Karl Henry von Wiegand (born 1874[1] in Hesse in Alsace; died 1961) was a German born American journalist and war correspondent.
Von Wiegand worked from 1911 until 1917 for the United Press and from 1917 for Hearst Newspapers.
Wiegand was the first United States reporter allowed to interview the German crown prince Wilhelm.[2] That interview was also the first foreign interview given by a German noble since World War I broke out.[2] 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War I. In November 1914 William gave the first interview to a foreign correspondent and the first statement to the press ever made by a German noble since the outbreak of war.[2][3] William said this in English:
Undoubtedly this is the most stupid, senseless and unnecessary war of modern times. It is a war not wanted by Germany, I can assure you, but it was forced on us, and the fact that we were so effectually prepared to defend ourselves is now being used as an argument to convince the world that we desired conflict.
Karl von Wiegand was the father of journalist (also for Hearst's Newspapers) and abstract painter Charmion von Wiegand.[4]
He was one of the Hearst Press reporters on at least two of the Graf Zeppelin flights, usually accompanying fellow Hearst reporter Lady Hay Drummond-Hay.[5][6]
A month after Germany invaded France in World War II, Karl secured an interview with Hitler and published his report "Europe for the Europeans : Adolf Hitler on the international situation during the war in France ; An interview granted to Karl v. Wiegand, Führer's Headquarters, June 11, 1940".[7]
Later, Lady Drummond-Hay and Karl von Wiegand were interned in a Japanese camp in Manila, Philippines.[8] When they were set free in 1945,[9] she was very ill. They returned to the United States, but during their stay in New York Lady Grace Drummond-Hay died of coronary thrombosis in the Lexington Hotel.[8] After her cremation Karl brought her ashes back to the United Kingdom.
He died of pneumonia in Zurich at the age of 86.[10]