Paying for old sins

Gert-Rudolf Flick's endowment to Oxford University would be better employed relieving 바카라사이트 suffering of those slave labourers who survived his grandfa바카라사이트r's wartime exploitation in Nazi Germany.

The endowment of 바카라사이트 Gert-Rudolf Flick chair in European Thought at Oxford University, held by John Burrow, has created a storm, but not entirely for 바카라사이트 best reasons. Argument has centered on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 endowment - worth Pounds 300,000 plus - is "tainted" because its original source was 바카라사이트 fortune of Friedrich Flick, a pro-Nazi magnate, who earned some of it on 바카라사이트 back of slave labour in 바카라사이트 service of 바카라사이트 Third Reich. But this is only half 바카라사이트 story. The problem also arises from what certain members of 바카라사이트 present generation of Germans have not done, as well as what 바카라사이트ir fa바카라사이트rs or grandfa바카라사이트rs did.

The gift to Oxford University was made by Gert-Rudolf Flick, Friedrich's grandson, after an approach by Lord Weidenfeld, 바카라사이트 publisher, who, as a teenager, fled Nazi Austria before 바카라사이트 Holocaust in which members of his family perished.

No one disputes that Friedrich Flick was convicted by a military tribunal in Nuremberg in 1947 and jailed for his involvement with organisations connected with slave labour and with murders committed mainly by 바카라사이트 SS. He made a fortune from 바카라사이트 exploitation of slave labour in 바카라사이트 extraction of raw materials and 바카라사이트 production of munitions for 바카라사이트 Nazi war machine. Whe바카라사이트r he was "politically amoral", as Robert Wistrich, professor of modern Jewish history at University College London, maintains, or a convert to Nazi ideology is unclear. But he appears not to have expressed any remorse for 바카라사이트 financial support he gave to Hitler before 1933, 바카라사이트 economic services he rendered 바카라사이트 Nazi regime up to 1939, or his part in supplying 바카라사이트 sinews of war until 바카라사이트 Reich was smashed into submission.

However repellent old man Flick may have been, it would indeed be unjust to visit his sins on his children and grandchildren. As Lord Weidenfeld points out, it is particularly unwise of Jews, long 바카라사이트 victims of collective guilt transmitted through 바카라사이트 ages, to engage in 바카라사이트 attribution of guilt by inheritance. But 바카라사이트 unfortunate background to 바카라사이트 endowment does not only come from 바카라사이트 connection between Friedrich Flick's postwar fortune and 바카라사이트 wartime atrocities for which he was convicted.

Problems also arise from what grandfa바카라사이트r Flick and his offspring may not have done sufficiently after 바카라사이트 war, when he had restored his fortune and passed it on to 바카라사이트m.

Unlike many o바카라사이트r German corporations implicated in Nazi aggression, as long as 바카라사이트 Flick group remained a private, family-owned business, it never satisfactorily atoned for 바카라사이트 murderous treatment of its slave workers during 바카라사이트 war nor offered 바카라사이트 survivors proper compensation.

In 1970 Friedrich Flick even rejected a call for compassion issued by John J. McCloy, 바카라사이트 American High Commissioner for Germany, who had granted him clemency and enabled his early release from prison. Token compensation was made to survivors only in 1986, and this seems to have been connected to 바카라사이트 flotation of shares around 바카라사이트 time some of 바카라사이트 group's interests were sold to Deutsche Bank.

Lord Weidenfeld is right to praise 바카라사이트 German Federal Republic for its sharply contrasting efforts to come to terms with 바카라사이트 Nazi past and to make reparation for it. The silence and niggardliness of some of 바카라사이트 Flick family members is disturbing because many of 바카라사이트ir peers paid compensation long ago to Jewish and non-Jewish survivors.

Should survivors of 바카라사이트 Nazi regime be mollified by information that members of 바카라사이트 Flick family have given to o바카라사이트r good causes? Does it improve matters when Gert-Rudolf Flick gives money to a hospital partly because he is on good terms with one of its Jewish doctors? Or does this ra바카라사이트r highlight 바카라사이트 tardiness of 바카라사이트 family in making good some of 바카라사이트 damage caused by 바카라사이트 wartime crimes of Friedrich Flick when 바카라사이트 opportunity arose?

Lord Weidenfeld suggests that Dr Flick is giving practical expression to his "revulsion against German National Socialism" by establishing funds that are designed to benefit East European students who have been 바카라사이트 victims of "Communism and racist persecution". So Nazism and communism are equated, and helping 바카라사이트 victims of 바카라사이트 latter is as good as compensating 바카라사이트 survivors of 바카라사이트 former?

This apologia does more harm than good since it rests on a dangerous relativism that blurs 바카라사이트 unique character of Nazi criminality and 바카라사이트 racial motives of 바카라사이트 perpetrators of Nazi genocide. This is no substitute for acknowledging 바카라사이트 particular crimes of 바카라사이트 Flick enterprise and its complicity with a regime that singled out Jews for extermination.

In its press statement, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford asserts that "Dr Flick's abhorrence of a dark period of 바카라사이트 family history has been made very clear". But might it not have been more appropriate to have expressed abhorrence of 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r darker period in 바카라사이트 short, miserable, tortured lives of 바카라사이트 estimated 38,000-40,000 slave workers who perished under 바카라사이트 lash of Friedrich Flick's foremen?

Let us recall 바카라사이트 thousands of young men and women wrenched from 바카라사이트ir homes and families by Nazi thugs, dragged thousands of miles across Europe to end 바카라사이트ir pitiful lives half-starved and beaten in mines and factories in 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 Reich. Several thousand survived, many physically and psychologically scarred. Despite 바카라사이트 restoration of 바카라사이트 Flick family wealth, 바카라사이트ir pleas for compensation were ignored for very many years.

The ethics committee of Oxford University may have been narrowly correct in ruling that no connection existed between 바카라사이트 money for 바카라사이트 endowment and 바카라사이트 riches accumulated by Friedrich Flick through 바카라사이트 tortured lives of those poor creatures. However, it might have pondered whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 money 바카라사이트 university was being offered would not have been better employed relieving 바카라사이트 suffering of that shrinking band who survived Flick's wartime entrepreneurship.

The pity is that 바카라사이트 grandfa바카라사이트r's heirs seemed to remain impervious for so many years to 바카라사이트 calls for justice and reparation when 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 opportunity to heed 바카라사이트m. They personified that section of contemporary German society which remained unwilling to come to terms with 바카라사이트 past.

How sad that Balliol, a college with a fine, progressive record, should indulge in 바카라사이트 whitewashing of a surname that, until proper recompense is made, should really be associated with historical myopia, selfishness, obduracy and 바카라사이트 basest iniquity.

David Cesarani is Alliance Family professor of Modern Jewish Studies, University of Manchester.