Dohnanyi file photo [650]

Hans von Dohnanyi

SurnameDohnanyi
Given NameHans
Born1902
Died9 Apr 1945
CountryGermany
CategoryGovernment
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseHans von Dohnanyi was the son of the Hungarian composer Ernő Dohnányi and his wife the pianist Elisabeth Kunwald. He grew up in Berlin and studied law, receiving his doctorate in law in 1925. Between 1925 and 1932, he held increasingly more important roles in the German justice system, finally becoming an advisor to high government officials such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. He became disillusioned with the Nazi regime after the Night of the Long Knives in 1934 where the Nazi Party murdered political opponents and purged the government. After making connections with the resistance movement against the Nazi Party, he began maintaining records that he had privileges to access due to his position for future use of evidence against the Nazi regime. During the reign of the Nazi Party, he also assisted prominent Jews to flee Germany into the neighboring neutral Switzerland. In Feb 1943, Dohnanyi and Henning von Tresckow were involved in a failed assassination attempt on Hitler's life involving setting up a time bomb on Hitler's flight close to Russian territory. In 1944, he was sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp for alleged breach of monetary exchange laws, and in Jul 1944 his involvement with the resistance came to light after the failed July Plot coup d'etat. On 9 Apr 1945, he was executed by hanging on orders of a SS court judge.

ww2dbaseFor his efforts in aiding Jewish lawyers Friedrich Arnold and Julius Fliess in their escape to Switzerland, the nation of Israel honors Dohnanyi as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Jan 2006

Hans von Dohnanyi Timeline

1 Jan 1902 Hans von Dohnanyi was born.
9 Apr 1945 Hans von Dohnanyi passed away.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB


More on Hans von Dohnanyi
Event(s) Participated:
» July Plot

Famous WW2 Quote
"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years."

James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, 23 Feb 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!