René Lagrou | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1904-04-15)15 April 1904 Blankenberge, West Flanders, Belgium |
| Died | 1 April 1969(1969-04-01) (aged 64) Barcelona, Spain |
| Other names | Reinaldo van Groede |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, immigration officer |
| Employer | División de Informaciones |
| Known for | Politician, founder of theAlgemeene-SS Vlaanderen |
| Political party | Flemish National Union |
René Lagrou (15 April 1904 – 1 April 1969) was aBelgian politician andcollaborator withNazi Germany.
Lagrou was born inBlankenberge inWest Flanders, Belgium, and worked as a lawyer inAntwerp.[1] Lagrou first came to prominence as a member of theFlemish National Union.[2] He published his own journalRoeland, which became increasinglyanti-Semitic followingAdolf Hitler's rise to power.[3]
Following theGerman occupation of Belgium inWorld War II Lagrou, along withWard Hermans, founded the extremistAlgemeene-SS Vlaanderen (from 1942, theGermaansche SS in Vlaanderen), a Flemish political faction supported by theSS.[2]
Lagrou saw action with theWaffen SS on theEastern Front and some initial reports erroneously suggested that he had died in battle.[2] However Lagrou survived and was captured by theAllies inFrance but managed to escape toFrancoist Spain.[4]
In May 1946 his was one of three names on a 'black list' sent by the government of Belgium to Spain where he was in hiding, along withLéon Degrelle andPierre Daye.[5] Soon after he wascondemned to deathin absentia by the war crimes tribunal inAntwerp.With the possibility ofextradition from Spain looming, Lagrou arrived inArgentina in July 1947 and adopted the false name Reinaldo van Groede.[4] Here he became a leading figure in theratlines sponsored byJuan Perón to rescue Nazis from prosecution in Europe.[6] Given wide powers within the immigration service in Argentina, Lagrou drew up ambitious plans to move as many as 2 million people from Belgium, all either Nazi collaborators or their families.[6] He was also a member of theRodolfo Freude-ledDivisión de Informaciones and in this capacity initiated the cases for resettlement for a number of Nazis.[7]
Lagrou died from cancer in Barcelona, Spain on 1 April 1969.[4]