Otto Wolff von Amerongen

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Person.png Otto Wolff von Amerongen  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(businessman, deep politician)
Otto Wolff von Amerongen.jpg
Born6 August 1918
Died8 March 2007 (Age 88)
NationalityGerman
Parents • Otto Wolff
• Elsa von Amerongen
ChildrenOtto Wolff von Amerongen Jr
Member ofAtlantik-Brücke, Bilderberg/Advisory Committee, Bilderberg/Steering committee, Trilateral Commission
Bilderberg Advisory Committee member, deep politician

Otto Wolff von Amerongen was Chairman and C.E.O. of family business Otto Wolff Konzern (later a stock company). He attended 46 Bilderberg meetings and was a member of the Advisory Committee.

Background

The family business, the Otto Wolff Konzern was founded in Cologne in 1904 by Otto Wolff and Ottmar E. Strauss as a steel trading and steel wrecking company. Under the new National Socialist regime in 1933, Strauss (a Jew) was expropriated, being forced to sell his shares underpriced to Otto Wolff. From 1933 under the Third Reich, the group did brisk business with orders from Hermann Göring's four-year plan authority. Strauss died in Switzerland in 1941. Following Wolff's death the same year, the company came under the control of his son, Otto Wolff von Amerongen Jr.

World War 2

In 1942, during World War II, Wolff von Amerongen was sent to Portugal to handle import-export business for the firm and for the Reich. Von Amerongen, who was also a member of the Wehrmacht's intelligence service Abwehr[1], not only coordinated the export of the vital war mineral tungsten, but also the payment for this with foreign exchange, including with gold confiscated from Jews and enemies of the state.

In 1943, the large Neunkirchen ironworks, in which the Otto Wolff Group had a 40 percent stake, received an award for being a "War Model Company".

Until 1945, the Otto Wolff Group procured, among other things, Jewish property in the form of shares, gold and other values for the National Socialist government and its war financing, and placed it on the stock exchanges, for example in Switzerland, as well as in Portugal. To this end, he met regularly with ministers from the Salazar government in Lisbon.[2]

After WW2

After the war, the heirs of Ottmar E. Strauss tried unsuccessfully to get their shares back. Otto Wolff von Amerongen was interned for a whole year following the Allied occupation of Germany. Control of the company passed to trustees, but Otto Wolff von Amerongen managed to resume control in 1947[3], after a screening - and maybe some sort of tacit or overt deal with the occupation authorities.

From 1955 he was Chairman of the German East-West Trade Committee, and served as Chairman of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1966 and 1990. Several years and lawsuits later,Ottmar E. Strauss' heirs received seven million Deutsche Marks for their part in the company, a fraction of the original value.

In 1965, the Otto Wolff Group was one of the largest trading companies in the Federal Republic with a turnover of DM 2.5 billion. On the 1966 flotation of the business, Wolff von Amerongen became Chairman of the board, a position he retained for the next twenty years, taking on Peter Jungen as a P.A.

He was one of the supporters in the business community for Chancellors Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik, a thaw in the relations with the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc in the late 1960s and early 1970s, opening up economic opportunities. Without this support, the policy would not have been possible. This represented the 'dove' wing in the Cold War, as opposed to the(mostly US) 'hawks', who wanted hard measures and a continued trade embargo. As a result of this policy, large long term purchases of Soviet oil and gas (including building of several pipelines) were exchanged for billions worth of contracts for the German export industry in the Eastern Bloc.

He held positions on the boards of other major firms. In 1971 he became a director of Standard Oil of New Jersey, later Exxon.[4]

Connections

He was a member of the Bilderberg Advisory Committee and Bilderberg Steering Committee. His long term personal assistant, Peter Jungen, attended Le Cercle on at least 4 occasions.

 

Events Participated in

EventStartEndLocation(s)Description
Bilderberg/1955 March18 March 195520 March 1955France
Barbizon
The second Bilderberg meeting, held in France. Just 42 guests, fewer than any other.
Bilderberg/1955 September23 September 195525 September 1955Germany
Bavaria
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
The third Bilderberg, in West Germany. The subject of a report by Der Spiegel which inspired a heavy blackout of subsequent meetings.
Bilderberg/195611 May 195613 May 1956Denmark
Fredensborg
The 4th Bilderberg meeting, with 147 guests, in contrast to the generally smaller meetings of the 1950s. Has two Bilderberg meetings in the years before and after
Bilderberg/1957 February15 February 195717 February 1957US
St Simons Island
Georgia (State)
The earliest ever Bilderberg in the year, number 5, was also first one outside Europe.
Bilderberg/195813 September 195815 September 1958United Kingdom
Buxton
UK
The 7th Bilderberg and the first one in the UK. 72 guests
Bilderberg/195918 September 195920 September 1959Turkey
Yesilkoy
The 8th Bilderberg and the first in Turkey. 60 guests.
Bilderberg/196028 May 196029 May 1960Switzerland
Bürgenstock
The 9th such meeting and the first one in Switzerland. 61 participants + 4 "in attendance". The meeting report contains a press statement, 4 sentences long.
Bilderberg/196121 April 196123 April 1961Canada
Quebec
St-Castin
The 10th Bilderberg, the first in Canada and the 2nd outside Europe.
Bilderberg/196218 May 196220 May 1962Sweden
Saltsjöbaden
The 11th Bilderberg meeting and the first one in Sweden.
Bilderberg/196329 March 196331 March 1963France
Cannes
Hotel Martinez
The 12th Bilderberg meeting and the second one in France.
Bilderberg/196420 March 196422 March 1964US
Virginia
Williamsburg
A year after this meeting, the post of GATT/Director-General was set up, and given Eric Wyndham White, who attended the '64 meeting. Several subsequent holders have been Bilderberg insiders, only 2 are not known to have attended the group.
Bilderberg/19652 April 19654 April 1965Italy
Villa d'Este
The 14th Bilderberg meeting, held in Italy
Bilderberg/196625 March 196627 March 1966Germany
Wiesbaden
Hotel Nassauer Hof
Top of the agenda of the 15th Bilderberg in Wiesbaden, Germany, was the restructuring of NATO. Since this discussion was held, all permanent holders of the position of NATO Secretary General have attended at least one Bilderberg conference prior to their appointment.
Bilderberg/196731 March 19672 April 1967United Kingdom
St John's College (Cambridge)
UK
Possibly the only Bilderberg meeting held in a university college rather than a hotel (St. John's College, Cambridge)
Bilderberg/196826 April 196828 April 1968Canada
Mont Tremblant
The 17th Bilderberg and the 2nd in Canada
Bilderberg/19699 May 196911 May 1969Denmark
Hotel Marienlyst
Elsinore
The 18th Bilderberg meeting, with 85 participants
Bilderberg/197017 April 197019 April 1970Switzerland
Hotel Quellenhof
Bad Ragaz
the 19th Bilderberg meeting, in Switzerland.
Bilderberg/197123 April 197125 April 1971US
Vermont
Woodstock
Woodstock Inn
The 20th Bilderberg, 89 guests
Bilderberg/197221 April 197223 April 1972Belgium
Hotel La Reserve
Knokke
The 21st Bilderberg, 102 guests. It spawned the Trilateral Commission.
Bilderberg/197311 May 197313 May 1973Sweden
Saltsjöbaden
The meeting at which the 1973 oil crisis appears to have been planned.
Bilderberg/197419 April 197421 April 1974France
Hotel Mont d' Arbois
Megève
The 23rd Bilderberg, held in France
Bilderberg/197525 April 197527 April 1975Turkey
Golden Dolphin Hotel
Cesme
The 24th Bilderberg Meeting, 98 guests
Bilderberg/197722 April 197724 April 1977United Kingdom
Imperial Hotel
Torquay
The 25th Bilderberg, held in Torquay, England.
Bilderberg/197821 April 197823 April 1978US
New Jersey
Princeton University
The 26th Bilderberg, held in the US
Bilderberg/197927 April 197929 April 1979Austria
Baden
Clubhotel Schloss Weikersdorf
27th Bilderberg, 95 guests, Austria
Bilderberg/198018 April 198020 April 1980Germany
Aachen
The 28th Bilderberg, held in West Germany, unusually exposed by the Daily Mirror
Bilderberg/198214 May 198216 May 1982Norway
Sandefjord
The 30th Bilderberg, held in Norway.
Bilderberg/198313 May 198315 May 1983Canada
Quebec
Château Montebello
The 31st Bilderberg, held in Canada
Bilderberg/198411 May 198413 May 1984Sweden
Saltsjöbaden
The 32nd Bilderberg, held in Sweden
Bilderberg/198510 May 198512 May 1985New York
US
Arrowwood of Westchester
Rye Brook
The 33rd Bilderberg, held in Canada
Bilderberg/198625 April 198627 April 1986Scotland
Gleneagles Hotel
The 34th Bilderberg, 109 participants
Bilderberg/198724 April 198726 April 1987Italy
Cernobbio
35th Bilderberg, in Italy, 106 participants
Bilderberg/19883 June 19885 June 1988Austria
Interalpen-Hotel
Telfs-Buchen
The 36th meeting, 114 participants
Bilderberg/198912 May 198914 May 1989Spain
Galicia
La Toja Island
37th Bilderberg meeting, 110 guests
Bilderberg/199010 May 199013 May 1990New York
US
Glen Cove
38th Bilderberg meeting, 119 guests
Bilderberg/19916 June 19919 June 1991Germany
Baden-Baden
Steigenberger Hotel Badischer Hof
The 39th Bilderberg, 114 guests
Bilderberg/199221 May 199224 May 1992France
Royal Club Evian
Evian-les-Bains
The 40th Bilderberg. It had 121 participants.
Bilderberg/199322 April 199325 April 1993Greece
Nafsika Astir Palace Hotel
Vouliagmeni
The 41st Bilderberg, held in Greece
Bilderberg/19942 June 19945 June 1994Finland
Helsinki
The 42nd Bilderberg, in Helsinki.
Bilderberg/19958 June 199511 June 1995Greece
Nafsika Astir Palace Hotel
Vouliagmeni
The 43rd Bilderberg. Held at the Burgenstock Hotel in Burgenstock, Switzerland.
Bilderberg/199630 May 19962 June 1996Canada
Toronto
The 44th Bilderberg, held in Canada
Bilderberg/199712 June 199715 June 1997US
Lake Lanier
Georgia (State)
The 45th Bilderberg meeting
Bilderberg/199814 May 199817 May 1998Scotland
Turnberry
The 46th Bilderberg meeting, held in Scotland, chaired by Peter Carrington
Bilderberg/19993 June 19996 June 1999Portugal
Sintra
The 47th Bilderberg, 111 participants
Bilderberg/20001 June 20004 June 2000Belgium
Brussels
Genval
The 48th Bilderberg, 94 guests
Bilderberg/200124 May 200127 May 2001Sweden
Stenungsund
The 49th Bilderberg, in Sweden. Reported on the WWW.
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References