Gerald Töben (1944-2020)

The death has been announced of the retired Australian academic Gerald Töben. Known to his friends as Fredrick, Dr Töben was a man of great character and personal courage who willingly suffered at the hands of a powerful political lobby in the quest for historical truth. Born in Germany, he emigrated to Australia as a boy and earned degrees from several universities including a PhD from the University of Stuttgart.

After a fairly undistinguished career, he founded the Adelaide Institute setting about researching and publishing on what might be termed controversial aspects of World War Two. His researches included field visits and along with his collaborators digging out some embarrassing references to purported historical events dating back well before the Nazi era.

Unlike many fellow travellers, he refused to swallow the anti-Islamic pill,  and actually visited Iran including for the December 2006 Global Vision conference. He is pictured above with Iran’s then President, the charismatic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

In 2008, he was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport at the behest of the German Government while en route to Dubai. He was held at Wandsworth Prison until the warrant was ruled invalid, his having committed no crime under English law. Although he was excoriated by the usual suspects he received some support from some unexpected quarters, well, maybe not so unexpected for those familiar with the work of Dr Geoffrey Alderman.

If one slight criticism can be made of  Dr Töben it is that he was taken in by the lunatics and con artists of the  9/11 Truth Movement.

His death was not unexpected; he had been ill for some time.

Gerald Fredrick Töben: born Germany, June 2, 1944; died Australia, June 29, 2020.