Walther Funk
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Walther Funk | |
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Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda | |
In office 13 March 1933 – 26 November 1937 | |
Appointed by | Adolf Hitler |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Otto Dietrich |
Personal details | |
Born | War crimes Crimes against humanity | 18 August 1890
Trial | Nuremberg trials |
Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
Walther Funk (18 August 1890 – 31 May 1960) was a
Early life
Funk was born into a merchant family in 1890 in
Political life
Funk, who was a nationalist and
Nazi Germany
In March 1933, Funk was appointed as a
On 5 February 1938, Funk became General Plenipotentiary for Economics (Generalbevollmächtigter für die Wirtschaft), as well as
Between April 1938 and March 1939 Funk was also a Director of the Swiss-based multi-national
On 30 August, immediately prior to the outbreak of the
Funk stayed in office until nearly the end of the Nazi regime and was named by Hitler in his political testament to continue as Reichsminister for the Economy in the cabinet of Joseph Goebbels. However, after Goebbels' suicide on 1 May 1945, Funk was not named to the cabinet formed by Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk.[12] Arrested by American forces on 11 May, he was sent to Camp Ashcan to await trial.
Nuremberg
Funk was tried with other Nazi leaders at the
Funk was clearly distressed during the proceedings and cried during presentation of evidence such as the murders carried out in the
Göring meanwhile described Funk as "an insignificant subordinate", but documentary evidence and his wartime biography Walther Funk, A Life for the Economy were used against him during the trial, leading to his conviction on counts 2, 3 and 4 of the indictment and his sentence of life imprisonment.
Funk was held at Spandau Prison along with other senior Nazis. He was released on 16 May 1957 because of ill health. He made last-minute visits to Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer and Baldur von Schirach before leaving the prison.[15] He died of diabetes three years later in Düsseldorf.
Culture
Schacht, who knew Funk well, said he was "extraordinarily musical" being "a first-rate connoisseur of music whose personal preferences in life were decidedly for the artistic and literary." At a dinner when he sat next to Funk, the orchestra played a melody by Franz Lehár. Funk remarked "Ah! Lehár – the Fuhrer is particularly fond of his music." Schacht replied, jokingly, "It's a pity that Lehár is married to a Jewess", to which Funk immediately responded, "That's something the Fuhrer must not know on any account!"[16] Speer relates how Hitler played for him a record of Liszt's Les Préludes and said "This is going to be our victory fanfare for the Russian campaign. Funk chose it!"[17]
See also
References
- ^ William L. Shirer. (1960). "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". Simon and Schuster. New York. p. 491
- ^ Memoirs by Franz von Papen, London, 1952, p. 312.
- ^ Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer, London, 1970, p. 76.
- ^ "Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Volume VI, pp. 216–217, Document 3533-PS". Office of United States Chief of Counsel For Prosecution of Axis Criminality. 1946. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ My First Seventy-Six Years, by Hjalmar Schacht, London 1955, p. 377. Online
- ^ Bank of International Settlements, "Ninth Annual Report: 1 April 1938 – 31 March 1939" pp. 135–37
- ISBN 0-582-49200-9.
- ^ Speer, 1970, pp. 200–02.
- ISBN 0-02-630600-X.
- ^ Speer, 1970, p. 263.
- ^ Speer, 1970, p. 322.
- ^ "After the Battle: The Flensburg Government" (PDF). Battle of Britain International Ltd. 2005. p. 8. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Schacht, 1955, pp. 455–56.
- ^ Speer, 1970, pp. 508, 515.
- ISBN 0-436-04290-8.
- ^ Schacht, 1955, pp. 340–41, 456.
- ^ Speer, 1970, p. 180.
External links
- Information about Walther Funk in the Reichstag database
- Works by or about Walther Funk at Internet Archive
- Lived in the historic villa at Sven-Hedin-Str. 11
- Funk war crimes dossier
- Newspaper clippings about Walther Funk in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
- Interrogation of Funk, Walther / Office of U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality / Interrogation Division Summary