Johann von Leers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johann von Leers
Omar Amin |
|
|---|---|
Von Leers in 1933
|
|
| Born | 25 January 1902 Karbow-Vietlübbe, Germany |
| Died | 5 March 1965 (aged 63) Cairo, Egypt |
| Allegiance |  Germany Egypt |
| Service/ |
 Waffen-SS |
| Rank |  Sturmbannführer |
| Other work | Convert to Islam |
Omar Amin (born Johann Jakob von Leers; 25 January 1902 – 5 March 1965) was a German writer and politician. He was a strong supporter of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. He was known for writing many articles and books that spread anti-Jewish ideas.
Von Leers was a very important thinker for the Nazi government. He worked in their propaganda ministry, which was in charge of spreading their messages. After World War II, he moved to Argentina and then to Egypt. He continued to write and advise leaders there. He later became a Muslim and changed his name to Omar Amin. He worked for leaders like Joseph Goebbels, Juan Perón, and Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Early Life and Education
Johann von Leers was born in a place called Vietlübbe, Germany, on January 25, 1902. He studied law at different universities in Germany, including Berlin and Kiel. After his studies, he worked for a short time in the foreign office.
He joined some early German groups like the Bund Viking and Adler und Falke. These were groups of former soldiers. Von Leers became very involved in politics during the Weimar Republic, which was the German government before the Nazis. He joined the Nazi Party in 1929. He became a speaker for the party and a leader in their student group. In 1933, he signed a special promise of loyalty to Adolf Hitler.
Career in Nazi Germany
Von Leers earned money by writing articles for Nazi newspapers. In 1936, he joined the Waffen-SS, which was the military branch of the Nazi Party's SS organization. He became an honorary officer, holding the rank of Sturmbannführer.
He also worked as a professor at the University of Jena. Later, Joseph Goebbels, the head of Nazi propaganda, asked him to work in the propaganda ministry. His job was to create and spread Nazi messages. Between 1933 and 1945, he wrote 27 books for the Nazi government.
One of his most well-known anti-Jewish books was called Juden sehen dich an, which means Jews Are Looking at You. This book was very popular in Nazi Germany. Von Leers was good at languages and could speak Dutch and Japanese.
In 1942, von Leers wrote an article called "Judaism and Islam as Opposites." In this article, he tried to show that Islam was against Judaism. He used this idea to support his anti-Jewish views. He claimed that if other parts of the world had followed similar policies, there would not be a "Jewish Question." He also said that Islam had done a great service by preventing Jewish influence and offering a "pure religion."
Foreign Policy Ideas
Von Leers believed in something called realpolitik. This is a way of making foreign policy decisions based on what is practical and useful, rather than on ideas or morals. He suggested that Germany should have relationships and alliances with other countries without focusing on race.
He wrote a memo that led to some non-Jewish groups being treated differently under Nazi race laws. This meant that some racial minorities who were not Jewish could be exempt from certain strict race laws in 1934, 1936, and 1937.
After the War
When World War II ended in 1945, Johann von Leers escaped to Italy. He lived there for five years. In 1950, he moved to Argentina. In Argentina, he continued to write and spread his ideas. He wrote for a Nazi magazine called Der Weg, which was started in Buenos Aires in 1947.
A Swedish journalist named Elisabeth Åsbrink wrote about how some Nazis escaped after the war. She explained that a Swedish fascist leader named Per Engdahl helped about 4,000 Nazis escape. They traveled through northern Germany and Denmark to Malmö, Sweden. From there, they were smuggled to southern Sweden and then sailed from Gothenburg to South America.
Johann von Leers was one of the people Engdahl helped. He arrived in Malmö in 1947 and then went to Buenos Aires. There, he edited a newspaper that helped Nazis in Europe communicate with those who had moved to Latin America.
Later, von Leers moved from Argentina to Egypt. He was welcomed there by Amin al-Husseini, a leader who supported Arab nationalism. Von Leers became a political adviser to the Information Department in Egypt. He worked for leaders like Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser. He also became the head of the Institute for the Study of Zionism, where he managed anti-Israeli propaganda. He became a Muslim and changed his name to Omar Amin. He also connected with other Muslim people who had moved to Hamburg, Germany.
Images for kids
-
Von Leers in 1933
