004-10-27. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
  15. ^ Masing, Kadri. "Suri väliseestlasest suurärimees Harry Männil". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  16. ^ Kald, Indrek (January 12, 2010). "Suri Harry Männil". Äripäev (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  17. ^ a b c Liivrand, Harry (1997). "Harry Männil maailma kunstikogujate eliidis". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). No. 35. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  18. ^ Solano B., Andrea (July 23, 2010). "Fiscalía de Heredia hizo el mayor decomiso de piezas arqueológicas". La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2010-07-28. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  19. ^ "2008/2009 Annual Listing" (PDF). Museum of Modern Art. p. 80. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 June 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  20. ^ "Eesti nüüdisgraafika näitus – Eduard Wiiralti kunstiauhind 2011". National Library of Estonia. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  21. ^ "Eesti nüüdisgraafika näitus – Eduard Wiiralti kunstiauhind 2011: Reglement". National Library of Estonia. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  22. ^ a b c "Wiesenthal Center: Estonian Investigation of Suspected Nazi War Criminal – A Pathetic Political Whitewash". Simon Wiesenthal Center. 2006-01-03. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  23. ^ "Last of the Nazi War Criminals are Warned: We're Still After You". This is London. 28 November 2007.
  24. ^ "Ten Most Wanted Nazi War Criminals: Time Has Not Diminished Their Crimes". Fox News. 2009-04-30. Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  25. ^ "Exclusive: Hitler's most wanted – the Fuhrer's final fugitives as another Nazi war criminal is brought to justice". Mirror.co.uk. 2009-05-15. Archived from the original on 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  26. ^ a b c "Harry Männil mustas ringis" (PDF). Luup (in Estonian). June 15, 1998. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  27. ^ a b "Venezuela Shocked by Nazi Accusation". Associated Press. 2001-05-01. Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  28. ^ "Sõjakuritegude komisjonil puuduvad Männili kohta andmed". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). 2001-04-27. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  29. ^ "World War II War Crimes Accountability Act of 2009 (Introduced in Senate)". United States Senate. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-10-16.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^ "Kaitsepolitsei ei leidnud Harry Männilil veresüüd". Postimees (in Estonian). 2005-12-30. Archived from the original on 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  31. ^ a b c "Margus Kurm: Männil võib Eestisse tulla sirge seljaga". Maaleht (in Estonian). 2006-01-06. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  32. ^ Chivers, C. J. (2007-08-23). "Estonia Accuses Ex-Official of Genocide". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
  33. ^ a b c Zuroff, Efraim (January 16, 2010). "One who got away". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  34. ^ a b "Former Immigration Director Authorized Return Of Nazi Collaborator". Inside Costa Rica. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  35. ^ "USA suursaadik boikoteeris Harry Männilit". Postimees (in Estonian). BNS. 27 February 2006. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  36. ^ Ernits, Peeter (January 14, 2010). "Pikk tööpäev sai lõplikult otsa". Maaleht (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  37. ^ "/SpecialCollection/Nwcda2/30/MANNIL, HARRY/MANNIL, HARRY_0055.PDF | CIA FOIA (Foia.cia.gov)". Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-13.

External links


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