Hans-Heinrich Dieckhoff
Encyclopedia
Hans-Heinrich Dieckhoff (23 December 1884 – 21 March 1952) was a German
diplomat
best known for his service to the Nazi regime
.
Dieckhoff was born in Strasbourg
, Alsace-Lorraine
. From 1937 to November 1938 he served as German ambassador
to the United States
, until recalled in response to the American recall of its ambassador in protest over the Kristallnacht
. He was the last to occupy the post until after the war. In 1943 he assumed the post of ambassador to Spain
.
Dieckhoff was interrogated after the war and was called to testify at the Nuremberg trials
, but he was never formally charged with any crime. During his American posting he was involved in the controversy over the German American Bund relaying an order from the German government that German nationals were not to be associated with the organization; and in 1938 he warned Adolf Hitler
that President Roosevelt had taken an implacably hostile opinion towards the Nazi government and that he was preparing for war against Germany.
Dieckhoff was related through marriage to Joachim von Ribbentrop
, being the brother-in-law of Ribbentrop's sister.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
best known for his service to the Nazi regime
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
.
Dieckhoff was born in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
. From 1937 to November 1938 he served as German ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, until recalled in response to the American recall of its ambassador in protest over the Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, and also Reichskristallnacht, Pogromnacht, and Novemberpogrome, was a pogrom or series of attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria on 9–10 November 1938.Jewish homes were ransacked, as were shops, towns and...
. He was the last to occupy the post until after the war. In 1943 he assumed the post of ambassador to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Dieckhoff was interrogated after the war and was called to testify at the Nuremberg trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
, but he was never formally charged with any crime. During his American posting he was involved in the controversy over the German American Bund relaying an order from the German government that German nationals were not to be associated with the organization; and in 1938 he warned Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
that President Roosevelt had taken an implacably hostile opinion towards the Nazi government and that he was preparing for war against Germany.
Dieckhoff was related through marriage to Joachim von Ribbentrop
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
, being the brother-in-law of Ribbentrop's sister.