german cars and nazi crimes

http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/meg.brown/VWNazi.htm ^ | 14 Sep 98 | Eric Peters

[abcdefg12345]

Wall Street Journal, 14 September 1998 p. A32

Don't Blame VW for Nazi Crimes

Manager's Journal By Eric Peters

Last week Volkswagen announced that it is establishing a $12 million fund to pay reparations to Nazi-era slave laborers. This "humanitarian relief" effort, as the auto maker characterized it, isn't likely to stave off a pair of lawsuits by survivors who toiled in VW 0 factories during World War H. But what is the legal or moral justification for holding Volkswagen's current employees, officers and stockholders responsible for wartime deeds of 50-plus years ago?

Two weeks ago Elly Gross, a 69-year-old Auschwitz survivor, filed a class-action suit demanding that VW hand over "back pay" for her work building war equipment, as well as unspecified damages for exposure to hazardous materials and working conditions. In a similar action, attorney Ed Fagan has filed a federal lawsuit in New York City against several German and Austrian companies, including Volkswagen, over the use of slave labor.

"The industrial companies of Germany played an integral role in the Holocaust," said Mr. Fagan, whose suit also names Daimler-Benz, BMW, Audi and five non-automotive corporations. "They master-minded and implemented with the Nazi regime a conspiracy to purposely enslave and exploit Holocaust victims and to profit from the Holocaust."

All of that is true enough. Just as the Confederate States of America practiced chattel slavery, just as the U.S. government repeatedly abrogated lawful treaties made with sovereign American Indian tribes and stole their land. But that was a long time ago- and the principals are, all dead.

What happened was indeed tragic, cruel, and grossly, maliciously iniquitous. But what has a to do with people born years after the fact-or companies whose only connection to their predecessors of half a century ago is a name on a corporate logo?

The Volkswagen of the Third Reich died with Hitler in April 1945. Its factories in Wolfsburg lay in ruins, its company heads dead or removed from positions of authority by the Allies as part of "de-nazification" efforts. The factories of Daimler-Benz that produced engines for Messerschmitt fighters were bombed into dust by the Eighth Air Force; BMW plants wound up under the boot of Soviet forces in East Germany. Audi was little more than a memory by the time of the Remagen crossing. For all practical purposes, these companies had ceased to exist. What emerged after 1945 were ground-up rebuilds-with their logos the only tenuous thread connecting them to the firms that existed prior to April 1945.

It's now been 53 years since the end of World War II. Anyone working for VW, BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz today was at most a child while Hitler lived and his henchmen exploited slave labor. How can these people fairly be held accountable for the sins of another generation? People who had nothing to do with the Third Reich, including American shareholders, will be made to pay its bills. It would establish a pernicious legal precedent if the courts recognized such a principle of collective guilt.

It's one thing to demand that Swiss banks-intact corporate entities before, during and after the war-be made to account for their activities during the war. But as for VW and the other German industrial concerns of today, their sins died with the empire they served. After all these years, we should be able to acknowledge the horrors of the past without demanding recompense from those who cannot fairly be judged guilty of anything beyond working for a company that happens to share a name with one that ceased to exist long ago.

Mr. Peters writes on automotive issues for The Washington Times and is a nationally syndicated columnist.

back to 304 Hausaufgaben

[abcdefg12345]

What do you think about buying "german" cars, like DaimlerChrysler?

[elmer fudd]

IMO they are generally of excellent quality, but a little pricey and less reliable than their Japanese counterpart. Of course that mostly applies to actual German automobiles, not Chryslers.

[cmsgop]

I bought my VW Jetta in March of 2001. I did this after I threw Thousands of $$$$ in repairs to my 3 previous GM Chevy Camaro's (All Dealer Serviced). I am happy to report my Jetta has not cost me a friggin dime.

[TheBattman]

Gee....it took this woman how many years to think this up? Or is this the product of a lawyer with $$$ flashing in his eyes?

It's been well over 50 years since WWII. In that time, this "Auschwitz survivor" - notice they just had to put that in there - didn't think one time about this issue?

I guess next will be Iraqi or Afghani peopel filing lawsuits against Raytheon for making the weapons that were used against their countries.....????

The time for reparations is long past in this case. It would be one thing if a Swiss bank had been hiding an old Nazi account that held a Jewish family's life savings that was just discovered. I could even see a family filing a suit to get property back that was wrongfully taken from them by the Nazi regime - if it took this long to find the trail. But this, I just don't get.

[truth_seeker]

"What do you think about buying "german" cars, like DaimlerChrysler?"

I have bought several German cars, since 1966.

vw = 2
Opel = 1
Porsche = 1
BMW = 2
Mercedes = 1

I want to see Germany quickly redeem itself, so I'm able to continue to own the finest cars in the world. (BMW)

If I decide to boycott German cars, it will be a difficult shopping task.

A note: BMW and Mercedes now build vehicles in the US (both company's SUVs are US assembled).

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Two weeks ago Elly Gross, a 69-year-old Auschwitz survivor, filed a class-action suit demanding that VW hand over "back pay" for her work

Okay, that's it...stop the presses. Do the math...this person would've spent about all of her first year in Auschwitz, if true. How much back breaking work could an infant do??

[Boundless]

> I bought my VW Jetta in March of 2001.

We got a Jetta TDI wagon last year.
If it gets stolen/totalled, or we need another new car,
we won't get another VW.

It's a marvelous machine, high quality, excellent
mileage (42mpg avg), sprightly, comfortable,
reliable, and the dealer is outstanding, but...

It comes from the Axis of Weasels, who have so far done
nothing to remove themselves from position #2 on my
personal list of Least Favored Nations.

I'm wondering if VW, Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porche sales
are off due to this.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I agree. I don't think I'll buy another Chrysler since they are now owned by Daimler. I have loved our 2 Chrysler LHS cars, but Daimler elected to change and then discontinue the LHS model. The replacements are not as nice. I'm buying a Cadillac next time -- mostly because of the change of Chrysler ownership and the German stance on Iraq at the UN.

[liberalnot]

my mother is native american--are we going to get reparations?

[goldstategop]

I've a VW New Beetle. There are complaints on the Internet about VWOA's lousy customer service but when the cars turn out to be well-built as ours they're just as good as Japanese cars. The car I have (used 1999 GLS) I bought back in January and its still awhile til its due for scheduled maintenance. No complaints about VW quality here.

[Richard Kimball]

Volkswagen Turbo-Diesel Beetle here. No problems, 46 mpg, love the car. I'll boycott escargot and call it a night.

[DensaMensa]

I have bought several German cars, since 1966.

vw = 3
Mercedes = 3

plus

Volvo = 11 (company cars, then family)
GMC = 3 (2 pickups)
Ford = 1 (pickup)
Dodge = 3 (1 pickup)
Toyota = 2
Lexus = 1

The Lexus is the best of the lot.  I have no idea what my service managers name is.

[eleni121]

What do I think - never again! Our next car will be Japanese. American car? NO way. I am sick and tired of buying union made American cars when the unions are actively and harshly working against Republican conservative causes. They're more left than the Germans!

[Indrid Cold]

I've got 2 Mercedes right now, and they're both lemons. I'll be selling them as soon as I can log 500 miles on either and assure myself the buyer won't blow the engine 20 miles from my house. It's really quite a disappointment, because I always considered Mercedes the apex of automotive quality--that is, until I bought a couple. I'll probably buy Jap from now on, which has nothing to do with current politics and everything to do with reliability.

[Atticus]

I have known several Jewish Americans who will not buy a German car, but most seem to favor German luxury cars over their competitors. As a child, when the original VW bugs were still in production, I was told that Hitler designed the first bug, but maybe that was an urban legend. I also remember one woman who would not buy Krupps appliances because of some alleged role in the Holocaust. One of my cars is a 1993 Toyota Corolla, which I can't kill if I tried. I am going to replace it with a higher end SUV or sedan, but it will not be a Toyota based on Toyota's sell out to Jesse Jackson.

[dennisw]

If I had the money to blow I'd buy a 15-20 year old Mercedes and pay a mechanic thousands to make it run like new. Bodywork and new paint. They just looked so great and still can if you have the money!

Old Jags are in the same class for me.

[Billy_bob_bob]

I'm sorry to hear of your poor experience with Mercedes. I've had two now and I'm very happy with the quality of their products and the quality of the dealer service. My first one had 32k miles when I traded it in, my current one has around 25k miles on it and runs like a watch.

[DensaMensa]

}I'd buy a 15-20 year old Mercedes and pay a mechanic thousands to make it run like new. Bodywork and new paint.

They are out there, and a whole "cult" is growing up around them and their repairability. An secondary market has grown up to supply parts at reasonable prices.

My 1983 gold 300SD is still in the family. It's well into the 2nd engine and transmission, but the body has never been touched. It still looks like the day I drove it new off the lot. You haven't lived until you've had a gaggle of these S-Chassis MBZ and a clutch of Porche and Beemers chase you down an Autobahn at well over 100 mph! {ggg}. If the lights flash behind you, GET OVER QUICK!

[Indrid Cold]

Mine are somewhat older, an 88 and a 91 (just can't bring myself to take the horrible depreciation from new cars). When they run they're nice enough, but it seems like something different breaks on 'em every time I turn around.