The Sailor Who Rejected Nazi Germany

In 1940, a German sailor named George Dibbern did something extraordinary: he created his own passport, designed his own flag, and declared himself a citizen of the world—all while Nazi Germany was conquering Europe. The Gestapo threatened his family. The Nazi Party in New Zealand called him a spy. But George refused to sail under the swastika, choosing instead to live by his conscience aboard a 32-foot sailboat named Te Rapunga.

This is the story of a simple man who became an unlikely philosopher of peace during humanity's darkest hour. George left his wife and three daughters behind in Germany, knowing he could never return. He spent years sailing between continents, befriending the notorious writer Henry Miller, and attempting to build bridges of friendship one voyage at a time. His protest against fascism was quiet but absolute.

What does it mean to outgrow your own nationality? And what would you sacrifice to live according to your deepest principles? George Dibbern's forgotten story offers surprising answers to both questions.

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In This Episode:

• How a German sailor created the world's first "citizen of the world" passport in 1940
• Why the Nazi Party in Berlin wanted to force George back to Germany
• The unlikely friendship between George Dibbern and controversial writer Henry Miller
• What it cost George's family when he refused to fly the swastika flag
• How George was twice interned as a "Nazi spy" despite rejecting Nazism
• The symbolic meaning behind George's personal flag and diplomatic philosophy
• Where George's boat Te Rapunga is today and why it matters

Key Figures:

• George Dibbern - German sailor who rejected Nazi Germany and created his own passport
• Erika Grundmann - Private scholar and author of "Dark Sun," Dibbern's biography
• Henry Miller - American writer who championed Dibbern's book "Quest"
• Dibbern's wife and three daughters - Family left behind in Nazi Germany

Timeline:

• 1914-1918: George first interned in New Zealand during WWI
• 1933: Nazi Germany decrees swastika as only acceptable flag
• 1936-1940: George sails Te Rapunga across Atlantic and Pacific with his own flag
• 1940: George creates "citizen of the world" passport, Gestapo threatens family
• 1941: George interned again in New Zealand as suspected "Nazi spy"
• 1946: Post-war correspondence with Henry Miller helping George's family
• 1962: George dies of heart attack on Auckland street at age 73

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