![]() That unhappiness would lead von Sodenstern, Erwin von Witzleben and a number of other generals to plan a coup in 1937. "They had this scornful nickname, they called him the Little Sergeant," he says. One of Sweden's leading experts on World War II, Christer Bergström, says many of the old Prussian generals were unhappy with Hitler - a politician - meddling in military matters. Hitler made a nearly two hour speech that tired me to the ground … not too much was resonating with me." He wrote: "Hitler had this astonishing acting talent, of which he let himself be carried away to self deception. He finds letters from this General Georg von Sodenstern. "They're inscribed with the names of the Jewish families that used to live at the address," Johan says.Īt the German National Archive, Johan learns his mysterious great-uncle became an officer in World War I, and a general in World War II. Two brass plates or "Stolperstein" set in the cobblestones of a Berlin footpath to recognise the Jewish people taken from the address during the Holocaust. While walking down a leafy, cobblestone street in Berlin, shiny brass stones in the pavement catch Johan's eye. "Many of Hitler's top generals came from Prussia." The plotĪs Johan continues his search, the reminders of the horrors of history are never far away. Other members of the Sodenstern family decided to remain in Prussia and continued their military tradition," he says. "Before the land was returned to Germany - or Prussia as the area was called - about 20 families decided to follow the king back to Sweden. Mr Ragnö says the family most likely got its knighthood after lending money to Sweden's King. Years of pressure from neighbouring Austria and Russia meant the military was important to the area. Historian Pontus Ragnö tells Johan the Sodensterns of hundreds of years ago were a family of traders and soldiers who lived in the part of Northern Germany that then belonged to Sweden. Its walls are lined with family coats of arms. Johan's mother sits in the Great Hall of Stockholm's House of Knights. All he knew was his name: Georg.īut every time he asked his mother's uncle Lennart about him, he was told: "Next time you come, I tell you the story." On the hallway was a picture of a man in uniform. Johan grew up in Sweden, and remembers family gatherings with members of his maternal grandmother's side of the family, the Sodensterns. It would be decades before Johan learned the truth behind that story - the search for his family's history taking him to some of the darkest chapters of the 20th century. "You know we have a relative who tried to kill him, Hitler." Johan sobbed quietly for a while, then his mum broke the silence. "I don't want to hear any more about Hitler," she said. His mother angrily put a stop to the talk. "He built all these highways where cars can go as fast as they want." "Hitler did such a great job," Johan said from the backseat. The boy and his father were admiring the highways as they sped along the German autobahn in the 1960s. Johan Gabrielsson was six when he was told that one of his relatives tried to kill Hitler. ![]()
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