Background
Birger Dahlerus was born in Stockholm in 1891.
Birger Dahlerus was born in Stockholm in 1891.
Dahleras had extensive business interests and personal contacts in Germany and Britain. Goering and Hitler used him extensively as a secret intermediary on the eve of war, and he is a much-cited eyewitness of Hitler’s march to war in 1939. The Swede testified for Goering at Nuremberg (19 March 1946), saying the Reichs- marschall sought peace in 1939. During one interview with Dahlerus at this time Hitler raged that he did not fear the British: in the event of war with them he would respond with “U-boats! U-boats! U-boats!” and “war planes! X-2” (ibid.). The English edition of Dahlerus’s informative book is The Last Attempt. He died 8 March 1957 in Stockholm.