Yahoo Finance Krispy Kreme owners to donate $17m after learning of Nazi past
The family which owns Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread and Pret a Manger has pledged $17 million to charity after learning of its Nazi past.
The Reimann family learned their ancestors, Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. used French and Russian prisoners of war as forced labourers in its industrial chemicals firm, and supported Adolf Hitler, German newspaper Bild confirmed on Sunday.
Spokesman for the family, Peter Harf said internal research by the University of Munich, commissioned by the Reimann’s JAB Holding Company, corroborated the newspaper’s findings.
“It is all correct,” Harf told Bild.
“Reimann senior and Reimann junior were guilty… they belonged in jail.”
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He said that upon hearing the findings, the entire family was “ashamed and turned as white as the wall”.
“There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting.”
The family has an estimated wealth of 33 billion euros (A$52.7 billion).
Several German businesses including Volkswagen, Hugo Boss and Allianz have also received criticism for their role, and profiteering from the Nazi regime.
The Volkswagen chief executive, Herbert Diess apologised earlier this month after repeatedly echoing a famous Nazi slogan.
Speaking at a company event, Diess said “EBIT makes you free”, drawing allusions to the words emblazoned on the gates of several concentration camps; “Work sets you free”.
Diess said it was an “unfortunate choice of words”.
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