- Heinrich Albert
:"For the composer, please see
Heinrich Albert (composer) ."Heinrich Friedrich Albert was a German lawyer who served as commercial attaché to German Ambassador to the United StatesJohann Heinrich von Bernstorff duringWorld War I .He was the paymaster for German sabotage operations in the United States and also arranged for false documents for saboteurs and labor agitators and Germans who wanted to return to fight for the Fatherland.
He and
Franz von Rintelen established a cover firm called the Bridgeport Projectile Company to purchase and destroy munitions that would otherwise be shipped to theAllies .He was exposed as a spy because of his association with George Sylvester Viereck, the editor of "The Fatherland", a pro-German publication, who was himself under surveillance. He left his briefcase, which contained sensitive documents, on a tram, and it was picked up by a counter-intelligence officer who was tailing him. The papers were published in the
New York World . However, no official actions was taken against Albert, and he did not return to Germany until the U.S. entered the war.Back in Germany, Albert was given responsibility for foreign assets in the country. After the war, he was charged with the sale of army surplus. In 1923, he was asked by Chancellor Stresmann to help form a government, but was unsuccessful.
He was a successful lawyer in
Berlin , representing many foreign corporations. AfterWorld War II , he resumed his career in international business.
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