Theo Hupfauer
{{Short description|German government official (1906-1993)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birth_date = {{birth date|1906|07|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dellmensingen, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
| death_date = {{death date and age|1993|08|31|1906|07|17|df=yes}}
| death_place = Munich, Bavaria, Germany
| resting_place =
| spouse =
| children =
| party = Nazi Party (1930-1945)
| image =
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| smallimage =
| caption =
| office = Reich Minister for Labour
| status =
| term_start = {{start date|1945|04|30|df=yes}}
| term_end = {{end date|1945|05|05|df=yes}}{{cite web | title = After the Battle: The Flensburg Government | publisher = Battle of Britain International Ltd.| date = 2005| url = https://www.39-45.org/files3945c/8843_Flensburg2.pdf | page= 8 | access-date = 3 May 2021}}
| president = Karl Dönitz
| chancellor = Joseph Goebbels
| predecessor = Franz Seldte
| successor = Franz Seldte
| alma_mater = University of Würzburg
| module = {{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance = Nazi Germany
| branch = Reichsführer-SS
| serviceyears = 1941–1945
| rank = SS-Sturmbannführer (major)
}}
}}
Theo Hupfauer (17 July 1906 - 31 August 1993) was a German politician and a senior civil servant of the Nazi Party. In accordance to the Adolf Hitler’s will, he was appointed the Reich Minister for Labour, although this only lasted five days when Franz Seldte again took over.
Early life
Hupfauer was born on 17 July 1906 in Dellmensingen, which was then part of the German Empire.{{cite book |last1=Heinen |first1=Franz Albert |title=NS-Ordensburgen: Vogelsang, Sonthofen, Krössinsee |date=2011 |publisher=Ch. Links Verlag |isbn=978-3-86153-618-5 |page=69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTbZZcgRQsgC&dq=Theo+Hupfauer+%2217+juli+1906%22&pg=PA69 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=de}} In 1920, at 15 years old, he joined a right-wing youth group led by Adolf von Trotha. He originally wanted to become a sports journalist, but switched to wanting to become a lawyer after his uncle, who was a lawyer in the United States, returned to Munich. Thus, he started attending League of Nations meetings, listening to speeches by Gustav Stresemann and Aristide Briand and inspired to move temporarily to the United States to work as a lawyer.{{cite book |last1=Sereny |first1=Gitta |title=Das Ringen mit der Wahrheit : Albert Speer und das deutsche Trauma |date=1995 |publisher=Kindler |location=München |isbn=978-3-463-40258-1 |pages=215–216,793 |url=https://archive.org/details/dasringenmitderw0000sere/page/214/mode/2up?q=1966+Hupfauer |access-date=26 January 2025}} He then studied law in Geneva and Lausanne in Switzerland, receiving his doctorate in 1932 from the University of Würzburg.
Nazi career
He joined the Nazi Party in 1930.{{cite book |last1=Steinhoff |first1=Johannes |last2=Pechel |first2=Peter |last3=Showalter |first3=Dennis E. |title=Voices from the Third Reich: An Oral History |date=1989 |publisher=Regnery Gateway |isbn=978-0-89526-766-5 |page=XXV |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jw1oAAAAMAAJ&q=Theo+Hupfauer+%221930%22 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=en}} In 1935 he was staff chairman in the Main Office of the National Socialist Factory Cell Organization, a workers organization.{{cite book |last1=Klee |first1=Ernst |title=Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich wer war was vor und nach 1945? |date=2005 |publisher=Augsburg Weltbild |isbn=978-3-8289-0569-6 |page=275 |url=https://archive.org/details/daspersonenlexik0000klee/page/274/mode/2up?q=Hupfauer |access-date=26 January 2025}} In 1936 he became of the Office of the German Labour Front.{{cite book |title=Leistung und Lohn in der nationalsozialistischen "Ordnung der Arbeit" |date=13 August 2013 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-663-12215-9 |page=76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RHOCBwAAQBAJ&dq=Theo+Hupfauer+%221936%22+DAF&pg=PA76 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=de}} He rose through the ranks in the DAF, becoming Head of the Office for Social Arbitration.{{cite book |last1=Smelser |first1=Ronald M. |title=Robert Ley: Hitler's Labor Leader |date=1988 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-85496-161-0 |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O6ozAAAAMAAJ&q=Theo+Hupfauer+%221936%22+DAF |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=en}} During this time, he ran for a seat in the Reichstag, but did not receive a mandate.{{cite book |title=Der Grossdeutsche Reichstag |date=1943 |publisher=R. v. Decker's Verlag, G. Schenck |page=71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qgUIAAAAMAAJ&q=Theo+Hupfauer+%22Reichstag%22 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=de}} In 1942, he was appointed DAF's liaison to the Ministry of Armaments. As liaison, he represented the DAF in trying to get the removal of air-raid damage, working with Albert Speer.
In addition to his career as a civil servant during this time, he joined the military. He reached the rank of Sturmbannführer in the Reichsführer-SS.{{cite book |last1=Stockhorst |first1=Erich |title=Fünftausend Köpfe: Wer war was im Dritten Reich |date=1967 |publisher=Blick & Bild Verlag |page=212 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lacJAQAAIAAJ&q=Theo+Hupfauer+%22Sturmbannf%C3%BChrer%22+1941 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=de}} He was the commander at Ordensburg Sonthofen until 1943.{{cite book |last1=Lilla |first1=Joachim |title=Die Stellvertretenden Gauleiter und die Vertretung der Gauleiter der NSDAP im "Dritten Reich" |date=2003 |publisher=Bundesarchiv |isbn=978-3-86509-020-1 |page=7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZRBoAAAAMAAJ&q=Theo+Hupfauer+%22Ordensburg+Sonthofen%22 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=de}}{{cite book |last1=Kitchen |first1=Martin |title=Speer: Hitler's Architect |date=28 October 2015 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-21600-4 |page=244 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORGhCgAAQBAJ&dq=Theo+Hupfauer+%22Ordensburg+Sonthofen%22&pg=PA244 |access-date=26 January 2025 |language=en}}
By December 1944 he was head of the Central Office of the Ministry of Armaments.{{cite book |last1=Speer |first1=Albert |title=Infiltration |date=1 July 1981 |publisher=New York |isbn=978-0-02-612800-1 |pages=74–75 |url=https://archive.org/details/infiltration00spee/page/74/mode/2up?q=Hupfauer |access-date=26 January 2025}} On 29 April 1945, Adolf Hitler signed his will, which came into effect the next day when he committed suicide making Hupfauer the Reich Minister for Labour.{{cite web |title=NS-Archiv : Adolf Hitler, Politisches Testament |url=https://www.ns-archiv.de/personen/hitler/testament/politisches-testament.php |website=www.ns-archiv.de |access-date=27 January 2025}}{{cite book |last1=Schumann |first1=Wolfgang |last2=Groehler |first2=Olaf |last3=Bleyer |first3=Wolfgang |title=Die Zerschlagung des Hitlerfaschismus und die Befreiung des deutschen Volkes: (Juni 1944 bis zum 8. Mai 1945) |date=31 December 1985 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-275889-2 |page=727 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUkeEQAAQBAJ&dq=Theo+Hupfauer+%2230+april%22&pg=PA727 |access-date=27 January 2025 |language=de}} On 5 May Franz Seldte took over again in the Flensburg Government, the last Nazi government.{{cite web |title=After the Battle: The Flensburg Government |url=https://www.39-45.org/files3945c/8843_Flensburg2.pdf |website=www.39-45.org |access-date=27 January 2025}} After the war, he was interned at Kransberg Castle alongside many other Speer associates.{{cite book |last1=Grunenberg |first1=Nina |title=Die Wundertäter: Netzwerke der deutschen Wirtschaft - 1942-1966 |date=17 April 2008 |publisher=Siedler Verlag |isbn=978-3-89480-421-3 |page=1945 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-yzYs2fUtv0C&dq=Theo+Hupfauer+%22kransberg%22&pg=PA1945-IA4 |access-date=27 January 2025 |language=de}}
Witness at the Nuremberg trials
Hupfauer played an important role in the Nuremberg trials as a defense witness. He was extensively interrogated in July 1946, when Albert Speer was on trial, about his role in DAF and the Ministry of Armaments.{{cite web |title=Official Commission Transcript, Theo HUPFAUER, Political Leaders (15) 11 July 1946 |url=https://exhibits.stanford.edu/virtual-tribunals/catalog/pb545sm7593 |website=Virtual Tribunals - Spotlight at Stanford |access-date=27 January 2025 |language=en}} He stated that membership in the DAF was not forced, but it was recommended since it took over the role of trade unions.{{cite web |title=The Avalon Project : Nuremberg Trial Proceedings Volume 42 |url=https://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/naeve.asp |website=avalon.law.yale.edu |access-date=27 January 2025}} He also testified when asked by Robert Servatius about how the DAF functioned, including how many of the DAF were politically active leaders.{{cite web |title=The trial of German major war criminals : proceedings of the International Military Tribunal sitting at Nuremberg Germany |url=https://avalon.law.yale.edu/imt/07-31-46.asp |website=avalon.law.yale.edu |access-date=27 January 2025}} Later on, when prompted about knowledge of the atrocities committed by the SS, he said that some details were known but that this was "decisively suppressed" until after the trials.{{cite news |last1=Sereny |first1=Gitta |title=SPEER'S BATTLE WITH TRUTH |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/speer-s-battle-with-truth-1600342.html |access-date=27 January 2025 |work=The Independent |date=9 September 1995 |language=en}}
Later life
Throughout Hupfauer's later years, he remained a close friend to Albert Speer. After the war, when Speer and Rudolf Wolters friendship had deteriorated after his letter in November 1966, Hupfauer arranged meetings every Friday evening with other associates of Speer's in order to "build bridges".