Gustav Adolf Steengracht von Moyland
Encyclopedia
Gustav Adolf Baron Steengracht von Moyland (15 November 1902 - 7 July 1969) was a German diplomat
and politician
of Dutch descent, who served as Nazi Germany's
Secretary of State
at the Foreign Office
from 1943 to 1945.
, the son of Nicolaas Adriaan Steengracht van Moyland, a Dutch nobleman who received the title of Baron in 1888. Shortly after his birth, Moyland was made a naturalized citizen of Prussia
and the German Empire
in 1902.
, Nazi Germany's foreign minister.
. But in January 1950 he was given an amnesty
and freed from Landsberg Prison
.
He spent the remainder of his life at his family castle, Schloss Moyland
.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of Dutch descent, who served as Nazi Germany's
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
at the Foreign Office
Foreign Office (Germany)
The Foreign Office is the foreign ministry of Germany, a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign politics and its relationship with the European Union. From 1871 to 1919, it was led by a Foreign Secretary, and since 1919, it has been led by the Foreign Minister of Germany...
from 1943 to 1945.
Early life
He was born in near KleveKleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
, the son of Nicolaas Adriaan Steengracht van Moyland, a Dutch nobleman who received the title of Baron in 1888. Shortly after his birth, Moyland was made a naturalized citizen of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1902.
Third Reich
He studied become a lawyer. In 1935 Moyland became an assistant to Joachim von RibbentropJoachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
, Nazi Germany's foreign minister.
War crimes
After the war he was arrested as a war criminal. In 1949 he was tried by the Americans at NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
. But in January 1950 he was given an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
and freed from Landsberg Prison
Landsberg Prison
Landsberg Prison is a penal facility located in the town of Landsberg am Lech in the southwest of the German state of Bavaria, about west of Munich and south of Augsburg....
.
He spent the remainder of his life at his family castle, Schloss Moyland
Moyland Castle
Moyland Castle is a moated castle in Bedburg-Hau in the district of Kleve , one of the most important neo-Gothic buildings in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name derives from the Dutch word Moiland which means "beautiful country"...
.