THE family who own the Krispy Kreme doughnuts company admitted to their historical ties with the nazis today, having used slave labour to build their business empire.

The Reimann family are known as one of the richest families in Germany who own the controlling stake in JAB Holdings, a private conglomerate.

Other subsidiaries of the conglomerate include Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Pret a Manger and Einstein Bros.           

A three-year investigation into the Reimanns discovered the family’s history of connections with the nazi party.

After the findings the family said they would donate €11 million to a currently unrevealed charity in what is seen by many as a damage limitation exercise.

German media outlet Bild previously reported on the family’s nazi connection.

Family spokesperson Peter Harf, one of two managing partners of JAB Holdings, admitted to Bild that all the allegations were “correct.”

Mr Harf explained that Albert Reimann Snr, who died in 1954, and Albert Reimann Jnr, who died in 1984, had used Russian civilian prisoners and French prisoners of war as forced labour in their factories during the war.

He also claimed that the family were anti-semites and prominent supporters of Adolf Hitler, donating to the paramilitary Schutzstaffel (SS), even before the nazis came into power.

Many prominent brands have had previous ties with nazis including fashion label Hugo Boss, which designed the SS uniforms and issued a statement apologising for this in 2011.

“There is nothing to gloss over … These crimes are disgusting,” Mr Harf said.

“The two men have passed away, but they actually belonged in prison.”