[rollei_list] Re: Rollei TLR - The History by Ian Parker

  • From: Allen Zak <azak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 19:35:38 -0400


On Sep 5, 2006, at 4:44 PM, John Jensen wrote:


I have a Rollei book from the 30s at home ('The Golden Book'???) with numerous factory pictures in it. One is of the exterior of the factory with a hakenkreuz flag on a flagpole. Another is an interior shot with a portrait on the far wall with an image suspiously like that of Adolph's. Wrong? Well, to do otherwise at the time would have caused much trouble.

During the mid 1950s, in a collection of German photo industry promotional publications, I came across that same (I think) book. It contained a number of Rolleiflex photographs, most ordinary salon type pictures, but included were several flattering photos of Nazi officials and regalia. These, along with the aforementioned factory view with Nazi flag at each corner of the building, led me to believe that either/or Francke and Heidecke were ardent Nazi supporters or were trying to curry favor with them. Parker's assertions of F & H complicity with German fascism was entirely consistent with this because none of the other books and pamphlets made any reference to the regime, except perhaps for a distant ship in a harbor displaying a flag, or some other unavoidable Nazi artifact. It made sense to me that during the 30s, German companies trading on an international market would try to avoid a touchy political controversy unless they had some sort of agenda.
There is no evidence, however, that F & H or the German photo industry as a whole, committed war crimes and some, Leitz and Zeiss among them, made efforts to protect their Jewish employees.


Allen Zak

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