Hugo Princz
Encyclopedia
Hugo Princz was a Holocaust survivor who was imprisoned in Auschwitz concentration camp
in Oswiecim
, Poland
. Princz is notable for among other things being an American citizen at the time of his imprisonment in 1940, his denial of reparations by the West German government and their successor, the government of a unified Germany, based in part to his American citizenship and his decades-long legal battle to collect a $500-a-month pension.
Princz' father Herman was a U.S. citizen therefore his citizenship was conferred upon his children. Princz and his family who were Jewish, were living in the former Czechoslovakia
in 1939, were his father worked leasing
combine harvestors
to Czech farmers during the harvest. Soon after the annexation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany
, on September 1, 1939 World War II
started.
In March 1942, they were detained by the Slovak Fascist
police as enemy aliens. Custody of the family was turned over to the German SS, who confiscated their American passports and other identifying papers proving their American citizenship.
Instead of being swapped in a Red Cross-sponsored exchange of prisoners, as most other American civilians were, the family was taken to Majdanek.
He was uncertain of the fate of his parents Herman and Gisella and sister Irene, he believes they perished in Treblinka concentration camp. Another sister Yolanda was subjected to medical experiments at Auschwitz by Josef Mengele
, and subsequently died. Princz along with his brothers Arthur and Alex were deported to Auschwitz where he was tattooed with the number 36707. He was leased out to I.G. Farben to work in the Buna-Werke industrial complex as a bricklayer
, by the SS, as a skilled laborer for 4 Reichsmarks per day. Both his brothers were also leased to I.G. Farben. According to Princz, Alex starved to death and Arthur was beaten severely for bringing him food then was executed. An older brother Eugene living in Hungary
at the time they were arrested was killed, and a married sister Elsa also living in Hungary was never heard from again.
Princz was sent on a death march
to Dachau
to work repairing bomb damage to an underground Messerschmitt
airplane factory. He was among a group of prisoners on a transport train headed toward the Alps
on April 29, 1945 that was intercepted by an American armored unit when it stopped in Poing, Germany
. "USA" had been stitched onto his uniform to identify his nationality, due to this the American troops sent him to a U.S. Military hospital.
After the I.G. Farben trial at Nuremberg
, I.G. Farben was broken up into the six original companies that existed prior to their merger. Three of the larger companies were BASF
, Hoechst AG
and Bayer
. They were ordered to pay reparations prior to resuming business in the United States.
The three companies set up a compensation fund which was combined with the one set up by West Germany's government. A office was established in New York City
to handle claims and payments.
Hugo Princz first applied for compensation in 1955 for his. His claim was rejected that November:
"Because you were an American citizen at the time of your persecution and the further reason that on Jan. 1, 1947, you were not a resident within the territory of the German Reich, you are not entitled to a claim for compensation". Germany's defense against non-payment was sovereign immunity.
Peter Heidenberger, represented Germany in the court case in Washington, D.C.
stated to the press that:
"The German government very much regrets what happened to Mr. Princz . . . and after the war passed various laws compensating individuals like Mr. Princz for the wrongs they suffered."
...the original law compensating Holocaust victims covered only refugees and not U.S. citizens,... and Princz missed a 1969 deadline for filing a claim under a 1965 law that did hold the possibility of some relief....
Princz alleges that his enslavement at the behest of I.G. Farben and Messerschmitt was a commercial enterprise exempt under the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.
In 1984, Sen. Bill Bradley
(D-N.J.) acted on Pincz's behalf and had the State Department press his claim. Officials from the German Embassy in Washington acted on his behalf as well. In 1987 the West German Foreign Ministry in Bonn
would still not approve payment.
In October, 1990 after the merger of East and West Germany, senator, Jesse Helms
(R-N.C.) acted on his behalf to try apply diplomatic pressure on Germany.
"To them, this has become a matter of national honor," Princz's lawyer, Perles, says of the German government. "When I first took the case in 1986, I expected to be done with it in 90 days. They admit this happened, they say they're sorry for it, but they're not going to pay."
Princz eventually won part of a 2.1 million dollar settlement, shared with 11 others, after legal expenses, reached in part due to a settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and Germany.
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
in Oswiecim
Oswiecim
Oświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Princz is notable for among other things being an American citizen at the time of his imprisonment in 1940, his denial of reparations by the West German government and their successor, the government of a unified Germany, based in part to his American citizenship and his decades-long legal battle to collect a $500-a-month pension.
Princz' father Herman was a U.S. citizen therefore his citizenship was conferred upon his children. Princz and his family who were Jewish, were living in the former Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1939, were his father worked leasing
Leasing
Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual, periodic, tax deductible payments....
combine harvestors
Combine harvester
The combine harvester, or simply combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. The name derives from the fact that it combines three separate operations, reaping, threshing, and winnowing, into a single process. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn ,...
to Czech farmers during the harvest. Soon after the annexation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany
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...
, on September 1, 1939 World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started.
In March 1942, they were detained by the Slovak Fascist
Slovak People's Party
The Slovak People's Party was a Slovak right-wing party and was described as a fascist and...
police as enemy aliens. Custody of the family was turned over to the German SS, who confiscated their American passports and other identifying papers proving their American citizenship.
Instead of being swapped in a Red Cross-sponsored exchange of prisoners, as most other American civilians were, the family was taken to Majdanek.
He was uncertain of the fate of his parents Herman and Gisella and sister Irene, he believes they perished in Treblinka concentration camp. Another sister Yolanda was subjected to medical experiments at Auschwitz by Josef Mengele
Josef Mengele
Josef Rudolf Mengele , also known as the Angel of Death was a German SS officer and a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. He earned doctorates in anthropology from Munich University and in medicine from Frankfurt University...
, and subsequently died. Princz along with his brothers Arthur and Alex were deported to Auschwitz where he was tattooed with the number 36707. He was leased out to I.G. Farben to work in the Buna-Werke industrial complex as a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
, by the SS, as a skilled laborer for 4 Reichsmarks per day. Both his brothers were also leased to I.G. Farben. According to Princz, Alex starved to death and Arthur was beaten severely for bringing him food then was executed. An older brother Eugene living in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
at the time they were arrested was killed, and a married sister Elsa also living in Hungary was never heard from again.
Princz was sent on a death march
Death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
to Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
to work repairing bomb damage to an underground Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt
Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...
airplane factory. He was among a group of prisoners on a transport train headed toward the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
on April 29, 1945 that was intercepted by an American armored unit when it stopped in Poing, Germany
Poing, Germany
Poing is a community in the Upper Bavarian district of Ebersberg, lying east of central Munich.-Geography:Poing is approximately NE of Munich and is serviced by the Munich S-Bahn and MVV Bus systems. Poing has two...
. "USA" had been stitched onto his uniform to identify his nationality, due to this the American troops sent him to a U.S. Military hospital.
After the I.G. Farben trial at Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, I.G. Farben was broken up into the six original companies that existed prior to their merger. Three of the larger companies were BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
, Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
and Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
. They were ordered to pay reparations prior to resuming business in the United States.
The three companies set up a compensation fund which was combined with the one set up by West Germany's government. A office was established in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to handle claims and payments.
Hugo Princz first applied for compensation in 1955 for his. His claim was rejected that November:
"Because you were an American citizen at the time of your persecution and the further reason that on Jan. 1, 1947, you were not a resident within the territory of the German Reich, you are not entitled to a claim for compensation". Germany's defense against non-payment was sovereign immunity.
Peter Heidenberger, represented Germany in the court case in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
stated to the press that:
"The German government very much regrets what happened to Mr. Princz . . . and after the war passed various laws compensating individuals like Mr. Princz for the wrongs they suffered."
...the original law compensating Holocaust victims covered only refugees and not U.S. citizens,... and Princz missed a 1969 deadline for filing a claim under a 1965 law that did hold the possibility of some relief....
Princz alleges that his enslavement at the behest of I.G. Farben and Messerschmitt was a commercial enterprise exempt under the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.
In 1984, Sen. Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
(D-N.J.) acted on Pincz's behalf and had the State Department press his claim. Officials from the German Embassy in Washington acted on his behalf as well. In 1987 the West German Foreign Ministry in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
would still not approve payment.
In October, 1990 after the merger of East and West Germany, senator, Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
(R-N.C.) acted on his behalf to try apply diplomatic pressure on Germany.
"To them, this has become a matter of national honor," Princz's lawyer, Perles, says of the German government. "When I first took the case in 1986, I expected to be done with it in 90 days. They admit this happened, they say they're sorry for it, but they're not going to pay."
Princz eventually won part of a 2.1 million dollar settlement, shared with 11 others, after legal expenses, reached in part due to a settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and Germany.