How to Pronounce Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk

Meaning and Context

Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, born Johann Ludwig von Krosigk in 1887, was a German senior civil servant and conservative politician whose career spanned the Weimar Republic, the Nazi era, and the immediate post-war period. A non-partisan financial expert, he was appointed Minister of Finance in 1932 by Chancellor Franz von Papen and was one of the few officials retained by Adolf Hitler's regime, serving in that role until the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945. Following Hitler's suicide, he was appointed Leading Minister by President Karl Dönitz in the short-lived Flensburg Government during May 1945, a role often historically referred to as Chancellor of Germany for that interim administration. After the war, he was convicted at the Ministries Trial for his role in the Nazi financial apparatus but later released, subsequently contributing to public discourse on post-war economic recovery and the political restructuring of Germany under Allied occupation. His complex legacy is that of a technocrat who served a criminal regime, providing a case study in the continuity of administrative elites through radically different political systems.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The full name, Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, presents several opportunities for error due to its aristocratic German structure. The most common misspelling involves the "Schwerin" portion, often rendered as "Schwering" or "Schwerrin." The noble title "Graf" (Count) is sometimes mistakenly written as "Graff" or omitted entirely. The preposition "von" is frequently incorrectly capitalized as "Von" in English contexts, or combined with the following name as "vonKrosigk." The surname "Krosigk" itself is prone to typos such as "Krosigg," "Krosig," or "Krossig." Some historical documents may use his birth name, Johann Ludwig von Krosigk, which omits the "Schwerin" and "Graf" entirely. In English-language texts, it is also not uncommon to see the name simplified or anglicized to Lutz von Krosigk.

Example Sentences

Appointed by President Dönitz, Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk led the rump Flensburg Government for a few weeks in May 1945, attempting to negotiate a surrender with the Allies.

Historians often debate the ethical implications of Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk's decision to remain as Finance Minister throughout the entirety of the Nazi regime.

At the Ministries Trial in Nuremberg, prosecutors argued that Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk's financial policies were integral to the German war effort.

In his later writings, Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk reflected on the immense challenges of Germany's economic reconstruction.

The continuity of his ministerial role from 1932 to 1945 makes Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk a unique figure in the study of German administrative history.

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