The Dincklage Affair: Love or Collaboration?

Central to understanding Chanel's war years is her relationship with Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, known as "Spatz" (Sparrow). This liaison, beginning in 1941, went far beyond a wartime romance and raises serious questions about Chanel's activities during the occupation. Dincklage was not merely a German aristocrat caught in difficult circumstances; documented evidence confirms he was an intelligence operative who had worked for the Nazis since before the war.

Dincklage's background deserves scrutiny. Born in 1896 to a German aristocratic family, he had lived in France before the war, operating in international social circles. His pre-war activities included intelligence gathering under diplomatic cover. French intelligence files, released decades later, identified him as a professional spy who had reported on French military preparations and social connections that might prove useful to Germany.

The relationship between Chanel and Dincklage began when she was fifty-eight and he was forty-five. Some biographers have attempted to frame this as a late-life romance, suggesting Chanel was lonely and Dincklage provided companionship. While personal attraction may have played a role, the timing and nature of the relationship suggest more complex motivations. Dincklage provided Chanel with protection and connections to the occupying authorities that proved valuable in various ways.

Through Dincklage, Chanel gained a German travel permit, allowing her to move between Paris and the free zone in southern France. This freedom of movement was extraordinary during the occupation and required high-level authorization. She used these travels partly for personal reasons—visiting friends and checking on properties—but questions remain about whether she carried messages or performed tasks for German intelligence.

The couple's social activities extended into the highest circles of the occupation apparatus. They attended dinners with German officials, participated in the cultural life that the Nazis promoted to demonstrate the "normalization" of occupied Paris, and maintained relationships that went beyond mere social necessity. Photographs from this period show Chanel at German embassy events, smiling and engaged, apparently comfortable in this company.