Werner Dankwort

Carl Werner Dankwort (1895-December 19, 1986) born in Gumbinnen, Germany, served a major role in bringing Germany into the League of Nations in 1926 prior to representing the German contingent in the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, the post-World War II effort known as the Marshall Plan. He received a doctor of jurisprudence degree in 1920 from the University of Wuerzburg. After a brief time in civil law, he entered the German diplomatic service in 1922 as an attache in Switzerland. He was reassigned as consul to Zurich and shortly afterward to Stockholm, Sweden, in 1927. There he received the Swedish Cross of the commander of the Order of Vasa. In 1932 and 1933, he participated in the National Disarmamnet Conferences and opposed attempts by the National Socialist Party to infiltrate the Berne consulate in Switzerland. His opposition resulted in his reassignment to Trieste with no possibility for professional advancement. His previous knowledge of Sweden and his ability to speak the language brought him the good luck to serve as first secretary for the German legation in Stockholm. He agreed to serve as a witness for the allies at the Nuremberg Trials, but instead he was incarcerated for 18 months by the British with no charges ever being brought against him.

Dr. Dankwort rejoined the West German diplomatic corps in 1950 and was assigned as Consul General and then Ambassador to Canada in 1951, effectively restoring Germany’s relations with Canada for the first time after the war. From 1956 to 1958 he served as the German Ambassador to Brazil, and finally as the West German Observer to the United Nations from 1958 to 1960. He died on December 19, 1986 in Hyannis, Massachusetts, leaving his beloved wife Irma who was comforted by her two sons, Rudolf and Juergen, and next door friends, Mrs. Rosemary Arsenault, and Ms. Pam Arsenault until her death on February 9, 1999.

Family

Werner Dankwort married to Irma in 1938 and raised two sons, Rudolf, and Juergen. Werner and his wife both shared anti-Nazi opinions and both had strong opinions opposing Hitler's rule. The two of them moved to Sweden which was a neutral country during World War II. They were part of an organization that helped Jewish children escape from Germany and into Sweden, without being discovered by the Gestapo.

Rudolf completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University and post-graduate work in electrical engineering at Duke University in North Carolina. He married and settled in Phoenix, Arizona. Juergen returned to Canada rather than remain in the U.S. during the American-led war in Vietnam, and completed his undergraduate and post-graduate studies at McGill University. He obtained his doctorate in social work from the Université de Montréal in 1994 and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia where he teaches, conducts research, and is a social activist regarding human rights and social injustice. He is director of the Institute on Victimization and Social Injustice (I.V.S.I.) (www.ivsi.net).