Op 24 maart 2007 Sophie died Florentine Rost van Tonningen-Heubel at the age of 92. Rost van Tonningen gold inside and outside the extreme right circuit as a real old comrade. One that the Third Reich had experienced and never had any concession to its national socialist ideology. But what is its significance now been precisely the extreme right in the Netherlands?
Florrie Rost van Tonningen's life is defined by the Second World War. During that time she could shape her big ambition urge, met, married and she lost her husband, got her children and then they lost all they had. It is therefore not surprising that her life is divided into two periods, cleaved by the year 1945.
Rost van was Tonningen 1914 born as the fourth child in an elite family. Her father, of German descent, worked in the banking industry. Was her German origins, volgens eigen zeggen, the reason for its strong German orientation.
Taking note of the changes brought about Hitler in Germany and the reading of "Mein Kampf" in her student days did her in 1935 decide to join the youth organization of the NSB, National Jeugdstorm. Her brother Wim Heubel was a member of the same organization and both made careers within the NSB structures.
Shortly after the German invasion and occupation of the Netherlands NSB organized a big "liberation meeting" where both Florrie Heubel as Meinoud Rost van Tonningen, a prominent member of the NSB and radical national-socialist, were present. There they met. The encounter leads to a love and a few months later to marriage.
In addition, they still have some creases are smoothed. Meinoud was 18 years older, moreover, been married and already father (#1) and - last but not least - there were serious problems concerning its purity. He would "Indian- and Negro blood "in them. With some correspondence with friendly contacts and some emergency measures problems were repaired and the marriage could be consummated. The descent problem, however, made sure it Meinoud could never join the "pure" SS.
Of this marriage only love was dictated otherwise questionable. It was at this time a good practice to use the wedding to improve their own situation and both Meinoud as Florrie had beaten a good party on the hook. In addition, the National Socialist political community in those days was a veritable snake pit. They tried to come up higher in all possible ways. Both Meinoud and Florrie herein also went full of passion, and used all means to push their career forward. That the choice for marriage herein has also played a role seems likely.
Married and have Florrie and Meinoud both did so furious - and often reckless – attempts to bring their own career in the Dutch Nazi organization to great heights. In addition, however, occurred three (en later vier) major problems. The first was of an ideological nature: Florrie and Meinoud were of the opinion that the Netherlands was actually a lost part of Germany and was to be reunited in a Germanic Empire. Other, But powerful forces within the NSB thought here very differently and were convinced Dutch or nationalist Diets. They wanted an independent Netherlands and Germany in a national socialist confederation or otherwise, at most, a merger with another Diet Sers in Flanders and northern France. That this practical and ideological clashes led to the necessary self-evident. In addition, the ambition and activities of Florrie and Meinoud led to many powerful enemies within the NSB, including party leader Mussert. A third major problem was especially Meinoud the opportunities afforded him no meter that was able to make. One after another project Meinoud, the Dutch involvement must increase by the large national socialist project, failed (#2). A fourth problem for Florrie occurred when she expected her first child. Her many detractors saw their chance: According good Nazi tradition remained her then nothing but commode and sink and she could forget her future political ambitions.
Further wartime stood Florrie mainly dominated by three pregnancies and the frantic attempts of Meinoud to have come from his political dreams. In the aftermath of the war Meinoud threw in the towel and decided that his place was in the forefront. He fought for some weeks with the Waffen SS against the advancing Allies. Meinoud was taken prisoner. After some wandering, he came, as a war criminal, in the Scheveningen prison visit. There then came a few weeks later to life. Was officially established suicide, according Florrie was however to murder. Possibly Meinoud so mistreated (in the Scheveningen prison dominated the first weeks after the liberation, a reign of terror) that he "gezelfmoord" is.
Florrie was, Meanwhile, with three small children, fled to Germany. There they waited for the first course of things off and they could familiarize themselves with the possibilities for her life. In 1947 she asked a widow's pension in connection with the prewar Chamber Membership of her husband. In 1948 she went - illegally - return to Netherlands, was arrested, but a short time later put out prosecution. They then settled in the Netherlands again.
The decades that followed was quiet around Rost. She raised her children and was trying to get back on top financially. That worked with the aid of the above-mentioned pension company and a heater. Political she was not active, at least not visible. However, she continued to turn in circles of the former (German) National Socialist elite.
From the end of the 70s were her movements in the extreme right landscape slowly but surely visible to the general public. Indeed, some put its affairs regularly in the spotlight. Firstly there was the commotion around her widow's pension. It was mid-80s known and sparked a series of riots, investigate and chamber debates. Eventually a parliamentary majority is not prepared to change the law to take away her pension.
In addition, there was the role of her villa "Ben Trovato" in Velp. The villa was a meeting of old and new Nazis and distribution of Nazi propaganda. The party's (especially the solstice celebrations) spoke very imaginative and made regular uproar in the media and politics. A choice of all kinds of right-wing extremists attended these festivities. In addition, the villa in Velp (and later her house in Waasmunster, Belgium) a sweet invasion of right-wing extremists. Rost van Tonningen was rarely home alone. The idea seems to have been behind this is to strengthen ties and to further disseminate its ideas. You can, however, wonder whether it has succeeded so well. Rost van Tonningen was her way of working in the occupation not unlearned and hung around her house is always a web of intrigue. It is unlikely that all these visits have contributed to unit or structure of the extreme right movement.
The dissemination of propaganda, another leg of activities Rost van Tonningen, at the same time was anything but good. Several attempts to peddle publications stranded on Judicial Performance. In the 80s, this led to a conviction for spreading anti-Semitism and a few years later she got a new punishment for spreading her autobiography 'Looking for my wedding ring'. (#3)
Although Florrie Rost van Tonningen had come through all these activities in the spotlight to stand and could safely be described as an icon within the extreme right, it is questionable what she has contributed to the extreme right. Before and during the war it is quite clear, namely, not as much. All her attempts (and her husband) to make a substantial contribution to the building of a National Socialist empire, stranded for several reasons.
But in the 80s and 90s it is only the question of what its significance now been exactly.
She was involved in a number of political initiatives. The bulk of these initiatives were education and propaganda in favor of true National Socialism. At the same time they conducted a struggle for the restoration of her husband and her brother who died on the frontline. However, this propaganda clearly showed the problem of Rost van Tonningen: her world is literally in 1945 stand still. Almost all lyrics are about the Third Reich, or from the perspective of that period. A well-known anecdote about a meeting in the house of Rost van Tonningen, where a young skinhead participated in the meal. He refused to eat his plate empty, because he did not like it, which Rost of Tonningen taught him: "The SS we always ate our plate empty". In an In Memoriam Constant Kusters describes Rost Tonningen of the Dutch neo Eite Homan a "rude peasant" found, since they have no bread at cutlery.
So let's just say that its standards and value system, net als haar propaganda- in scholingsactiviteiten, somewhat out of step with the demands of modern times.
In addition, Rost van Tonningen involved in various organizations. Some of these organizations were her own work, Main "Consortium Tree of Life" was primarily intended for the above mentioned propaganda work. Mid-80s she did along with some confidants a last attempt to put on a party political activity. She was indirectly involved in the creation of "Holland's Recovery", but that game never got off the ground. That may actually have no name.
Rost has then been important in facilitating sentence? Was there to pick her money, She was oil in the machine or was her home for instance important for the far-right groups in the Netherlands?
About the money that the wildest rumors were years would have been to get through Rost of Tonningen for extreme right-wing activities round. She would have a lot of money, they would have access to large funds of German Nazis. Of all these assertions, however, never became much hard. To the extent that there is sufficient insight into the finances of Rost van Tonningen, this shows a rather marginal image. Its heating company "Verina" was taken away from her in the 80s, after quite shoddy books to generate a bit of money for political activities. She had to leave her home a decade later (After almost half a century to have inhabited), After a conflict with the Canadian-German neo Ernst Zündel. The latter had stood for a mortgage and wanted - as he himself had financial problems – money to see her. A lot of money has not been for needy right-wing extremist organizations in the Netherlands. According Kusters Rost van Tonningen left at her death "the Consortium of Life" left with a debt of thousands of euros and there was not a cent for funeral.
Or Rost of Tonningen played a role in bringing about to organizations or partnerships also includes doubtful. As already described, was her perception at all of this time. In addition, its authoritarian and elitist personality was a source for many quarrels and conflicts. In that sense, there is so little tangible established.
Then, it can, of course, still are the same, which Rost van Tonningen, by her house (first in Velp, later in Waasmunster, Belgium) make available for all kinds of informal meetings, contributed to fruitful collaborations and friendships. Also, this is little evidence. Meetings have always been strongly dominated by the Third Reich, her husband and her brother. The fact that right-wing extremists against each other came to her home occasionally can be led to a fruitful contact, but there are also facing many quarrels that have arisen there.
In addition to visiting Rost of Tonningen perhaps could count within the extremist scene in esteem or respect, but least of all in the outside world. Known as visitor Rost van Tonningen, meant to be portrayed as Nazi. For example, a photograph of Hans Janmaat and Wim Vreeswijk, which stand arm in arm with Rost van Tonningen, brought out to Janmaat black.
The importance of Florrie Rost van Tonningen has in recent decades especially so in existence that she was an icon within the extreme right circuit. Could one another or themselves take the measure on the basis of sympathy or antipathy of Rost van Tonningen. Sympathy Rost of Tonningen then meant a rise in status. This mechanism appears even after her death still intact. During the publication of this article fighting NVU leader Constant Kusters and former NVU chairman JOOP GLIMMERVEEN together publicly the stand off. Essence of this dispute? The question of who had both men Florrie Rost van Tonningen sympathy and who is not.
(#1) Meinoud Rost van Tonningen's first marriage was among others on the rocks because of his radical political choices. His first wife would be active during the war with the Resistance.
(#2) One of “great work” of Meinoud Rost van Tonningen had the Dutch East Company (NIGHT) be. That project involved allowing establishment of Dutch settlers as a laborer and farmer in the Eastern European territories occupied by the Germans. The aim was not only to make a substantial contribution to the new German Empire, but also to let the star of Rost van Tonningen by this success rise. Meinoud was in 1942 president van dit project. The newspapers announced that "Lebensraum’ was for 3 million Dutch (a Dutch population of barely 10 million). The whole project, however, smothered in German bureaucracy and incompetence of staff. Furthermore, there was no enthusiasm from citizens or businesses in the Netherlands to deal with the National Socialist organization of Rost van Tonningen in sea. The whole ambitious project was a big failure.
(#3) The Arnhem Court sentenced Florrie Rost van Tonningen to a fine of 5000 gulden of 50 days in prison for defamation of the Jewish people.
