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EWALD HEINRICH VON Kleist, a former German army lieutenant who took part in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, has died at the age of 90, a think tank he co-founded said today.
Von Kleist, who was arrested after the 1944 bid to remove Hitler and sent to a concentration camp, died last Friday in the southern German city of Munich, a spokesman for the Munich Security Conference said.
Under the 20 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 American Hollywood actor Tom Cruise in the 2008 film “Valkyrie” about the failed assassination -, who had personally recruited von Kleist.
Von 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.
Von 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 Ravensbrueck 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 AFP.
During a 2010 commemoration of the failed plot, von Kleist said their driving motive had been “to want to end the dreadful crimes” of the Nazi regime, which continued for nearly another 10 months after the assassination attempt.
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Went to Berlin a few years ago and went to the spot where von Staffenburg
was shot by the SS. The building is scarred with bullet holes. Very eerie.
The film ,being Hollywood and all, depicted him as a rebel who was standing up for the greater good. Reality was he/they only carried out Valkerie for purely selfish reasons and not to necessarily bring an end to the Nazi regime.
Yep. Have you seen Argo yet? About 60% fiction. Are movies rewriting history?
No they’re not rewriting history Jason. Doesn’t stop them having a go though.
And yes I have seen Argo and I agree. The only truth in the movie was that Ben Afleck does indeed suit a beard.
They attempted to assassinate Hitler. How was this not a step towards ending the nazi regime?
Ah to be fair Hollywood have to dress it up to sell tickets.
@ David O’Leary
Please elaborate on these selfish reasons.
Selfish ?? Tgey saw hitler leading germany on a path that would/did bring about its downfall. Yes they might have wanted to take power but maybe to lead germany on different path maybe?
Oh speaking of movies remember downfall? ? What a great movie :)
Hi Robert.
Before this escalates into a ” I know more about Nazi Germany than you” situation, I should say that that info I got was from a Third Reich cycle tour that I took while being in Berlin.
The tour guide was the one who made the comparisons between the movie and the reality. And according to him, von Staffenburg and co were only interested in putting themselves into power for their own benefit and not to bring an end to the nazi regime.
Is it true? Who knows. Maybe a resident expert here in the comment section can elaborate or contribute.
Another of those involved in the plot was Peter bielenberg who was married to Christabel Mary burton from tullow. Christabel wrote a book about living in Nazi Germany, hiding Jewish people and her husbands involvement in the plot against Hitler, the past is myself.
@ David O’Leary.
No need for the smart opening there, I wasn’t gonna turn it into anything.
You seemed pretty sure of it so just wondering the source.
Cycling tour , pretty solid stuff so…..
Apparantly John McCain paid tribute to his “friends of three decades”. I wonder how a man willing to sacrifice his life for the greater good feels about a self-serving reactionary like McCain.
21st century German propaganda trying to rewrite history. “look we wanted hitler dead too back then”
What the hell are you talking about?
SF/APÉ supported the Nazis a fact that they would like to forget,
Muppet
Not totally related but Tom Cruise is coming to Dublin on the 3rd April for a movie premier
dave o’leary – not sure about these tours. We did one at Dachua where the guide regaled us with a tale of there being one irishman imprisoned and how he heard there was a fight on (the war) and wanted to join. Not only was this story completely untrue it was concocted by the tour guide who was full of it himself.
Funny you should say that, I did the Dachau tour and our guide said that the sole Irishman imprisioned there was in fact a photojournalist working for a British newspaper who was captured while documenting the war.
Just shows how info can be misleading sometimes.
@David O’Leary.
My first one was genuine.
Look at your first comment,
“The film ,being Hollywood and all, depicted him as a rebel who was standing up for the greater good. Reality was he/they only carried out Valkerie for purely selfish reasons and not to necessarily bring an end to the Nazi regime”
Reality, eh? From some mush on a cycling tour.
You’re a clown, getting all aggressive on a thread.
Grow up you moron!
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