Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
Senior government official in Nazi Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Johann Ludwig "Lutz" Graf[lower-alpha 3] Schwerin von[lower-alpha 4] Krosigk (Born Johann Ludwig von Krosigk; 22 August 1887 – 4 March 1977) was a German senior government official who served as the minister of finance of Germany from 1932 to 1945 and de facto chancellor of Germany during May 1945.
Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk | |
|---|---|
 Krosigk in 1932 | |
| Leading Minister of Germany[lower-alpha 1] | |
| In office 2 May 1945 – 23 May 1945[lower-alpha 2] | |
| President | Karl Dönitz |
| Preceded by | Joseph Goebbels |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 2 May 1945 – 23 May 1945 | |
| Leading Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Arthur Seyß-Inquart |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 1 June 1932 – 23 May 1945 | |
| Chancellor | Franz von Papen Kurt von Schleicher Adolf Hitler Joseph Goebbels |
| Leading Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Hermann Dietrich |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Johann Ludwig von Krosigk (1887-08-22)22 August 1887 Rathmannsdorf, Duchy of Anhalt, German Empire |
| Died | 4 March 1977(1977-03-04) (aged 89) Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany |
| Political party | Nazi Party (1937–1945) |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Beatrix von Storch (granddaughter) |
| Children | 9 |
| Parent(s) | Erich Adolf Wilhelm (father) Luise Rosalie Ludmilla (mother) |
| Alma mater | University of Halle University of Lausanne Oriel College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Officer, jurist, politician |
| Civilian awards | Golden Party Badge |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire |
| Branch/service | Imperial German Army |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Military awards | Iron Cross, 1st class |
A non-partisan conservative, he was appointed to the post of Minister of Finance by Franz von Papen in 1932. At the request of President Paul von Hindenburg, he continued in that office under Kurt von Schleicher and Adolf Hitler. He and his ministry were involved in the persecution of German and European Jews, including by stealing their property, and laundering money. During May 1945, after the suicides of Hitler and his designated successor Joseph Goebbels, he also served as "Leading Minister" of the short-lived Flensburg government of President Karl Dönitz. Schwerin von Krosigk also held the essentially nominal offices of Foreign Minister and Finance Minister in the provisional government that controlled only a small, progressively shrinking portion of Germany, due to the rapid advance of the Allied forces who finally dissolved it and arrested its members.
Besides Adolf Hitler himself, Schwerin von Krosigk was one of the few members of the Third Reich's cabinet (along with Wilhelm Frick and Franz Seldte) to serve continuously from Hitler's appointment as Chancellor until his death. By accepting the Golden Party Badge personally bestowed by Adolf Hitler, given for honour on 30 January 1937, he automatically became a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) with membership number 3,805,231. He also joined the Academy for German Law in 1937.
At the 1949 Ministries Trial, he was convicted of laundering property stolen from Nazi victims and financing the concentration camps and sentenced to 10 years in prison; his sentence was commuted in 1951. He later worked as an author and publicist. He died on 4 March 1977.