Henry Ford receiving the Grand Cross of the German Eagle Order

[webr55]

Guess you may have seen this already, but here it is in a quite good resolution: 30th July 1938, Henry Ford getting his Grand Cross of the German Eagle Order from Karl Kapp, German ambassador (or consul?) in Cleveland; to the left Fritz Heiler, German ambassador/ consul in Detroit.

[Paul R]

Guess you may have seen this already, but here it is in a quite good resolution: 30th July 1938, Henry Ford getting his Grand Cross of the German Eagle Order from Karl Kapp, German ambassador (or consul?) in Cleveland; to the left Fritz Heiler, German ambassador/ consul in Detroit.

That is a great image, that I have not seen before. I wonder if the family still has it?

[Riley1965]

That is a great image, that I have not seen before. I wonder if the family still has it?

I, too, Have not seen this nor did I know that he received it. I would also like to know if it's still with the family or where is it?

Doc

[Ed_Haynes]

I can't imagine the family would be very proud of it or the services that it represented.

[dond]

And what service would that be? I thought they were recognizing his contributions to manufacturing cars.

[Ed_Haynes]

And what service would that be? I thought they were recognizing his contributions to manufacturing cars.

And helping to rebuild the German industry for making war toys. Not to mention his general political and racial sympathies.

Edited October 2, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[dond]

Most white Americans were tainted with racial undertones back then. It was a societal norm. Helping rebuild industry was not a bad thing. I doubt he was asked to help build industry so that Hitler could hurry up and start WW2. Had Hitler been able to quit after Poland (or after absorbing Czechoslovakia) those awards would probably be displayed proudly at the Henry Ford Museum. Because they display a swaz they are automaticallt tainted forever in most people's minds. This is a condition that has hung over the hobby almost since the beginning.

[Eric Stahlhut]

ford had a wartime factory in cologne that used slave labor from inmates at buchenwald. a study was done about 10 years ago; ford was absolved of responsibility. they were being sued by some of the former workers.

p.s. thomas watson, chairman of IBM, was also awarded one--in 1937--a year before ford got his for his 75th birthday in 1938.

IBM was very important to the 3rd reich's efforts in tabulating data (punchcards). watson returned his medal to germany at the outbreak of war with the u.s. tho...

Edited October 2, 2008 by Eric Stahlhut