Finnish Jews awarded the Iron Cross in WW2

PatsytheNazi

Appearently some Finnish Jews were awarded the German Iron Cross during the years 1941-44, when the country was allied with Nazi Germany against their common enemy the Soviet Union. One of them was Captain Salomon Klass, who saved a German unit from a siege in one of his military exploits. Klass, had been active in the right-wing Civil Guard in Finland before the war !

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/un-finnish-business-1.317886

HavingCrack

PatsytheNazi wrote: »

Appearently some Finnish Jews were awarded the German Iron Cross during the years 1941-44, when the country was allied with Nazi Germany against their common enemy the Soviet Union. One of them was Captain Salomon Klass, who saved a German unit from a siege in one of his military exploits. Klass, had been active in the right-wing Civil Guard in Finland before the war !

http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/un-finnish-business-1.317886

All 3 of them refused to accept it though.

PatsytheNazi

HavingCrack wrote: »

All 3 of them refused to accept it though.

Totally correct but I do find that Jewish men been awarded the Iron Cross extraordinary. But then again if I remember rightly, their were Bosian Muslim units also in the German forces, I'm sure they would also have won an Iron Cross or two. Strange allies for the warped ideology of Hitler.

HavingCrack

PatsytheNazi wrote: »

Totally correct but I do find that Jewish men been awarded the Iron Cross extraordinary. But then again if I remember rightly, their were Bosian Muslim units also in the German forces, I'm sure they would also have won an Iron Cross or two. Strange allies for the warped ideology of Hitler.

I suppose it's possible the Germans weren't actually aware the soldiers were Jewish?

Anyway, it's not actually as crazy as it might appear. Nazi racial and political ideology was very fluid and could change overnight. The Greeks would be a case in point. Originally they were the next 'level' down from Aryans due to the Ancient Greeks. However, the day after Italy declared war on Greece the Greeks were demoted. Likewise the Japanese were declared honorary Aryans.

Interestingly, Hitler was actually quite impressed by Islam as a religion. There's records of him saying he wished the Germans were Muslim's rather than feeble Christianity so an alliance with the Bosniaks isn't as warped as it might seem on first glance.

marcsignal

Documentary here about Hitlers Jewish Soldiers OP

http://wideeyecinema.com/?p=7587


enjoy

hinault

Many German officers, even SS Officers, apparently were not aware that their
wifes were of Jewish ethnicity (see part 2 in particular).

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITNfrgnY6WA
Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN3Q3Bixy2E&feature=related