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The Holocaust History Project.
The Holocaust History Project.

WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
© 1972, The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation
 
 
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KIESINGER'S RECORD
UNDER HITLER

It was only a step from rue des Saussaies to the Elysée. I went there at once and asked for Secretary General Bernard Tricot. He was astonished to see me, but he did listen. His reserved manner, however, gave me little hope.

On September 13 he wrote: "I must tell you that in my opinion the President's office has no authority to intervene on your behalf Neither is it up to me to become involved in the proceedings your have already instituted."

So the highest level French authorities were washing their hands of the matter, even though I had been a French citizen for four years.

I now had to fight on two levels: one, for justice by means of a lawsuit; the other, to sway German and French opinion with the revelation of Chancellor Kiesinger's Nazi past.

As a matter of fact, the two became one, for we decided to bring the case before a French court rather than before the OFA arbitration committee, which was composed of two judges appointed by the German and French governments. Such a committee would bury the matter quietly, whereas if the case were heard in the magistrate's court of the Eighth Arrondissement in Paris, it would have a chance of reaching the public through newspaper reports.
     
   
 
WHEREVER THEY MAY BE
© 1972, The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation
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