Neckermann and the Billy Joel connection

A fairly old news story but interesting anyway. Found it yesterday and thought I'd share it with TT.

Karl Amson Joel was a Jewish textile factory owner in Nuremberg in the 1920's/30's. After a Nazi newspaper declared him a 'prototype of the criminal jewry' he relocated to Berlin where he was eventually forced to sell his company for well under it's market price. It was sold to a Josef Neckermann. Herr Joel fled to Switzerland and then New York, eventually seeing nothing (financially) of the forced sale of his firm.

Josef Neckermann continued producing clothes, mainly Wehrmacht uniforms and clothing for the 'Zwangsarbeiter' in the labour camps. Neckermann are still family run by Josef's grandchildren and is one of Germany's biggest catalogue/mail order brand names. The grandson of Karl Amson Joel is Billy Joel!

The article I read is this one: Neckermann, nicht möglich. It's in German but the gist of it is described above.

Edit: Neckermann not family run anymore - it belongs to Karstadt. Perhaps I should read the article fully myself!

It's just a 'human interest' story, right? I mean, you've no axe to grind?

With Neckermann or Billy Joel? Nah, not at all. Dont think I have ever ordered anything from Neckermann and I think Billy Joel is bland. I just liked the story!

Righter, did you edit your message and title, or was it the mods' doing?

Ed Bob was so kind. For fluency, you understand - but I was rewarded/bribed with a headliner on the front page!

Ok, now it makes sense. I liked the previous version better where you wrote "him" instead of "Billy Joel". It's the surprise element, see. But since it made it to the front page, clarity is an issue, of course.

there was a guy at TTT who just told us that. of course no one believed him. but TTT was in Munich. what a coincidence

Oooh! Spooky. I love coincidences. What's TTT?

Ah, TTT = Toytown Tuesday!

so shouldnt billy get a nice big cheque in the post???

Nööööö. Not unless I do. After all, my great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was murdered by terrorists at Yorktown.

There must be one somewhere!

If not, then surely we can find one