Flick family

The Flick family is a German family with an industrial empire that formerly embraced holdings in companies involved in coal, steel and a minority holding in Daimler AG.

Friedrich Flick (1883–1972) was the founder of the dynasty, establishing a major industrial conglomerate during the Weimar Republic; he was found guilty at the Nuremberg Trials—specifically the Flick Trial. During the Second World War Flick's industrial enterprises used 48,000 forced labourers from Germany's concentration camps.

Friedrich Christian Flick, known as Mick Flick is an art collector and grandson of Friedrich Flick.

History

Charlottenhütte

Friedrich Flick was the son of a wealthy farmer, who also owned some stock in a mining company in Ernsdorf. His rise began as a member of the board of directors of the Charlottenhütte mining company, and he eventually became a co-owner. He became the company's Director-General in 1919. During the Weimar Republic, he built an enormous industrial conglomerate.

War crimes

While originally a member of the liberal German People's Party, Flick also supported the Nazi Party financially from 1933, and over the next ten years donated over seven million marks to the party.[1]

During the Second World War Flick's industrial enterprises used 48,000 forced labourers from Germany's concentration camps. It is estimated that 80 per cent of these workers died as a result of the way they were treated during the war. Flick was found guilty of war crimes at Nuremberg in 1947 and was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was pardoned shortly after and resumed control over his industrial conglomerate, becoming the richest person in West Germany.

Controversies

The 1983 Flick Affair revealed that German politicians had been bribed to allow the Flick family to reduce its tax liabilities, and after becoming an Austrian citizen to further reduce his tax obligations, in 1985 Friedrich Karl Flick sold most of his industrial holdings to Deutsche Bank for $2.5 billion (£1.4 billion), retiring until his 2006 death.

On Thursday November 20, 2008, it was reported that his body was stolen from a cemetery in Veldel, Austria.

Charitable donations

A German high school in Friedrich Flick's hometown was called the "Friedrich-Flick-Gymnasium" until September 2008. The contribution from Flick had made it possible to build this school in 1969. The Donatella Flick Conducting Competition is named for Princess Donatella Missikoff Flick, the wife of Gert Rudolph Flick.

Notable members of the Flick family

Children of Friedrich Flick:

Other Flick family members:

References and notes

  1. ↑ Stallbaumer, L. M. "Frederick Flick's Opportunism and Expediency". Dimensions: A Journal of Holocaust Studies (Vol 13 No 12). Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Furstliche Hauser Band XIX. C.A. Starke Verlag, Limburg an der Lahn. 2011. pp.113, 368-369. German. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
  3. ↑ Bains, Inderdeep (August 5, 2013). "Ex-wife of Mercedes Benz heir 'told her Polish housekeeper she must not get pregnant unless she informed her first'". Daily Mail (London).

Further reading

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