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

  • From: Marc James Small <msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx,rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 21:42:42 -0400

At 07:35 PM 9/5/2006, Allen Zak wrote:

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

This was the law at the time. Look to a picture of the Leitz works at the same period, and you will see the same. Even the Thyssen works had these flags, and the Nazis were getting ready to ship Herr Thyssen off to Dachau for his anti-regime activities.

The law may be an ass, but the law is the law. Abiding by a simple law requiring companies to fly national flags or to display the Chancellor's picture in 1935 or the like -- long before Kristallnacht and the Holocaust and all that -- simply marks that the company was complying with a law.

No hu-hu.

Marc


msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!


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