German emigre circles waxed ironic today about Chancellor Adolf Hitler’s ability to forget his hatred of Jews long enough to use them when he deemed it necessary in the interests of Germany. Their comment was induced by the announcement that Princess Stefanie Hohenlohe, who has gained notoriety for her work in smoothing the rocky diplomatic paths for Joachim von Ribbentrop when he was Nazi Ambassador to London and for Captain Fritz Wiedemann in his London activities on Czecho-Slovakia, will sail for New York on Jan. 28.
The fact that the Jewish-born Princess is coming to America at the same time that Capt Wiedemann, Chancellor Hitler’s chief trouble shooter, has been assigned as German Consul at San Francisco, is considered of particular significance in view of the present strained state of German-American relations.
The facts about the Princesse’s Jewish birth, according to emigre sources here, have been well authenticated. She was born 40 years ago in the Leopoldstadt Jewish “Second District” of Vienna. Her father was a clerk of the Vienna Jewish Community named Richter. In 1914, Stephanie, or Steffi as she was popularly known, married Prince Frederick Francois Augustin Marie Hohlenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfuerst, and of this union a son was born. The marriage lasted but six years, during which time she built up her influence in official circles as much as possible.
Before the Princess moved to London she had already acquired considerable influence in German and Hungarian diplomatic circles. To help her in her quasi-diplomatic career, the Princess resorted to plastic surgery in order to improve her appearance. A nose that was strikingly Semitic in contour was straightened by a famous Berlin specialist. During her Berlin residence, visitors told of having seen pictures of Admiral Horthy, Hungarian Regent, and Chancellor Hitler on her desk. They said the Hitler picture bore the inscription, “to my princess.” While in Berlin, too, she did work for the London Daily Mail.
In London, the Princess soon had connections with the so-called Cliveden Set of Lady Astor and used the connections in the interests of the German Embassy. Embassy Councillor Prince Bismarck and Nazi Ambassador von Dirksen have been among the guests at her house. Other house guests have included Ward Price, well-known British journalist close to Chancellor Hitler. The Princess is also reported to be a favored friend of Lord Rothermere.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
