Grandson of German Prince who plotted to assassin Hitler renews legal battle concerning estates confiscated by the Nazis

• Solms-Baruth claims Nazis forced family to give up its estate

• The estate was confiscated by the Nazis after his grandfather helped plot to kill Hitler

• German officials say Solms-Baruth transferred the estate willingly and under communist rule in 1945

The grandson of a conspirator in the 1944 'Valkyrie' plot to assassin Adolf Hilter has escalated his claim for land restitution.

His grandfather, Prince Friedrich zu Solms-Baruth, escaped Nazi execution but was arrested on 21 July 1944, imprisoned and tortured for nine months for his part in the assassination attempt. He signed a 'Power of Disposal' document in March 1945 during his imprisonment, thus passing his 17,300 hectares of land directly to German Nazi politician Himmler.

Four years after the Solms-Baruths started their litigation, they reached a partial settlement that excluded properties on the estate owned by local governments. Funds from that deal helped to pay legal and research costs incurred by Solms-Baruth V, who took over handling the case after his father’s 2006 death. German courts upheld the validity of the 'power of disposal' document used by Himmler in a failed 2014 appeal to return the land. 

Previous court cases have ruled that Prince Friedrich III willingly signed over his estate in 1945. Lawyers of Solms-Baruth believe newly discovered documents hold essential evidence to resolving the case.

The current claimant Frederick Solms-Baruth stated: "Righting this grievous wrong was my grandfather and my father's dying wish. In the face of indifference and obfuscation, it is my mission and I will not rest until I see justice served. It is my dream to see this land returned and bring prosperity back to the Baruth region through investment, thought and care, to honour grandfather's memory."

Sources:

• Official website
• Bloomberg
• NewsWire

Valkyrie

Valkyrie is a 2008 historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II that depicts the July 20, 1944 plot by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The United Artists film was directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. The film marked a re-teaming of Singer and frequent collaborator McQuarrie, who had also made World War II home movies together as children. When Singer sought a smaller project after completing Superman Returns in 2006, he learned of McQuarrie's script, which the screenwriter had begun after visiting Berlin and learning of the plot in 2002.

Tom Cruise appears as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, one of the key plotters. Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp and Tom Wilkinson also feature. Cruise's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of von Stauffenberg's family because of the actor's practice of Scientology, which is considered a totalitarian organization in the country. German newspapers and filmmakers supported the film to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg's plot. The filmmakers initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany due to the controversy, but they were later given leeway to film in locations pertaining to the film's story, such as Berlin's historic Bendlerblock.