German magnate Berthold Beitz who saved Jews in WWII dies (BBC) [View all]
A leading German industrialist who saved hundreds of Jews during World War II, has died aged 99, his company said.
Berthold Beitz headed the ThyssenKrupp corporation, one of the world's largest steel producers. He passed away on Tuesday, the firm said in a statement.
Mr Beitz was internationally recognised for saving Jews in occupied Poland from being transferred to Nazi death camps.
The magnate was also credited with playing a key role in Germany's post-war reconstruction.
During the war, Mr Beitz managed an oil field in occupied Poland. Between 1942 and 1944, he rescued hundreds of Jewish oil field workers from trains destined for the Belzec death camp. He and his wife also hid Jewish children in their home.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23522382
If you've ever heard of ThyssenKrupp in the USA, it's probably for elevators. Krupp was originally an armaments supplier and was vilified by late 19th/early 20th century progressives (Jules Verne's antiheroes were always opposing the arms merchants; readers of the day knew who he was referring to). ThyssenKrupp was formed in a 1999 merger.
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