Swastika in London

[Phil Nix]

A Nazi funeral in London 1936 of the Ambassador in London Leopold von Hirsch
Phil Nix

[Max Williams]

This picture is from yesterday's Daily Mail isn't it?
Max.

[pavel michalek]

Do you think there can be any Britains in the crowd above, or large German community lived in 1936 London?

[Medi]

This picture is from yesterday's Daily Mail isn't it?
Max.

I believe it did come out yesterday

[Max Williams]

Do you think there can be any Britains in the crowd above, or large German community lived in 1936 London?

They were described in the article as German Embassy staff.
Max.

[pavel michalek]

Do you think there can be any Britains in the crowd above, or large German community lived in 1936 London?

They were described in the article as German Embassy staff.
Max.

Then I think the article is mistaken about this. They look more like ordinary citizens to me.

[Max Williams]

Do you think there can be any Britains in the crowd above, or large German community lived in 1936 London?

They were described in the article as German Embassy staff.
Max.

Then I think the article is mistaken about this. They look more like ordinary citizens to me.

I can't quite see how you identify them as ordinary citizens!! They look like German Embassy staff and families to me, purely because the number of NSDAP Grüss salutes and the fact that they are standing on the terracing of the German Embassy. The article is correct.
Max.

[mjölnir]

Hello Max and Pavel!
I read the memories of Paul Otto Schmidt "Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne". He described the coronation of George VI in 1937. He said that for this ceremony guests from Germany and the German colonies in England were invitated and they looked from the German ambassy's balkony to the ceremony. So I think, that this happened in your photo too. The Germans who lived in England and guests from Germany saluted to the coffin of the dead ambassador.
We know how the nazis celebrated these ceremonies (funeral, state visits, olympic games etc.)
mjölnir

[Max Williams]

Hello Max and Pavel!
I read the memories of Paul Otto Schmidt "Statist auf diplomatischer Bühne". He described the coronation of George V in 1936. He said that for this ceremony guests from Germany and the German colonies in England were invitated and they looked from the German ambassy's balkony to the ceremony. So I think, that this happened in your photo too. The Germans who lived in England and guests from Germany saluted to the coffin of the dead ambassador.
We know how the nazis celebrated these ceremonies (funeral, state visits, olympic games etc.)
mjölnir

Can't agree, sorry. The fact is that this was not a funeral, but just the transfer of the ambassador's coffin from the embassy to the station for the journey to Germany. Germans from all over Britain would not be invited for a simple "waving off." Understandable if it were a full funeral as in the grand State occasion for the King, but it's not. The article stated the staff were given the day off to pay their respects and say farewell to a well respected and popular ambassador and I see no reason to doubt that. One thing is certain.....the crowd above were not ordinary British citizens.
Max.

[Vikki]

How many people would you estimate are there on the balcony? Doesn't it seem like a lot of people to be just the Embassy's staff?

Here's the article online:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... neral.html


Best,
~Vikki

[pavel michalek]

How many people would you estimate are there on the balcony? Doesn't it seem like a lot of people to be just the Embassy's staff?

This was, what I had in mind, when I used the term "ordinary citizens". It was meant by me, they were ordinary in Britain living German citizens (at least as I thought).

[Max Williams]

How many people would you estimate are there on the balcony? Doesn't it seem like a lot of people to be just the Embassy's staff?

Here's the article online:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... neral.html


Best,
~Vikki

This online story is slightly different from the hard copy that was in the newspaper. The number of people reflects the embassy staff, their families and colleagues. Having worked in London on embassy duty, I can assure you that the number seen in the photo is a fairly true reflection of the staffing levels at embassies. Remember there are consular staff and residence staff in addition to the various departmental people actually working at the embassy site. There are also staff employed at the various German institutes in London which come under the authority of the embassy.
Max.

[itaiv40]

Could that be Roland Freisler in the center...?

[pavel michalek]

Could that be Roland Freisler in the center...?

Hard to say, because the young man looks like Bernd Gottfriedsen to me, but those in uniforms are French diplomats.

[pavel michalek]

Does anyone has some info on this Leopold von Hirsch, by the way? Like dates of birth/death, promotions, career etc.