Albert Göring's Efforts to Save Jews During the Holocaust While His Maniac Brother Was Doing The Opposite.

If one of your siblings were to align themselves with a deadly political force, it could lead to a profound rift within your family. A striking example of this occurred within the Göring family during the first half of the 1900s. Two brothers, Albert and Hermann Göring, found themselves on opposing sides of World War II. While Hermann proudly embraced membership in the Nazi Party, Albert opted for an entirely different path.

Throughout the years of war, a poignant conflict emerged within the Göring family, with Albert leading a courageous resistance effort against his brother and the oppressive organisation he represented. Albert's actions resulted in the liberation of hundreds of potential victims, embodying a legacy of defiance against the Nazi regime. His story epitomises the struggle of countless helpless Germans who found salvation through the unwavering determination of this younger brother to resist and reject Nazi rule.

A Rift Between Brothers

For much of the Göring family's history, life unfolded harmoniously. The family's patriarch, Heinrich Ernst Göring, found success as the Reichskommissar to German South-West Africa, while his wife, Franziska Tiefenbrunn, transitioned from her Bavarian peasant roots to build a family alongside him. Upon their marriage, Göring brought two daughters from his previous union into the fold.

As time passed, the couple expanded their family, welcoming three additional children. On March 9, 1895, Albert was born as the youngest Göring sibling—the third son following his elder brothers Hermann and Karl. The Göring family relished their standing as a respected German household. However, as the political climate of Germany underwent significant shifts, so too would their lives in the years ahead.

As Albert grew older and began considering different careers, he headed down the path of a filmmaker and began capturing scenes for various films. While the youngest of the Göring siblings took a more artistic approach to his career, older brother Hermann decided politics was his preferred arena – and Adolf Hitler was the leader he wanted to support.

As Hitler built a foundation of stalwart supports and began to rise to power, Hermann Göring quickly became an integral member of the Nazi Party. In the early years of Hitler’s political ascent, Hermann was the leader’s right-hand man. Hermann was even responsible for founding the Gestapo and creating the first concentration camps designed to hold political dissidents. It was this Göring brother who helped implement the “Final Solution,” or the Nazi’s efforts to murder 6 million Jews.

By the time Hitler consolidated his power in 1933, establishing the Nazi regime to govern Germany, Hermann had risen to prominence as the leader of the German Luftwaffe and a prominent figure within the Party. Hermann wielded significant influence, shaping both the trajectory of the Nazi Party and its ruthless tactics.

In stark contrast, his younger brother Albert held disdain for Hitler and Hermann. Albert swiftly emerged as a vocal critic of Nazism, denouncing its brutality and oppressive authority. Despite the risks to his personal safety and career, the youngest Göring actively opposed the Nazi Party and its inhumane practices.

Albert Used His Name to Save the Helpless

In no time, Albert Göring sprang into action. As the Nazis escalated their violence, Göring refused to remain passive. Instead, he actively resisted the Nazis by providing Jews from Vienna with forged travel documents, enabling them to escape the country. His efforts extended to individuals of all backgrounds, including renowned Austrians such as the celebrated composer Franz Lehar and his wife.

Following his escape to Czechoslovakia in 1938, Göring assumed the role of export manager at the Skoda automotive factory. During his tenure, he facilitated the escape of numerous employees from German oppression and potential death by forging his older brother's signature on falsified documents. Göring openly advocated for his employees to undermine the company's contracts with the German military through acts of sabotage.

However, his most daring act of assistance occurred during German concentration camp transports. Göring clandestinely altered his brother's name on documents, purportedly assigning trucks to transport individuals to the camps. Instead, these vehicles were used to clandestinely ferry countless individuals to safety in other countries.

Due to Hermann's formidable influence within the Nazi Party, Albert remained untouchable by any soldier, rendering the Nazi police force powerless to impede him. Whenever Albert encountered Nazi officials, he invoked his family name—ensuring his departure unscathed, courtesy of Hermann's privileged position. However, Albert did not exploit his older brother's name or authority without Hermann's awareness. In fact, he frequently visited Hermann, engaging in discussions about Jewish individuals or concentration camp detainees. During these encounters, Albert persuaded Hermann to sign documents authorizing the release of specific individuals, thereby securing their freedom.

Despite knowing the peril it posed to his own life, Hermann willingly endorsed his younger brother's efforts to undermine Nazi endeavors by signing documents. According to certain historians, Hermann harbored a secret sense of pride in Albert's actions, viewing them as a demonstration of strength in an entirely distinct manner. Thus, despite the potential consequences, Hermann consistently granted approval for Albert's release whenever he faced arrest by the Gestapo or required assistance. Despite the tumult of war that drove them apart, the bond between the Göring brothers remained unbreakable, preserving their closeness as siblings.

The Göring Name Haunts Albert’s Later Years

Despite Albert Göring's remarkable efforts to liberate and rescue Jewish citizens across Nazi-occupied territories, the post-World War II years proved challenging for this member of the Göring family. While his surname had once shielded him and enabled his extraordinary deeds, it became a source of adversity in the war's aftermath. Albert found himself interrogated during the Nuremberg Tribunal and even detained as a prisoner. However, his fortunes took a turn when numerous individuals whom he had aided testified to his heroic actions, leading to his eventual exoneration.

Despite evading an unjust Nuremberg trial, Göring faced arrest in Czechoslovakia due to the stigma of his Nazi-associated surname. While he was initially released, he was soon detained again by Czech authorities and subjected to trial before a People’s Court. It wasn't until 1947 that Göring managed to shake off the negative connotations attached to his last name.

Yet, his trials persisted. Upon returning to Germany in the same year, he found himself unwelcome in his homeland. Germans shunned him because of his surname, leaving him unemployed and devoid of income. Göring relied on a government pension for survival, barely scraping by in a modest apartment.

In 1966, Albert Göring's life came to an end, with none of his anti-Nazi deeds receiving recognition or acknowledgment at the time. Although his remarkable actions went uncelebrated during his lifetime, Göring is now hailed as a hero who bravely fought from within Nazi Germany, and against his own brother, to safeguard as many lives as possible.

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