Otto von Erdmannsdorff
Encyclopedia
Otto von Erdmannsdorff was a German
diplomat who served as ambassador
to Hungary
under the Nazis from 1937 to 1941, and was later acquitted of war crimes in the Ministries Trial
.
A member of the Saxon
juridical service before the First World War, a participant in that war, Von Erdmannsdorff afterward held diplomatic posts in Mexico
, China
, and Tokyo
. He took up his post as ambassador to Hungary on May 11, 1937. Although serving as ambassador for Hitler's government during a critical period, he was not himself a Nazi: the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary at the time, John F. Montgomery, mentioned that von Erdmannsdorff "almost resigned at one time because he didn't want to cope with the Nazis", and Hungarian regent Miklós Horthy
described him as "the last of the professional German diplomats". He nonetheless became a nominal member of the party in 1937. He was replaced as ambassador in July 1941 by Dietrich von Jagow, a party member rather than professional diplomat.
Thereafter, he served as Deputy to Ernst Wörmann, who was Chief of the Political Division of the German Foreign Office. Although the Political Division was staffed mainly by civil servants who were either nominal members of the Nazi Party or not members at all, it was nonetheless involved in implementing the Final Solution
. This led to von Erdmannsdorff's being charged with war crimes in the Ministries Trial
after the war; however, he was acquitted as a result of a determination that he lacked sufficient power and influence to have been able to prevent the crimes.
His memoirs are unpublished, and contain among other things a number of quotations from Horthy recorded during von Erdmannsdorff's four years representing Germany in Hungary.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
diplomat who served as ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
under the Nazis from 1937 to 1941, and was later acquitted of war crimes in the Ministries Trial
Ministries Trial
The Ministries Trial was the eleventh of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany in Nuremberg after the end of World War II. These twelve trials were all held before U.S...
.
A member of the Saxon
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
juridical service before the First World War, a participant in that war, Von Erdmannsdorff afterward held diplomatic posts in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He took up his post as ambassador to Hungary on May 11, 1937. Although serving as ambassador for Hitler's government during a critical period, he was not himself a Nazi: the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary at the time, John F. Montgomery, mentioned that von Erdmannsdorff "almost resigned at one time because he didn't want to cope with the Nazis", and Hungarian regent Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya was the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary during the interwar years and throughout most of World War II, serving from 1 March 1920 to 15 October 1944. Horthy was styled "His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary" .Admiral Horthy was an officer of the...
described him as "the last of the professional German diplomats". He nonetheless became a nominal member of the party in 1937. He was replaced as ambassador in July 1941 by Dietrich von Jagow, a party member rather than professional diplomat.
Thereafter, he served as Deputy to Ernst Wörmann, who was Chief of the Political Division of the German Foreign Office. Although the Political Division was staffed mainly by civil servants who were either nominal members of the Nazi Party or not members at all, it was nonetheless involved in implementing the Final Solution
Final Solution
The Final Solution was Nazi Germany's plan and execution of the systematic genocide of European Jews during World War II, resulting in the most deadly phase of the Holocaust...
. This led to von Erdmannsdorff's being charged with war crimes in the Ministries Trial
Ministries Trial
The Ministries Trial was the eleventh of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany in Nuremberg after the end of World War II. These twelve trials were all held before U.S...
after the war; however, he was acquitted as a result of a determination that he lacked sufficient power and influence to have been able to prevent the crimes.
His memoirs are unpublished, and contain among other things a number of quotations from Horthy recorded during von Erdmannsdorff's four years representing Germany in Hungary.