Editing Felix Kersten (section)

==Later life==
[[File:Felix Kersten (1948).jpg|thumb|Kersten (1948)]]
In his postwar memoirs, Kersten took credit for saving the entirety of the Dutch population from being forcibly deported to Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe.<ref name=Ilan>{{cite book | author = Amitzur Ilan | title = Bernadotte in Palestine | year = 1989 | publisher = St Martin's Press | pages = 40–42}}</ref> In January 1950, the Dutch monarchy awarded him the [[Order of Orange-Nassau]] on the basis of his account.<ref name=Ilan/> However, a later investigation by Dutch historian [[Louis de Jong]] concluded that the mass deportation plan had not existed, as well as that many of Kersten's documents had been fabricated.<ref>Louis de Jong, 1972, "Heeft Kersten het Nederlandse volk gered?". Reprinted in German translation: H-H. Wilhelm and L. de Jong. ''Zwei Legenden aus dem dritten Reich: quellenkritische Studien'', Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt 1974, pp. 79–142.</ref>

The Swedish archives testify that Kersten was an intermediary between Himmler and [[Count]] [[Folke Bernadotte]] in the negotiations that led to the rescue operation '[[White Buses|The White Buses]]', saving hundreds of Norwegians and Danes from certain death in the last days of the [[Third Reich]].

Kersten's claims of being instrumental in saving Finland's Jews from German hands may be exaggerated, but the Finnish government used his services in the hope of influencing Himmler.

In Kersten's memoirs he discusses that Himmler confided in him that Hitler was interested in setting up a Burgundian Free State that the [[Burgundian State|old Burgundian possessions]], Artois, Hainault and Luxembourg; Lorraine, Franche-Comte and the old Duchy of Burgundy; Dauphine and Provence. It would have also included Picardy, including Amiens, and Champagne, including Rheims and Troyes with either Rheims and Dijon considered for the capitol. According to what Kersten said Himmler told him, "The Fuhrer is sick of the idea that France...Burgundy will acquire all the territory that France has annexed unjustly...The others can have the rest of France, which will be known as Gaul."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kersten |first=Felix |url=https://archive.org/details/the-kersten-memoirs-1940-1945/page/4/mode/2up |title=The Kersten memoirs, 1940–1945, London |access-date=March 19, 2024 |publisher=Hutchinson and Co. Ltd. |year=1956 |location=London |pages=184–185}}</ref>

After the war, Kersten lived in West Germany and Sweden, taking Swedish citizenship in 1953. He died in [[Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia|Hamm]], while he was visiting Germany, aged 61.<ref>[https://bbld.de/0000000109602890 Kersten, Eduard Alexander Felix.] BBLD – Baltisches biografisches Lexikon Digital.</ref>

Kersten's war memoirs were published in English translation in 1947 and a second edition was published in 1956 (''The Kersten memoirs, 1940–1945'', London 1956) with an introduction by [[Hugh Trevor-Roper]].