Fritz Julius Kuhn Nazi, anti-Semite, controversial leader of the German-American Bund Date of Birth: 15.05.1896 Country: Germany

1. Fritz Kuhn: A Nazi Leader in America
2. Early Life and Education
3. Emigration to America
4. Head of the German American Bund
5. Madison Square Garden Rally
6. Opposition and Investigation
7. Tax Investigation and Imprisonment
8. Internment and Deportation
9. Later Life and Death

Fritz Kuhn: A Nazi Leader in America

Fritz Kuhn was a German-American Nazi leader who led the German American Bund, an organization that supported the Nazi Party in Germany.

Early Life and Education

Fritz Kuhn was born on May 15, 1896, in Munich, Germany. He fought in World War I as a German infantry lieutenant and earned the Iron Cross. After the war, he graduated from the University of Munich with a master's degree in chemical engineering.

Emigration to America

In the 1920s, Kuhn moved to Mexico. In 1928, he immigrated to the United States, and in 1934, he became a naturalized citizen.

Head of the German American Bund

In 1936, Adolf Hitler appointed Kuhn as the head of the Friends of New Germany, which was later renamed the German American Bund. Kuhn used his position to spread anti-Semitic and anti-communist propaganda in the United States.

Madison Square Garden Rally

On February 20, 1939, Kuhn led the largest rally in the Bund's history at Madison Square Garden. Thousands of attendees witnessed a Nazi ceremony and heard Kuhn's speech, in which he stated that Jews were the enemies of the United States.

Opposition and Investigation

The German American Bund faced significant opposition from Jewish Americans and non-Nazi German Americans. In response to outrage from Jewish war veterans, Congress passed a law in 1938 requiring agents of foreign leaders to register with the State Department.

Tax Investigation and Imprisonment

In 1939, New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia launched an investigation into the Bund's finances. Kuhn was found to have embezzled over $14,000 from the organization's funds and spent it on a mistress. District Attorney Thomas Dewey prosecuted and convicted Kuhn for embezzlement.

Internment and Deportation

During World War II, Kuhn was arrested and interned as an enemy agent. He was held at a camp in Crystal City, Texas, until 1945. He was later sent to Ellis Island and deported to Germany.

Later Life and Death

Kuhn died in Munich on December 14, 1951. The New York Times noted that he died "a pauper and obscure chemist, unannounced and unnoticed."