MILAN – The Reimanns, Germany’s second wealthiest family, which owns brands including Krispy Kreme and Dr Pepper,) through its investment arm Jab Holding, is giving millions to support Holocaust survivors as it seeks to atone for its use of forced laborers during the Nazi era and its enthusiastic support of Adolf Hitler.
The Reimanns, whose wealth is estimated at around €33 billion (£28 billion), has a majority stake in JAB, a conglomerate based in Luxembourg.
JAB’s assets include American Krispy Kreme and Panera Breads chains, Peet’s Coffee and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, as well as a majority stake in Jde (Jacobs Douwe Egberts), the largest pure play coffee company in the world.
In addition to 5 million euros ($5.5 million) being given to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany to help thousands of elderly survivors around the world, the Reimann family’s JAB Investors company plans to announce that it will provide another 5 million euros to find and support forced laborers used by its predecessor under the Nazis.
An additional 25 million euros will be provided annually to Holocaust education and promoting democratic values to fight the rise of populist nationalism.
“Elderly, poor Holocaust survivors need food, medicine and heat in the winter. These funds will enable thousands of survivors to live in dignity,” Julius Berman, conference president, said in a statement.
In March, the German tabloid Bild reported that documents uncovered in Germany, France and the United States showed that Albert Reimann Sr. and his son, Albert Reimann Jr., were supporters of Hitler and used forced laborers under the Nazis during World War II to work in their industrial chemical company.
Peter Harf, a family spokesman who is one of the two managing partners of the Reimann’s JAB Holding Co.,told Bild that the family hired a history professor in 2014 to investigate the Nazi ties after finding documents belonging to Reimann Sr.
