The tombstone, bearing the inscription Giro: ein treuer Begleiter! (Giro: a true companion!) is reported to be the pet dog of Dr Leopold Hoesch, the German ambassador from 1932 until his untimely death in 1936.The grave stands outside the former German embassy not far from Downing St.
Reading the biography of Leopold Hoesch, maybe Giro was not really a nazi?
ReplyDeletesurprising ...
ReplyDeleteToo bad he couldn't choose his owner.
ReplyDeleteAn odd but interesting bit of history. Always my favorites of your posts.
ReplyDeleteAnd when the moon is full (now) he is up and howling.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't surprise you to know that a German Shepherd dog in Germany is just called a Shepherd dog, but do you know what breed a 'Deutsche Dogg' is? :)
ReplyDeleteI think he was a Rotweiller. My brother is a scotty but he wishes he was a rotweiller.
ReplyDeleteGiven von Hoesch’s distaste for Hitler, where did the dog stand in relation to the annexation of the Sudetenland?
ReplyDeleteVon Hoesch was indeed the last ambassador of the Weimar Republic in London, He was opposed to Hitler and a well respected man. To call his dog a 'Nazi Dog' is, sorry, just completely wrong.
ReplyDeletepeccato che i cani non possono scegliere i padroni. ciao elisabetta
ReplyDeleteJust follow the link to Wikipedia and you will find out that Hoesch was really not a Nazi. He got through the diplomatic ranks courtesy of Gustav Stresemann, who won the Nobel Peace Price for his work on German-French reconciliation after WW I. That's the opposite of what the Nazis had in mind!
ReplyDeleteNice picture, though, a great discovery!
I love this picture. It's very old school. It's really pretty!
ReplyDeleteYikes. Poor dog. :(
ReplyDelete