Karl Saur
Encyclopedia
Karl-Otto Saur was State Secretary in the Reich Ministry for armaments and war production in Germany during the Nazi era and de jure last defence minister of the Third Reich.
Saur was an engineer by profession. After graduation, he joined Thyssen
, then took over the running of the family engineering firm in Freiburg after the death of his father. This business went into bankruptcy in 1928 during the Great Depression. Saur went back to Thyssen in 1929 and was director of the August Thyssen
-Hütte. He was a member of the NSDAP from 1931. He joined the National Socialist Guild of German Engineers and the Todt Organization where he rose to be the right-hand man to Fritz Todt
.
Following Todt's death in a 1942 plane crash, Saur became official deputy to the new armaments minister Albert Speer
. Saur was seen as particularly ruthless in the enforcement of military targets, was involved in all aspects of increasing production including orders that regulated the flow of forced labour towards the end of World War II. In 1945 he was duly awarded the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross in Gold (without swords)
(Kriegsverdienstkreuz), a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross
, which was only awarded twice. Some sources state that this award was only suggested and not finalised due to confusion and the end of the war.
In his political testament, Adolf Hitler named Karl-Otto Saur as the new defence minister (Minister of Munitions (Rüstung)) and successor to Albert Speer after the latter's fall from favour for his role in preventing Hitler's scorched-earth policy. After Hitler's death, Karl Dönitz continued with Saur but also allowed Speer to return to office. From May 1945 Saur was in American captivity. In 1948 he became a witness for the prosecution at the Nuremberg Krupp trial
s - the Americans offered him immunity from prosecution for war crimes if he turned in state evidence, as they wanted a trial to demonstrate the collective guilt of German industry. For this he was viewed as a traitor by industry and was socially isolated. During denazification
he was allowed to be classified as "fellow traveller" and was released shortly afterwards.
Saur founded an engineering consultancy in 1949, and also became a small publishing house. The resulting company Saur Verlag
only became economically successful from the beginning of the 60s under his son Klaus Gerhard Saur.
Saur was an engineer by profession. After graduation, he joined Thyssen
Thyssen
See also variant spellings including Thiessen.Thyssen may refer to:*The Thyssen family, which has many notable members including:**Friedrich Thyssen**August Thyssen**Fritz Thyssen**Bodo Thyssen**Heinrich, Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon...
, then took over the running of the family engineering firm in Freiburg after the death of his father. This business went into bankruptcy in 1928 during the Great Depression. Saur went back to Thyssen in 1929 and was director of the August Thyssen
August Thyssen
August Thyssen was a German industrialist.-Career and marriage:...
-Hütte. He was a member of the NSDAP from 1931. He joined the National Socialist Guild of German Engineers and the Todt Organization where he rose to be the right-hand man to Fritz Todt
Fritz Todt
Fritz Todt was a German engineer and senior Nazi figure, the founder of Organisation Todt. He died in a plane crash during World War II.- Life :Todt was born in Pforzheim to a father who owned a small factory...
.
Following Todt's death in a 1942 plane crash, Saur became official deputy to the new armaments minister Albert Speer
Albert Speer
Albert Speer, born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office...
. Saur was seen as particularly ruthless in the enforcement of military targets, was involved in all aspects of increasing production including orders that regulated the flow of forced labour towards the end of World War II. In 1945 he was duly awarded the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross in Gold (without swords)
War Merit Cross
The War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
(Kriegsverdienstkreuz), a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, which was only awarded twice. Some sources state that this award was only suggested and not finalised due to confusion and the end of the war.
In his political testament, Adolf Hitler named Karl-Otto Saur as the new defence minister (Minister of Munitions (Rüstung)) and successor to Albert Speer after the latter's fall from favour for his role in preventing Hitler's scorched-earth policy. After Hitler's death, Karl Dönitz continued with Saur but also allowed Speer to return to office. From May 1945 Saur was in American captivity. In 1948 he became a witness for the prosecution at the Nuremberg Krupp trial
Krupp Trial
The Krupp Trial was the tenth of twelve trials for war crimes that U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone at Nuremberg, Germany after the end of World War II....
s - the Americans offered him immunity from prosecution for war crimes if he turned in state evidence, as they wanted a trial to demonstrate the collective guilt of German industry. For this he was viewed as a traitor by industry and was socially isolated. During denazification
Denazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
he was allowed to be classified as "fellow traveller" and was released shortly afterwards.
Saur founded an engineering consultancy in 1949, and also became a small publishing house. The resulting company Saur Verlag
K. G. Saur Verlag
K. G. Saur Verlag is a German publisher that specializes in reference information for libraries. The publishing house is owned by Walter de Gruyter and is based in Munich....
only became economically successful from the beginning of the 60s under his son Klaus Gerhard Saur.