Interview on Deutschlandfunk Kultur with Andrea Schneider-Braunberger: “How Companies Are Confronting Their Nazi Past”

Only 8 percent of all long-established German companies have conducted a scholarly examination of their history between 1933 and 1945. This is the finding of a recent study by the Society for Corporate History. In it, Andrea Schneider-Braunberger and Philip Meder examined how 1,250 German companies founded before 1945 deal with their Nazi past. The sample primarily included DAX-listed companies and large family-owned businesses, but also smaller companies whose Nazi history had already been academically researched. The results at a glance:

• 57 percent mention their activities during the Nazi era on their website but do not address the issue further
• 20 percent completely omit their Nazi history
• 8 percent have had their Nazi history professionally examined
• Another 10 percent have a general study of their entire company history that includes a chapter on the Nazi era

Andrea Schneider recently spoke with journalist Isabel Fannrich-Lautenschläger for a feature on Deutschlandfunk Kultur about the background of the study and the motivation of companies to engage with their history 80 years after the end of World War II. Her observation: While many company websites do present product ranges or employee numbers from the years between 1933 and 1945, or show photos of bombed industrial facilities, the use of forced laborers or profits derived from the appropriation of Jewish property are rarely mentioned.

You can listen to the DLF Kultur report here:
Coming to Terms with Nazi Forced Labor: Companies Break New Ground

You can find the study here (in German):
GUG Studie Aufarbeitung der NS-Zeit

Interview with Andrea Schneider-Braunberger in the Berliner Zeitung – Researching corporate histories during the Third Reich: “It has to be done”

In November 2023, the Berliner Zeitung published an interview with Dr. Andrea Schneider-Braunberger, Executive Director of the Society for Corporate History. She highlights the importance of examining corporate histories during the Third Reich and emphasizes the increased awareness and the need for companies to confront their past, noting that this is particularly demanded by younger generations. Despite challenges such as missing archives, she underscores the importance of critical academic research to promote transparency and a sense of responsibility.

Click here for the full article:
Berliner Zeitung - Researching corporate histories during the Third Reich: “It has to be done”

2022 Public Lecture Series: “The Importance of Price and Monetary Stability for Businesses”

The 45th Public Lecture Series of the Society for Business History took place on March 24, 2022, at the Frankfurt am Main Historical Museum, focusing on the topic “The Importance of Price and Monetary Stability for Businesses.”
The event did not merely address, in the traditional sense, how inflation arose and what consequences it had, what lessons we can draw from the inflation of the 1920s for today, and what options this presents for the present. Particular attention was paid to companies, examining the role that price and currency stability plays in their long-term viability—or, conversely, the consequences of its absence for corporate planning. It is precisely on this topic that historical experiences can be leveraged to address the challenges of the present day.

You can find the recording of the event here:
{ÖV-Inflation- 24.03_V02}

Book Presentation: LVM Insurance in the ‘Third Reich’

Coming to terms with the past is also important for family businesses

The business magazine “Wir” reports that an increasing number of family businesses are confronting their Nazi past. The article highlights the particular challenges involved in this research, as those involved often come from within the family itself and few family businesses maintain archives. Among other things, Dr. Andrea Schneider-Braunberger explains ways for family businesses to come to terms with their history and why this can also have a healing effect on the companies and the families.

Link: Wir Magazine, January 8, 2021

The Early History and Founding of Heckler & Koch

Heckler & Koch commissioned Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte mbH to conduct a preliminary study on the company’s early history and founding in order to identify sources for reconstructing the history of the three founders and the circumstances surrounding the company’s establishment. The project’s objectives and background are also detailed in an article in the Schwarzwälder Bote:
Schwarzwälder Bote, December 17, 2020

Further information on the preliminary study can be found here.

The Role of Georg Karg and the Aryanization of Hermann Tietz OHG During the Nazi Era

In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, Adjunct Professor Dr. Johannes Bähr explains the objectives and research questions of the GUG study on the Tietz family during the Nazi era, which he is conducting together with PD Dr. Ingo Köhler. An article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung also addresses the study.
The project examines the circumstances under which the Aryanization of Hermann Tietz OHG (Hertie) took place in 1934 and how this event should be historically contextualized. It will shed light on Georg Karg’s role during those years and take into account the postwar restitution lawsuits and the subsequent out-of-court settlement between the Tietz and Karg families. You can find the interview and the SZ article at the links below:

SZ-Online, January 12, 2021
Deutschlandfunk, November 30, 2020

The German Society for Goldsmithing during the Nazi Era

On October 1, 2019, Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger and Michael Bermejo-Wenzel presented their book *The Golden Network: The German Society for Goldsmithing during the Nazi Era*, commissioned by the Society for Goldsmithing, to the public. In interviews with the Hanauer Anzeiger, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and the Frankfurter Rundschau, they presented new findings from their research regarding the Society for Goldsmithing’s entanglement with the Nazi regime and its key figures. Following up on this, the Frankfurter Rundschau reports that, based on these findings, the German Society for Goldsmithing has decided to discontinue the “Golden Ring of Honor” award and instead establish a new form of recognition for exceptional gold and silversmithing.

Links:
Hanauer Anzeiger
Frankfurter Rundschau, October 3, 2019
Frankfurter Rundschau, October 4, 2019
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/region-und-hessen/gesellschaft-fuer-goldschmiedekunst-zur-nazizeit-16415493.html: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Wintershall During the Nazi Era

Conference in September 2019

As part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, Wintershall organized a conference in September 2019 in collaboration with the Society for Corporate History (GUG) to address its own past during the Nazi era. Key topics such as the handling of forced labor were at the forefront of the discussion. Following the event, GUG Managing Director Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger spoke with Lars Hofmann of hr to answer questions about the conference’s main themes and outcomes.
In addition, Hessenschau and Hessenschau kompakt reported on the company’s anniversary and its engagement with its past.
On January 7, 2020, the Frankfurter Rundschau also reported on the book project that GUG is carrying out on behalf of Wintershall to examine the company’s history.

Frankfurter Rundschau, January 7, 2020
{Conference Report_Wintershall}

Highlights from the 2019 Conference

Book Launch in October 2020

On October 22, 2020, the study “Expansion at Any Cost: Studies on Wintershall AG. Between Crisis and War, 1929–1945,” supervised by the GUG, was presented. The study examines the Wintershall company during the Nazi era. It was authored by Manfred Grieger, Rainer Karlsch, and Ingo Köhler. An article in the F.A.Z. as well as two articles in industry-specific portals discuss the book launch and the study’s findings:

Links:
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Oct. 22, 2020
Energy Voice, Oct. 23, 2020
Rigzone, Oct. 25, 2020

A recording of the book presentation on October 22, 2020, in the Blue Hall of the Kongress-Palais in Kassel, Hesse, can be found here:

Our job board features current job postings, fellowship announcements, and PhD positions for economic and business historians.

Internship at the GUG office
The Society for Business History (Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte e.V.) is offering an internship at its office in Frankfurt am Main, for which a small stipend will be paid. We are looking for committed students of history as a major or minor subject (preferably with a focus on economic and social history) who have a good knowledge of the common Microsoft Office programs, are confident in using and designing media such as the Internet, enjoy taking on responsibility, and are willing to work in a small team.
We offer a friendly atmosphere in a small, open-minded team, as well as interesting activities related to corporate history. Tasks include preparing events, minor research and cataloging assignments, and assisting with the editing of the Journal of Corporate History (ZUG). The internship also includes insights into the project activities of GUG mbH and support for the office.
We offer internships on an ongoing basis from 4 weeks to 3 months. Upon agreement, the internship can be done on a part-time basis. Working hours can be arranged flexibly.
If you are interested, please send your application documents (a short cover letter, your resume, and scans of your certificates) to Mr. Kai Balazs-Bartesch.

Fraport AG operates Germany’s largest commercial airport, one of the world’s most important aviation hubs. The company looks back on a history spanning more than 100 years, the records of which are preserved in its Historical Archives.

Key Responsibilities

· Assisting with storage logistics (transportation; receiving and relocating files and objects)
· Assisting with the cataloging and indexing of archival materials in the archive database (AUGIAS)
· Assisting with the relocation and archival-grade packaging of documents and objects
· Support in the cataloging and documentation of objects in the collections
· Support in the digitization of documents

Requirements

· Degree in history, library science, information science, or archival science
· Interest in economic and contemporary history
· Basic (IT) skills in working with Office applications as well as spreadsheets and databases
· Physical stamina

For more information on the job posting, please visit here.

Please feel free to let us know about any other offers: ...

125 years of Messer: History Communication in Perfection – A podcast that brings industrial history to life

Immerse yourself in a journey through industrial history – welcome to the podcast “Stories – The Messer Anniversary Podcast.” Marking the 125th anniversary of Messer, the world's leading family-owned producer of industrial gases, this podcast is a shining example of effective history communication.

Diana Buss, Head of Corporate Communications at Messer, and our esteemed colleague Jörg Lesczenski, author of the corporate history study “100 Percent Messer, The Return of the Family Business. 1898 to Today,” guide you through short but extremely informative episodes lasting about a quarter of an hour. This balanced combination of facts, anecdotes, and in-depth analysis appeals to both historians and anyone interested in delving into industrial history in an entertaining way.

The podcast highlights the evolution from a small workshop for acetylene experiments, founded by Adolf Messer in Höchst 125 years ago, to a global pioneer in the industrial gas industry. But it goes beyond mere chronology. It tells the story of the visionaries behind the innovations, the ups and downs that paved the way, and the intertwining of corporate events and global political trends over the last century.

“125 Years of Messer: Focus on History” is not only a source of information, but also a prime example of effective history communication that will hopefully set a precedent.

You can find the link to the podcast here: 125tories - Der Messer Jubiläumspodcast

Deutsche Bahn exhibition: Who was Fritz Kittel – A Reichsbahn employee makes a decision

In an exhibition on the role of the Reichsbahn in the Holocaust, author Esther Dischereit traces excerpts from the life of railway worker Fritz Kittel, as well as from the lives of those he saved from the Holocaust. The exhibition, developed in collaboration with the Deutsche Bahn Historical Collection, was first shown at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin in 2023 before touring various cities until the end of 2024

Find out more about the exhibition here.

Working Group “Women in Economic History” (WIEH)

The working group “Women in Economic History” (WIEH) brings together female researchers from early career stages to professorships. The WIEH website presents the members of the working group, their research activities and results, and provides an overview of experts on various topics in economic history.

You can find the link here:
https://www.women-in-economic-history.com/

Grande Empresas en Argentina/Big Companies in Argentina Database

On behalf of the Argentine Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology, the “Big Companies in Argentina Database” was created to supplement the 2021 publication “Las Grades Empresas de Argentina” as part of the research project “PICT 2010/0501 Empresas Extrajeras en Argentina/Foreign Companies in Argentina Database BDEEA/FCAD.”

The database allows users to view the capitalization of the 200 largest companies based in Argentina at various points in time.

However, the results of the study are only available free of charge for study and teaching purposes. In addition, the authors should be contacted if the research results are to be used more extensively.

The database can be found here.

History and Pandemics

In response to the global spread of the coronavirus, scholars both nationally and internationally have come together in a variety of forums and launched projects that examine the topic from a historical perspective. The GUG presents some of these initiatives and projects here:

Webinars and Online Seminars
From July 27-31, 2020, an online workshop for economic historians was held on the topic of “Responding to Crisis.” The recording of the workshop can be found here.

Journal articles and videos
In their article in EconPapers, Robert Barro, José F. Ursúa, and Joanna Weng explore the extent to which the economy can learn from how the Spanish flu was handled in order to deal with the current pandemic. It can be read here.

An article by Sergio Correia, Stephan Luck, and Emil Verner also provides an economic history perspective on the Spanish flu era. You can find it here.

In an article in the journal Explorations in Economic History, Vellore Arthi and John Parman examine how COVID-19 and the accompanying recession will change society in the long term. They conclude that historical knowledge of past crises helps to assess the long-term effects of the current crisis and prepare for new crises. The link to the article can be found here.

Link collections and literature

The Fachverband für Medizingeschichte e.V. (Professional Association for Medical History) has compiled an extensive collection of links on the topic of “The history of epidemics in the age of Covid-19” on its website. Click here.

Digital teaching
H-Soz-Kult offers teachers a platform to exchange information and discuss difficulties and their own experiences relating to digital teaching. In addition to interviews in which teachers present their approaches, the Digital Teaching Forum also provides a space for discussing individual approaches and emerging difficulties. For more information, see here.

Wenn Sie selbst Teil eines ähnlich gearteten Projekts sind oder uns gerne auf eines aufmerksam machen möchten, freuen wir uns über die Zusendung von Informationen an ....