Lufthansa has publicly accepted responsibility for its involvement with the Nazi regime during World War II, marking a significant shift after years of downplaying or deflecting scrutiny. The acknowledgment follows the release of a commissioned historical study examining the airline’s origins and conduct during the period.

“Lufthansa was clearly part of the system,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said Tuesday at a press conference held at Frankfurt Airport. He disclosed that the company depended on forced labor to help create a “clandestine air force” for the National Socialist government, which he said was used to carry out “war crimes and criminal activities.”

The findings were produced as part of a broader reassessment tied to Lufthansa’s centennial, which also includes an upcoming book detailing the airline’s early history and wartime actions.

For many years, Lufthansa avoided direct responsibility by pointing to a corporate distinction. The original airline, Deutsche Luft Hansa AG, was established in 1926 as a state-backed carrier and arms manufacturer and was dismantled at the end of World War II. A separate entity, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, was founded in 1953 by former employees after purchasing the defunct company’s name and logo.

Historian Lutz Budrass, who has written extensively about Lufthansa’s past, addressed this issue in a 2020 interview with Deutsche Welle, saying, “Lufthansa, like most companies, was not held accountable for its actions.”

Budrass argued that despite the formal dissolution of the original company, there was significant overlap in leadership and personnel. He cited figures such as vice chairman Kurt Weigelt and Kurt Knipfer, a former Prussian officer who led Lufthansa until 1945, adding, “There was a strong continuity in its staff.”

He also noted that the postwar reestablishment of the airline was designed to sever its public association with Nazi-era crimes. “With the new founding, the company wanted to distance itself from the horrors of the past and the crimes committed under National Socialism, which were perpetrated by Lufthansa.”

At the time, Budrass criticized the airline’s reluctance to confront that history head-on, saying, “It’s clear that Lufthansa is not ready to take this step.”

In its statement released Tuesday, Lufthansa signaled a change in approach, writing, “In examining its history, Lufthansa does not limit itself to the post-war chapters of its history. The years from its founding to the decline of the first Lufthansa are also part of the company’s history.”

{Matzav.com}