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Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach remains an enigmatic figure in the history of the Krupp dynasty despite his controversial decisions and turbulent personal life.
His choices and the consequences they brought serve as a reminder of the complexities and challenges that come with great wealth and power.
Who Was Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach?
Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach, born on January 24, 1938, was a German heir to the infamous Krupp dynasty.
Arndt was born into a life of luxury and money as the son of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach and Anneliese Lampert. He would go on to build a reputation for himself, though, by his controversial decisions and acts.
Arndt’s life took a critical turn in 1966 when he decided to forego his inheritance, distancing himself from the family firm, Friedrich Krupp AG.
Instead, his father founded the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, and Arndt consented to take a monthly allowance of 2 million German marks. Arndt forfeited his right to use the family name Krupp, which was reserved primarily for the inheritor of the family firm.
Despite being homosexual, Arndt married Princess Henriette von Auersperg in 1969. Henriette was the daughter of Countess Henriette Marie Louise Larisch von Moennich and Prince Alois von Auersperg.
The couple had no children, but they had a glamorous life thanks to generous remuneration and appanage. Arndt could be spotted frequently travelling between Miami and Marrakesh, revelling in the delights of his luxurious lifestyle.
Arndt’s theological ideas underwent a profound shift in 1982. He found consolation and a feeling of purpose in his spirituality after converting from Lutheran Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. This newfound tranquilly, however, would be fleeting.
Arndt, like his great-grandfather Friedrich Alfred Krupp, died at the age of 48. He died of jaw cancer in 1986 at the Klinikum Großhadern in Munich. Arndt had struggled with alcohol addiction for a long time, and he was severely in debt at the time of his death.
Despite his difficult personal life, Arndt had an impact on others around him, as stated in Keith Richards’ autobiography LIFE, where he identified Arndt as a regular Marrakesh party buddy.
Arndt’s life and legacy have been immortalised through numerous media.
The novel “Der letzte Krupp” by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns digs into Arndt’s life and the complications of the Krupp dynasty.
In addition, Arndt’s character, played by Helmut Berger in Luchino Visconti’s film “The Damned,” provides inspiration for the character “Martin von Essenbeck.”
In 1970, the picture was nominated for an Academy Award. Carlo Rola’s miniseries “Krupp: A Family Between War and Peace” also includes a representation of a young Arndt von Bohlen-Halbach, played by actor Nikolai Kinski.
Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach Cause Of Death
Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach’s cause of death is reported to have been due to heart failure which he suffered leading to his demise.
