Kieffer Family Genealogy & History

Hans Josef Kieffer (4 December 1900 – 26 June 1947) was a significant figure during World War II, serving as a Sturmbannführer and head of the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) in Paris. Known for his intelligence and counter-espionage operations against the French Resistance and the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Kieffer adeptly used tactics like funkspiel to deceive SOE headquarters. His headquarters at 84 Avenue Foch became infamous for the interrogation and execution of Allied agents. Kieffer's strategies involved turning captured agents into double agents, showcasing his crucial role in German espionage efforts during the occupation of France.

Philippe Kieffer, born on 24 October 1899, was a distinguished French Navy officer and a prominent figure in the Free French Forces during World War II. Notably, he established the elite Fusiliers-Marins Commandos, inspired by British Commandos, and played a crucial role in the Normandy landings on D-Day, where he led his men at Sword Beach. Kieffer's valor earned him numerous honors, including Commander of the Legion of Honour and the Military Cross from the UK. His contributions to the liberation of France are celebrated in military history.

Kieffer was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to an Alsatian paternal family and an English mother. This diverse heritage influenced his upbringing and later achievements as a bilingual military leader.

Guy-André Kieffer, a journalist with dual French and Canadian nationality, was known for his investigative work on political corruption in West Africa, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. Born on May 25, 1949, Kieffer had a prolific career at La Tribune from 1984 to 2002 before turning freelance. His work often exposed shady practices in African governments, including a controversial investigation into the Ivorian government and cocoa industry. Kieffer's disappearance on April 16, 2004, in Abidjan remains unresolved, with his fate still shrouded in mystery.

Kieffer's family origins trace back to the Rhône-Alpes region in France, where he was born and raised. His family life included a son, Sébastien-Cédric, from his first marriage to a Canadian woman, and a daughter, Canelle, with his second wife, Osange Silou-Kieffer.

Eduardo Gudiño Kieffer was a prominent Argentine writer, born on November 2, 1935, in Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina. Renowned for his contributions to the Latin American literature boom of the 1960s, Kieffer excelled as a novelist, essayist, and journalist. His works, often centered around Buenos Aires, have been translated into multiple languages, earning him the title of "Ciudadano Ilustre de la Ciudad" (Distinguished Citizen of Buenos Aires). A former law graduate from Universidad del Litoral, he chose to follow his passion for writing over practicing law, publishing numerous novels, essays, and short stories, and serving as a columnist for La Nación's Culture page.

On his mother's side, Eduardo Gudiño Kieffer was related to the Argentinian painter Sebastian Spreng. He was married to Beatriz Trento, and together they had three children before eventually divorcing. Kieffer passed away in Buenos Aires on September 20, 2002.