Hermann Goering, Hitler’s Henchman, used the confiscation of Jewish property to amass a fortune, seizing art and other valuables for himself, and collecting bribes that allowed others to do so. Born to a wealthy father and peasant mother, he exulted in aristocratic trappings such as a coat of arms and ceremonial swords and daggers. He designed an elaborate personal flag that was carried at public events, and was known for his extravagant taste and garish clothing, including a medieval hunting costume and a russet toga fastened with a golden clasp. His car, a Mercedes 540K Special Cabriolet, nicknamed “The Blue Goose,” had special features such as bullet-proof glass and bomb-resistant armor, and was modified to fit his girth behind the wheel. Dubbed “The Iron Man,” he didn’t mind jokes about his corpulence, taking them as a sign of his popularity. Read more about Nazi Germany and Hitler’s inner circle in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).
