Ernst Hanfstaengl

German-American businessman, pianist, and composer (born February 2, 1887 in Munich, Bavaria – died November 6, 1975 in Munich, Bavaria). The son of a German art publisher and an American mother, Hanfstaengl grew up in Munich, but attended Harvard University (1905-1909), where he was active in Hasty Pudding Theatricals, varsity crew, and the football cheerleading team. In 1921, he returned to Germany where he became an early supporter of Adolf Hitler and financed the Nazi party newspaper in the 1920s. Falling into disfavor, though, he fled to Switzerland in 1937. He spent the war in Britain and the United States, telling Allied intelligence what he knew about the Nazi leadership. He returned to Germany in 1946. A gifted pianist, Hanfstaengl is said to have written fight songs for Harvard's football team. In the early 1930s, he wrote several pieces that reflected his Nazi sympathies: "Jugend marschiert," "Jugend Trauert" (Youth Mourns), "Deutscher Föhn," "Deutsches Largo" (used in Leni Riefenstahl's film "Der Triumph des Willens"), "Skagerrak-Marsch," "Schlageter-Marsch," and "Hitler-Suite."