Braunschweig, Germany (dpa) – Tears glistened Monday in the eyes of Solomon Perel, 81, a Jew who survived the Holocaust by joining the Hitler Youth, as a plaque was unveiled in the Volkswagen plant where he trained as a toolmaker during World War II.
Did Hitler invent the Volkswagen?
One thing is for sure, he did give the car it’s name. Volkswagen, which means “car of the people” was a political idea that Hitler came up with to win over the German public. While he did not technically invent the car, his idea eventually became the Volkswagen Beetle. After the English captured the Volkswagen factory during the war, they returned the company to the Germans when the Nazi regime was ousted.
So whenever you see a Volkswagen, think Hitler.
In an age of rising anti-Semitism and Nazi hate groups, the connotation should bode well for Volkswagen.
