Clara Stauffer (1904-1984) was a prominent member of the Feminine Section of the Falange. The Spanish Falange (FE) was a political party with ideologies stemming from fascism, a totalitarian and anti-democratic political movement.
He had German roots, so he was well aware of the movements of Hitler and Mussolini, for which he showed sympathy, as well as the equivalents in Spain, namely Primo de Rivera and Franco.
Courtesy of elpais.com
His close friendship with Pilar Primo de Rivera was another incentive to stand out as an important part of the female part of the Falange, a movement that put Spain in check and left great emotional consequences for those who lived through that time and for their descendants.
Early years
Clara Stauffer was born in Madrid, Spain, although her family roots were German. Her father was a chemist who worked as a manager at Mahou, one of the most recognized beer brands in the Spanish capital.
The well-paid job that her father had, allowed Clara to move in high society in many areas, starting with sports. She showed a predilection for swimming, skiing and chess, sports that were not available to many.
It is possible that her participation in these exposed her to the intimate friendship she had throughout her life as Pilar Primo de Rivera. It was this relationship that positioned her as head of press and publicity for the Women's Section of the Spanish Falange, the only women's body present during the dictatorship.
It was not a secret that she 'venerated' in a way Hitler, Franco, Mussolini and José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the one who was her best friend's brother. In fact, she even liked to brag about it, as shown by the fact that she had portraits of all of them in her office.
Her position in the Women's Section allowed her to maintain direct contact with Nazi Germany, where she traveled at least three times between 1936 and 1939. On one of those trips, she had the opportunity to meet Hitler in person, which only fueled her desire to fight for the fascist ideologies that were being implanted in Spain.
Hiding nets
During the Second World War she was an active participant in the well-known ratlines, networks of concealment and refuge for Nazis who were persecuted by justice.
Those who were forced to leave Europe due to the defeat of the Nazi Axis countries could count on the support of the ratlines, which had the aim of transferring them safely to countries in South America mainly, such as Argentina, Brazil or Chile.
Part of the work that she did was to obtain false passports and documents that facilitated the escape of these fugitives. Although she could never be directly incriminated, the reports do show some certainty regarding the degree of responsibility that Clarita, as they knew her, had in these escapes.
His apartment, which was in Madrid, served as a warehouse, where he kept boots and clothes that he distributed to soldiers who were passing through Spain from Germany, ready for their escape.
Despite the fact that this was known to many, it was never possible that any complaint against him made by the Allies came to fruition, as he had the full support of the Falange and those who were in command of the country.
Even years later, during Franco's dictatorship, he always denied any kind of relationship with her, even claimed not to know her, so Clara always lived with impunity for her crimes.
They ask for his extradition
After World War II and the victory of the Allies, Clara Stauffer was the only woman included in the well-known 'black list' in which the 107 most wanted Nazis in the world consisted.
The objective of this list was to demand that Franco extradite these Nazis to Germany, including Clara, to be tried for their crimes against Human Rights. Something in which Franco did not collaborate.
Despite the fact that other female names ring alongside Clara's, the simple fact that she is the only one on this list clearly shows how involved she was in the process. In the letter requesting her extradition to Germany, she read something like this:
«Clara Stauffer. Warp of a secret network for the escape from Europe to South America of Nazi fugitives fleeing from Germany after the end of the war. Currently providing false documentation to these fugitives, in addition to helping them find employment wherever they go.
It was clear how aware they were of the full role this woman played in Nazi Germany and Fascist Spain, but Clara Stauffer had Franco's support, which prevented her extradition from taking place. Being a friend of Franco at the time was an unfailing lifeline.
His great personal defeat
Despite his apparent success in fighting for his ideals and getting to be someone important in a man's world, there was something he could not do: his personal life fell apart.
While in the Nanclares de Oca concentration camp, in Álava, she met a military pilot who was in prison and who made her fall in love only with his long military history. They soon realized that they had the same ideals and that they were fighting for the same ends and they married.
Like the rest of the prisoners, she helped him leave the country and settle in Argentina. Before leaving, he asked her for money so he could buy a property in Buenos Aires, where he would later meet her later. However, he disappeared with all his money.
She didn't hear from him for a long time, until a tip brought her up to date from his new wife, the owner of a small bookstore. Afterwards, he lost track of her, despite the fact that Clara settled for three years in Argentina, it is not known if she was fleeing or in a frustrated attempt to find the love of her life.
Thanks to Almudena Grandes' book, 'Doctor García's Patients', you can find out details about this Nazi-fascist era that we may not have known before. Among the Nazi names that sound on the list that Clara helped, Adolf Eichmann, the person in charge of the final solution in Poland, stands out.
References
- Constenla, T. (2019). Clarita and her 800 Nazis. Retrieved from elpais.com.
- De Urioste C. Memory of the Civil War and modernity: the case of Almudena Grandes' frozen heart. Bull Hisp Stud. 2010.
- THE BLACKLIST. Nazi spies in Spain Mr. José María Irujo. THE DIGITAL MAIL. (2019). Retrieved from servicios.elcorreo.com.
- Clara Stauffer. (2018, November 29). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
- Country, E. (2019). The 104 on the blacklist. Retrieved from elpais.com.