German family firm admits their ancestors used forced labour and promises to ...

Wealthy German family firm which owns a controlling stake in Pret a Manger admits their ancestors were Hitler supporters who used forced labour and promises to donate £8.5m to charity Albert Reimann Sr and Albert Reimann Jr used forced labourers to build fortune The father and son, who died in 1954 and 1984, also supported Adolf Hitler Younger generation plans to donate £8.6million to a charity as a gesture

By Jessica Green For Mailonline

Published: 16:50 GMT, 24 March 2019 | Updated: 18:51 GMT, 24 March 2019

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Albert Reimann Sr (pictured) used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war to help build his fortune

Albert Reimann Sr (pictured) used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war to help build his fortune

One of Germany's richest families says it plans to donate ten millions euros (£8.5million) to charity after learning about their ancestors' enthusiastic support of Adolf Hitler and use of forced labourers. 

Albert Reimann Sr and Albert Reimann Jr used Russian civilians and French prisoners of war to help build their fortune, according to documents reported on in Germany's Bild newspaper. 

Family spokesman Peter Harf, who is a managing partner for the Reimann's JAB Holding Company -  which owns a controlling interest in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Pret a Manger, said recent internal research confirmed the findings.

'It is all correct,' he told the newspaper. 'Reimann senior and Reimann junior were guilty ... they belonged in jail.'

The father and son, who died in 1954 and 1984, did not talk about the Nazi era and the family had thought that all of the company's connection to the Nazis had been revealed in a 1978 report, Harf said.

But after reading documents kept by the family, the younger generation began to ask questions and commissioned a University of Munich historian in 2014 to examine the Reimann history more thoroughly.

The expert presented his

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