Goerings Merc

[nigel cross]

Custom-built Mercedes belonging to Hitler's deputy Herman Goering to be restored after spending over half a century in a North Carolina garage | Mail Online
Lets hope they do a good job on it

 

[Paul/]

Lets hope they do a good job on it

If it had been "liberated" by the British Army it would probably have been much better looked after.

Donating it to a Holocaust museum sounds bizarre- I bet Mercedes PR department would love that...

 

[Charles Morgan]

My first thought was who in their right mind would wish to preserve this, then the idea about putting it in a Holocaust museum made sense.

Mercedes, like most German companies, were in it up to their necks with the Nazis and used thousands of concentration camp slaves to manufacture their vehicles, many of whom were worked to death, or if incapable of working, were shipped back to a concentration camp to be gassed. Needs must and all that, but a discussion of all this is essential - the story must be told, ambiguities and all, so that those were the victims get their story told too.

My former employer, Dresdner Bank, handled all the melmer gold - the jewellery and gold teeth melted down from the Jews and others gassed. It also was given confiscated banks in conquerered territory, whilst the Deutsche Bank got the Jewish banks within Germany - that's why it remains much larger, as Dresdner lost all its foreign acquisitions, while in Germany, Deutsche hung on.

Anybody who wants a good starting point on the German war economy please read Adam Tooze's The Wages of Destruction. The notion that it was all the fault of the evil Nazis and everyone else just kept their heads down is unsustainable.

 

[Paul/]

Anybody who wants a good starting point on the German war economy please read Adam Tooze's The Wages of Destruction. The notion that it was all the fault of the evil Nazis and everyone else just kept their heads down is unsustainable.

Agreed, and I thought it was a good read on the subject.
Many big German industrial companies prospered from the war and many readily exploited slave labour, so I think it would be a pity if the Mercedes brand was prominently singled out for shaming... not that any sympathy is deserved if it was (I think Mercedes was one of the companies who argued for better rations for their slaves- not for humane reasons, but because of productivity concerns).

(And if the car was displayed in a Holocaust Museum, there's a risk that the casual observer might get the impression that MB's only crime was to be the favourite brand of car for leading Nazis.)

 

[aquiss]

The historical pictures don't appear to be of the same car as the modern pictures. Are they sure they have the right car?

 

[baxlin]

The historical pictures don't appear to be of the same car as the modern pictures. Are they sure they have the right car?

I see what you mean, the pictures on the left in each batch have different front wing and wheels to the other pics, particularly that of the part restoration front wing

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Don't mention the war!

 

[Paul/]

The historical pictures don't appear to be of the same car as the modern pictures. Are they sure they have the right car?

Indeed- sloppy journalism, Goering had a host of MBs, both bespoke builds and standard models.

 

[tonyc280]

A disgrace it should be scrapped and burned FULL STOP

 

[BFT]

A disgrace it should be scrapped and burned FULL STOP

Why? It's a symbol of defeat and trophy of the Allies winning the war?

It should be appreciated for the fact that it is a classic Mercedes Benz, and a symbol for that it was captured by the Allies. And an active part of what has happened is being restored to remember those times of hard ship which sadly most people these days are forgetting about.

We drive German cars, back then they were a firm part of the Nazi war effort. So let's burn our AMG's too, as they are a natural progression of what was done all those years ago.

The atrocities by the Nazi's were without doubt disgraceful, but history is written and has happened. Scrapping it and burning it will not change history (Sadly).