Once a year, the Society for Corporate History organizes a public lecture series. Prominent figures from academia, politics, and business are invited to discuss current issues—including their historical context. Each year, a different company or association serves as our host.

Review: Lecture Series 2026 – “Companies in the Stranglehold of Bureaucracy? The Need for Regulation vs. Innovation”

Date: March 12, 2026
Venue: Düsseldorf Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Bureaucratization is a topic that affects and polarizes both business and academia alike. Businesses in particular are increasingly confronted with a contradiction: although there has been talk of reducing bureaucracy for years, bureaucracy seems to be growing steadily in both complexity and scope. What dynamics lie behind this phenomenon and this criticism? And why, despite numerous attempts at reform, can bureaucratization not be reduced but remains a central characteristic of modern organizations?

The conference aimed to examine the historical background and dynamics behind (de)bureaucratization processes, as well as their significance for corporate practice. Why is bureaucracy criticized both historically and in the present day, yet continues to expand? How do bureaucratization processes influence innovation and efficiency in companies? What lessons can be drawn from historical examples of dealing with bureaucratization in today’s economy? What does growing bureaucratization mean for the international competitiveness of companies? What strategies could companies and policymakers develop to strike a balance between necessary regulations and entrepreneurial freedom?

The program and a detailed conference report can be found below.

Impressions

Review: 2025 Lecture Series – “Deglobalization in History and the Present”

Date: March 20, 2025
Venue: German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Berlin

Supply chain crises, geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism – the global economy is under pressure. What historical parallels can be drawn, and how are companies responding to these changes? These questions were the focus of the 48th public lecture event of the Society for Corporate History (GUG), which took place on March 20, 2025, at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) in Berlin.

Under the title “De-Globalization in History and the Present,” Jan-Otmar Hesse (University of Bayreuth), Moritz Schularick (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), and Volker Treier (DIHK) discussed the economic, political, and corporate-strategic dimensions of a multifaceted process. Rainer Kurtz (Kurtz Holding) provided insights into the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises; the concluding panel discussion was moderated by Helene Bubrowski (Table.Media).

A historical review made it clear that in times of economic isolation, companies did not merely react but actively shaped the landscape—for example, through international subsidiaries, cartels, or tax-optimized structures. Moritz Schularick demonstrated how economic interdependence, while bringing economic success, proved politically disappointing: instead of convergence, rivalry and strategic autonomy dominate today. The discussion highlighted the “fragmentation paradox”—the risk that reduced economic interdependence makes political escalations more likely. There was agreement that companies must become more resilient in the future—through diversification, reshoring, or “China 1” strategies—without losing sight of international cooperation. In this context, deglobalization appears less as a step backward and more as an expression of a profound transformation of the global economic order.

The program and a detailed conference report can be found below.

Impressions

Past Events

48th Public Lecture Series on March 20, 2025, in Berlin: Deglobalization in History and the Present
Programm ÖV 2025/Bericht ÖV 2025

47th Public Lecture Event on March 14, 2024, in Darmstadt: Diversity Management in Companies
Programm ÖV 2024

46th Public Lecture Series on March 16, 2023, in Munich: Companies and Universities – Success Through Cooperation?
Programm ÖV 2023/Bericht ÖV 2023

45th Public Lecture Event on March 24, 2022, in Frankfurt am Main: The Importance of Price and Currency Stability for Businesses

Programm ÖV 2022/Bericht ÖV 2022

44th Public Lecture Event on October 22, 2021, in Stuttgart: Skills Shortages and Migration
Programm ÖV 2021/Bericht ÖV 2021

2020
Unfortunately, the event had to be canceled at short notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic!

43rd Public Lecture Series on March 24, 2019, in Stuttgart: Global Corporate Strategies: Cross-Border Approaches to Human Rights
Programm ÖV 2020

42nd Public Lecture Series on March 7, 2019, in Walldorf: Enterprise 4.0 – Hope or Horror?
Programm ÖV 2019/Bericht ÖV 2019

41st Public Lecture Event on March 15, 2018, in Ditzingen:Charisma: Risk Factor or Guarantee of Success?
Programm ÖV 2018/Bericht ÖV 2018

40th Public Lecture Event on March 16, 2017, in Munich: Risk: Politics?
Programm ÖV 2017/Bericht ÖV 2017

39th Public Lecture Event on March 17, 2016, in Duisburg: Pax Britannica, Pax Americana, Pax Sinica? Structural Change in the Global Economy and the Situation of Companies
Bericht ÖV 2016

38th Public Lecture Event on March 19, 2015, in Cologne: The Battle for Resources – The Relevance of Energy Prices for German Companies
Bericht ÖV 2015

37th Public Lecture Event = Annual Conference of the Business History Conference March 13–15, 2014, in Frankfurt: The Vices and Virtues of Business - a historical perspective
Bericht ÖV 2014

36th Public Lecture Event on March 14, 2013, in Leverkusen: From Workplace Social Policy to Corporate Citizenship
Bericht ÖV 2013

35th Public Lecture on March 15, 2012, in Munich: 20 Years After Maastricht: The European Crisis
and Structural Change in the Global Economy
Bericht ÖV 2012

34th Public Lecture Event on March 16, 2011, in Stuttgart: Europeanization of Co-determination
Bericht ÖV 2011

33rd Public Lecture Event on March 11, 2010, in Munich: Economic Crises – The Entrepreneur’s Moment?

Download Program
Programm ÖV 2010

32nd Public Lecture on March 12, 2009, in Berlin: The Fall of the Berlin Wall and German Companies.
1989 – A Turning Point or Continuity?
Programm ÖV 2009

31st Public Lecture on March 13, 2008, in Wolfsburg: The Future of Mobility. Cars and Energy Use
as a Technical-Economic Problem
Programm ÖV 2008

30th Public Lecture on March 8, 2007, in Essen: Business in China
Programm ÖV 2007

29th Public Lecture Event on March 23, 2006, in Wiesbaden: Women in Economic Leadership Positions
Bericht ÖV 2006

28th Public Lecture on March 7, 2005, in Berlin: The Entrepreneur’s Responsibility
Programm ÖV 2005

27th Public Lecture on April 27, 2004, in Freyburg an der Unstrut: Self-Employment: Between Success Model and Crisis Phenomenon
Programm ÖV 2004

26th Public Lecture on May 5, 2003, in Berlin: 1968 and German Companies
Bericht ÖV 2003

25th Public Lecture on April 29, 2002, in Berlin: Corporate Cultures – A Comparison of Germany and the USA
Programm ÖV 2002

24th Public Lecture Series on April 5, 2001, in Frankfurt am Main: Consulting
Programm ÖV 2001

23rd Public Lecture on April 6, 2000, in Berlin: German Entrepreneurs in the World. From Internationalization to Globalization

22nd Public Lecture on April 21, 1999, in Cologne: Business Succession – A Never-Ending Story

21st Public Lecture on April 23, 1998, in Frankfurt am Main: Banks’ Willingness to Take Risks in Start-ups

Keynote Lecture on November 17, 1997, in Cologne: Prof. Gerald D. Feldman: Politics and Business in the Weimar Republic

21st Public Lecture Series on February 29, 1996 in Frankfurt am Main: Privatization – Municipalization

20th Public Lecture Series on February 13, 1995 in Cologne: The Road Through the Centuries – Social Significance and Technical Innovation

19th Public Lecture on May 30, 1994, in Waiblingen: Location Selection and Policy of German Companies

18th Public Lecture: Corporate Culture and History

17th Public Lecture on May 26, 1992, in Frankfurt am Main: Entrepreneurs and Political Responsibility

16th Public Lecture on May 15, 1991, in Mannheim: Industry and the Environment

15th Public Lecture: Family Businesses in the Economy and Society from the 19th Century to the Present

14th Public Lecture: Business Associations. Partners of Politics or Pressure Groups?

13th Public Lecture: Structural Development in German Economic Regions

12th Public Lecture on May 22, 1987, in Bonn: Public-Sector Enterprises. Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow

11th Public Lecture on June 10, 1986, in Munich: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and the Labor Market. Can Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Solve the Employment Problems of the German Economy?

10th Public Lecture on June 26, 1985, in Frankfurt am Main: The Origins and Development of the Social Market Economy

9th Public Lecture on May 18, 1984, in Düsseldorf: Protectionism. Progress or Regression?

Academic Lecture by the GUG and the Association for Scientific Research in the Field of Entrepreneurial Biography and Corporate History on October 11, 1984, in Vienna: Business and the State after World War II. A German-Austrian Comparison

8. Public lecture on May 25, 1983, in Cologne: Integration of Foreign Employees

7th Public Lecture on June 25, 1982, in Munich: The Changing Legitimacy of Management. On the Discussion Regarding the Function and Mandate of Corporate Leadership Over the Last 150 Years

6th Public Lecture on May 13, 1981, in Fürth: Sales Strategies of German Companies. Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow

5. Public Lecture on May 7, 1980, in Düsseldorf: Co-determination. Origins and Development

4th Public Lecture/German-Japanese Symposium at the Siemens Training Centre in Berlin, March 20–23, 1979: Innovation, Know-How, Rationalization, and Investment in German and Japanese Economics 1868/1871–1930/1980

3. Public Lecture Series on May 31, 1978, in Frankfurt am Main: Foundations and Enterprises: Experiences and Future Prospects

2nd Public Lecture on June 28, 1977, in Cologne: Concentration in the German Economy since the 19th Century

1st Public Lecture: The Entrepreneur in History and the Present

Through academic symposia on selected topics, the GUG stimulates historical research. It seeks to identify gaps in research and provides the necessary space for discussing current academic issues.

Upcoming event: 49th Academic Symposium:
“The Defense Industry and Arms Deals in Peacetime”

One of the most astonishing comebacks in the Federal Republic’s economy is currently that of the defense industry. This refers not only to the unprecedented boom in orders, the shift in image, and the soaring stock prices, but also to the growing academic attention. Economists and politicians are already speculating about the arms trade as a lifeline for struggling automakers and suppliers, as a pillar of the German IT sector, and as a catalyst for a revival of the space industry.

For this reason, the GUG is planning its 49th Scientific Symposium for October 8 and 9, 2026, under the theme “The Defense Industry and Defense Business in Peacetime.” While corporate history research has extensively examined the arms industry during the world wars, there are significant gaps in research regarding the post-1945 period; more recent studies cover the development of arms manufacturers in the Federal Republic of Germany only sporadically at best.

The symposium aims to take stock of the current state of research while also incorporating related fields, including military history, to the extent that they pertain to the arms industry. The focus will extend beyond arms manufacturers and the defense divisions of conglomerates to include suppliers—such as those from the steel industry—the trade in military equipment, and defense research. Developments in the Federal Republic of Germany will also be placed in a comparative context through contributions on other peacetime periods and other European countries
.

The symposium will also address public perceptions of the arms industry and examine how the industry responded to them. It serves as a forum for current academic research and facilitates dialogue with representatives of companies and other relevant stakeholders.

Review: 48th Academic Symposium:
“Companies and the Colonial Past”

What responsibility do companies bear whose history is intertwined with colonial structures? This question was at the heart of the 48th Academic Symposium, which brought together economic historians, experts in (post)colonial studies, and corporate archivists at the Freudenberg Group’s premises in Weinheim under the theme “Companies and the Colonial Past.” The focus was on the complex connections between companies and colonial systems—both historically and in the present day. The discussions showed that an interdisciplinary dialogue with practitioners is essential for reflecting on historical responsibility and the current relevance of the topic for companies.

MATTHIAS KEMMERER and TRISTAN OESTERMANN provided illustrative insights into the source material in the archives. It also became clear just how wide the range of possible research questions is: MARTIN KALB, SABRINA SCHMITZ-ZERRES, and MICHAEL RÖSSER presented case studies on trade and consumption, while ANKA STEFFEN and JAYITA SARKAR addressed markets and (post-)colonial conditions. KIM S. TODZI and THOMAS IRMER focused on the topic of infrastructure.

In the ensuing debates, key questions were raised: Should our understanding of “companies” in colonial contexts be fundamentally rethought? How can we move beyond individual case studies and make visible the embedding of corporate activities within broader colonial structures? And what contribution can corporate history make to colonial research—for example, through the analysis of multinational enterprises (MNEs)? It also became clear that companies today should confront their colonial past. Whether and how corporate reappraisal of National Socialism can serve as a frame of reference for dealing with colonial legacies must be explored further through methodological considerations and research.

You can find the program below in the download section; the conference report will follow.

Impressions

Review and Downloads

48th Academic Symposium: Companies and the Colonial Past
Call for Papers WS 2025

47th Academic Symposium on October 10 and 11, 2024, in Zurich: Tax management and competition in historical perspective
Programm WS 2024/Bericht WS 2024

46th Academic Symposium on October 12 and 13, 2023, in Berlin: The Construction of the Entrepreneur. Self-Perceptions and External Perceptions since the 19th Century
Programm WS 2023

45th Scientific Symposium on October 6 and 7, 2022, in Frankfurt am Main: Changing Sides. Entrepreneurs in Politics and Politicians in Business
Programm WS 2022/Bericht WS 2022

44th Scientific Symposium on October 21 and 22, 2021, in Stuttgart: Careers of Executives Inside and Outside Organizations
Programm WS 2021/Bericht WS 2021

43rd Scientific Symposium on October 8, 2020, in Mettingen: Doomed to Size and Growth? Structural Change in Retail Since the 1950s
Programm WS 2020/Bericht WS 2020

42nd Scientific Symposium on October 17 and 18, 2019, in Essen:
1919 – the Treaty of Versailles, the Reorganization of Europe, and German Companies
Programm WS 2019/Bericht WS 2019

41st Scientific Symposium Joint Conference BHSJ and GUG on September 13 and 14, 2018, in Frankfurt am Main: Corporate Governance in Japan and Germany in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Programm WS 2018/Bericht WS 2018

40th Scientific Symposium on October 13, 2017, in Leipzig: Business in the East: West German Companies in the GDR
Programm WS 2017/Bericht WS 2017

39th Academic Symposium Joint Conference ABH and Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte e.V. on May 27–28, 2016, in Berlin: Creativity and Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy
Programm WS 2016/Bericht WS 2016

38th Scientific Symposium on October 8–9, 2015, in Vienna: Experience, Expectation, Decision – Decision-Making Processes in Companies from a Conceptual Perspective
Programm WS 2015/Bericht WS 2015

37th Scientific Symposium on October 16–17, 2014, in Frankfurt am Main Economic Crime and Business

36th Scientific Symposium on October 10–11, 2013, in Mannheim: Business and War.
Recent Research on World War I

35th Academic Symposium on October 11–12, 2012, in Berlin: Internationalization and Management after 1945

34th Academic Symposium on October 6–7, 2011, in Frankfurt am Main: Entrepreneurs and Migration

33rd Academic Symposium on October 7–8, 2010, in Düsseldorf: Religion and Business

32nd Academic Symposium on October 8–9, 2009, in Vienna: Nationalization and Privatization

31st Academic Symposium on October 8–9, 2008, in Frankfurt am Main: Business and Art from a Historical Perspective

30th Academic Symposium on October 8–9, 2007, in Munich: Structural Change in Corporate Organization, 1960–1980

29th Academic Symposium on October 12–13, 2006, in Stuttgart: Entrepreneurial Networks. A Historical Form of Organization with a Future?

28th Academic Symposium 9th European Business History Conference September 1–4, 2005, in Frankfurt am Main: Corporate Images – Images of the Corporation

27th Academic Symposium on October 14–15, 2004, in Walldorf: Corporate Knowledge Markets

26th Academic Symposium on October 1–2, 2003, in Recklinghausen: Regulation and Deregulation

25th Academic Symposium on September 5–6, 2002, in Cologne: Companies and Old-Age Security

24th Scientific Symposium on October 11–13, 2001, in Bochum (in collaboration with the Working Group for Critical Corporate and Industrial History, or AKKU for short): Economic Elites in the 20th Century

23rd Scientific Symposium on October 20–21, 2000, in Frankfurt am Main: Innovations in Banking

22nd Academic Symposium on October 22–23, 1999, in Königswinter: The Internationalization of the German Economy

21st Academic Symposium on October 23–24, 1998, in Berlin: Print Media in Competition

20th Academic Symposium on June 20–21, 1997, in Frankfurt am Main: Companies and Entrepreneurs under National Socialism

19th Academic Symposium on September 12–13 in Vienna: Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary as Economic Locations

18th Academic Symposium on October 10–11, 1995, in Düsseldorf: Crises and Crisis Management from the 19th Century to the Present

17th Academic Symposium on November 24–25, 1994, in Jena:
History of Organizational Structures in Corporate Sales Departments in the New and Old Federal States

16th Academic Symposium on September 30–October 1, 1993, in Trier: Co-determination and Works Constitution in Germany and France since the 19th Century

15th Academic Symposium on August 12–14, 1992, in Munich: Transnational Investment from the 19th Century to the Present

14th Academic Symposium on December 13–14, 1990, in Berlin: The Development of Corporate Forms and Structures in West Germany since World War II

13th Academic Symposium/Academic Lecture Series of the GUG and the Institute for Banking History Research on November 3, 1989, in Frankfurt am Main: Survival Prospects of New Business Start-ups

12th Academic Symposium on November 24–25, 1988, in Berlin: The Influence of Foreign Companies on the German Economy from the Late Middle Ages to the Present

11th Academic Symposium on November 27–28, 1986, in Fellbach: The Impact of Motorization on Transportation from 1886 to 1986

10th Academic Symposium, September 25–27, 1985, in Lüneburg: Restrictions on Competition in International Markets

9th Academic Symposium, January 17–18, 1985, in Kehl: Municipal Enterprises: Past and Present

8th Scientific Symposium on December 8–9, 1983, in Essen: Women in the German Economy

7th Scientific Symposium on November 19, 1982, in Leverkusen: Economy, Schools, and Universities. The Promotion of School Education and Scientific Research by German Companies Since the 19th Century

6th Academic Symposium on December 15–16, 1981, in Hamburg: Economic Growth, Technology, and Working Hours in an International Comparison

5th Academic Symposium: Profit Sharing and Wealth Accumulation Among Employees of Selected German Companies (1850–1945)

4th Scientific Symposium on December 7, 1979, in Hanover: The Development of Labor Dispute Law in Germany and Its Western Neighboring Countries

3rd Scientific Symposium: Financing, Innovation, Know-How

2nd Scientific Symposium on December 7, 1978, in Sindelfingen: Vocational Training and Continuing Education in the German Economy Since the 19th Century

1st Scientific Symposium on November 25, 1977, in Hamburg: Corporate Social Policy of German Companies Since the 19th Century

Entstanden aus den Arbeitskreisen Bankengeschichte und Versicherungsgeschichte, trifft sich dieser Arbeitskreis einmal jährlich. Diskutiert werden Forschungen zu spezifischen Themen aus dem Feld des Arbeitskreises. Der Arbeitskreis traf sich zum ersten Mal am 21. Oktober 2005.

Mitglieder: 113 (Stand 2025)

Vorsitz:
PD Dr. Friederike Sattler, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Vorsitzende
Stefan Pretzlik, Historische Archive der Munich Re Group, München

Mitglied werden:
Sollten Sie Interesse an einer Mitarbeit im Arbeitskreis Bank- und Versicherungsgeschichte haben, wenden Sie sich bitte an unsere Geschäftsstelle.

Upcoming Event: 23rd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History

More information will follow shortly.

Review: 22nd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History

How much does a bank building reveal about the institution it houses—and what role does corporate design play in this? These questions were the focus of the 22nd meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History, which took place on November 21, 2025, in Frankfurt am Main on the topic of “Architecture and Corporate Design in the Financial Industry.”

The historical case studies—ranging from the Banca d’Italia to the Austro-Hungarian Bank and savings bank buildings to the ECB—made it clear that architectural solutions often emerge from negotiation processes between bank executives, architects, and societal ideals—the spirit of the times. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that even conservative bank executives often supported modernist designs that signaled openness and future-readiness.

A central discussion also addressed the increasing homogenization of banking business models: The more interchangeable products and services become, the more image, corporate design, and representative buildings gain significance as communicative points of reference between banks and the public.

There was an intensive discussion of the symbolic transparency of modern glass architecture, which suggests openness without necessarily delivering institutional transparency. Other focal points included sustainable design concepts as well as the growing influence of the consumer industry, whose showroom aesthetics are increasingly finding their way into bank buildings.

Using the examples of the Banca d’Italia, the Austro-Hungarian Bank, and the ECB, it ultimately became clear that bank architecture consistently serves to shape identity on multiple levels while simultaneously positioning financial institutions as bearers of political significance within the urban landscape.

The program is available in the download section. A detailed conference report will follow shortly.

Impressions

Review und Downloads

22nd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 21, 2025, at Deutsche Bank AG: Architecture and Corporate Design in the Financial Industry
Programm AK Banken 2025

21st Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 15, 2024, at Commerzbank AG: Sustainable Finance and Insurance. Concepts and Practices Since the 18th Century
Programm AK Banken 2024

20th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on December 1, 2023, at Ergo Group: Business Risks – Research, Manage, and Control?
Programm AK Banken 2023/Bericht AK Banken 2023

19th meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 18, 2022, at Commerzbank AG: German Banks and the Second Globalization
Programm AK Banken 2022/Bericht AK Banken 2022

18th meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History together with the 17th meeting of the Working Group on Family Businesses on November 19, 2021, at ODDO BHF Bank: Banks and Family Businesses
Programm AK Banken 2021/Bericht AK Banken 2021

17th meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 8, 2019, at KPMG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft: Careers in the Financial World
Programm AK Banken 2019/ Bericht AK Banken 2019

16th meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on October 26, 2018, at Fürstlich Castell’sche Bank: Bank and Family
Programm AK Banken 2018/Bericht AK Banken 2018

15th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 3, 2017, at KfW, Frankfurt am Main: German Banks and the Return of German Industry to the World Market (1953–1973)
{2017_Programm_AK_Banken}/{2017_Bericht_AK_Banken}

14th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 24 and 25, 2016, in cooperation with the European Association for Banking History (eabh), Frankfurt am Main: The rise (and decline) of retail banking? 1960s to 2020s
{2016_Programm_AK Banken}/ {2016_Bericht_AK Banken}

13th meeting of the working group (unscheduled) on February 26, 2016, at Munich Re, Munich: Natural Disasters and Risk Management in the Insurance Industry
{2016_2_Programm_AK Banken}/ {2016_2_Bericht_AK Banken}

12th meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 26, 2014, in cooperation with BNP Paribas: The Internationalization of Financial Services
Programm AK Banken 2014/Bericht AK Banken 2014

Workshop of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 19–20, 2013, in cooperation with the Finanzgruppe Wissenschaftsförderung: Marketing Strategies in the Financial Sector since the 20th Century
Programm AK Banken 2013/Bericht AK Banken 2013

11th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on October 5, 2012: Bankers in the Network of Bank-Industry Relations
Programm AK Banken 2012/{2012_Bericht_AK Banken}

10th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 9, 2011:
Banking Regulation
Programm AK Banken 2011/Bericht AK Banken 2011

9th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 10, 2010: Insurance and Environmental Risks
Programm AK Banken 2010

8th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 25, 2009: Retail Banking
Programm AK Banken 2009

7th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on September 5, 2008: Banks in Times of Crisis: Challenges and Solutions

6th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on May 25, 2008: Liberalization of the Banking Sector after 1957
Programm AK Banken 2008

5th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on June 22, 2007: History of Insurance
Programm AK Banken 2007

4th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on December 15, 2006: Bank Lending Operations

3rd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on June 9, 2006: History of Mutual Fund Companies
Programm AK Banken 2006

2nd meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 25, 2005: Banks and Insurance Companies in the Globalization Process of the 19th and 20th Centuries
Programm AK Banken 2005

Joint meeting of the Working Group on Banking History and the Working Group on Insurance History on November 28, 2003: Banks and Insurance Companies

9th meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on April 4, 2003
Programm AK Banken 2003

8th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History: Companies and Old-Age Security
Programm AK Banken 2002

7th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on November 8 and 9, 2001: Health and Insurance

6th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on June 7 and 8, 2001
Programm AK Banken 2001

5th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on October 6, 2000: Internationalization of the Insurance Industry

4th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on May 3, 2000
Programm AK Banken 2000

3rd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on June 24, 1999

2nd Meeting of the Working Group on Banking History on February 5, 1999
Programm AK Banken 1999

1st Constitutive Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on June 17, 2005: Times of Transition Following the Two World Wars: Problems of Transition in the Banking and Insurance Industries

The working group’s inaugural meeting took place on October 21, 2005. The working group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, which had existed until then, was renamed the Family Business Working Group in November 2016.

Members: 113 (as of 2025)

Chair:
Dr. Jörg Lesczenski, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Chair
Sabine Falke-Ibach, RUD. IBACH SOHN GmbH

Become a member:
If you are interested in participating in the Family Business Working Group, please contact our office.

Upcoming Event: 21st Meeting of the Family Business Working Group

The next meeting will take place on May 8, 2026, on the topic “Land of Opportunity? Family Businesses and Their U.S. Operations.” We will announce the host, venue, and program shortly.

Rückblick: 20. Sitzung des Arbeitskreises Familienunternehmen

«Wohlfühloase oder Gesetzeslücken-Trickser?» Zu dieser kontroversen Frage tagte der Arbeitskreis Familienunternehmen am 4. April 2025. Dabei entwickelte sich in den Räumen der Messer SE & Co. KGaA in Bad Soden ein intensiver Austausch über Mitbestimmung und Arbeitskonflikte in familiengeführten Unternehmen.

Im Zentrum stand die Frage, warum gerade in Familienunternehmen betriebliche Mitbestimmung oft eine besonders ambivalente Rolle spielt: zwischen Fürsorgeversprechen, Konfliktvermeidung und strategischer Gesetzesumgehung. Die Vorträge spannten einen Bogen von historischen Fallbeispielen über aktuelle Entwicklungen bis hin zu rechtlichen Grauzonen – und machten deutlich, wie tief verwurzelt und zugleich umkämpft Mitbestimmung in diesem Unternehmensfeld ist.

KOLJA HOSCH (Messer SE & Co. KGaA) beleuchtete zunächst die aktuelle, von Unsicherheiten und Krisensymptomen bestimmte Situation der deutschen Industrie und skizzierte, welche Folgen der Strukturwandel und der generationenbedingte Wandel in der Chemiebranche auf die Betriebsratsarbeit haben. DANIEL HAY (Hans Böckler Stiftung) präsentierte neueste Forschungsergebnisse zu aktuellen Entwicklungen der betrieblichen Mitbestimmung, während BENJAMIN PFANNES und LARS HENRIK HOLLMANN mit dem Speditionsunternehmen J.F. Hillebrand und dem Medienhaus Burda zwei historische Fallbeispiele mit unterschiedlichen Strategien zur Konfliktlösung vorstellten.

Das Programm finden Sie unten. Ein ausführlicher Tagungsbericht folgt in Kürze.

Review: 20th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group

“Oasis of Well-Being or Loophole Exploiters?” The Family Business Working Group convened on April 4, 2025, to address this controversial question. An intense discussion on employee participation and labor disputes in family-run businesses unfolded at the offices of Messer SE & Co. KGaA in Bad Soden.

The focus was on why, particularly in family businesses, workplace co-determination often plays a particularly ambivalent role: oscillating between promises of care, conflict avoidance, and strategic circumvention of the law. The presentations spanned a range from historical case studies to current developments and legal gray areas—and made it clear how deeply rooted and, at the same time, contested co-determination is in this corporate sector.

KOLJA HOSCH (Messer SE & Co. KGaA) first examined the current situation in German industry, marked by uncertainty and signs of crisis, and outlined the consequences of structural change and generational transition in the chemical industry on works council activities. DANIEL HAY (Hans Böckler Foundation) presented the latest research findings on current developments in workplace co-determination, while BENJAMIN PFANNES and LARS HENRIK HOLLMANN presented two historical case studies—the freight forwarding company J.F. Hillebrand and the media company Burda—featuring different strategies for conflict resolution.

The program is available below. A detailed conference report will follow shortly.

Review and Download

20th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on April 4, 2025, at Messer SE & Co. KGaA: ‹Oasis of Well-Being or Exploiters of Loopholes?› Co-determination and Labor Disputes in Family-Run Businesses
{2025_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}

19th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on November 3, 2023, at The Coatinc Company Holding GmbH: Family Businesses under National Socialism
{2023_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}

18th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on September 21, 2022, at Miele & Cie. KG:
The World Is Their Market. The Internationalization of Family Businesses
{2022_Program_Family_Business_WG}/{2022_Report_Family_Business_WG}

17th Meeting of the Working Group on Family Businesses in conjunction with the 18th Meeting of the Working Group on Banking and Insurance History on November 19, 2021, at ODDO BHF Bank: Banks and Family Businesses
{2021_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2021_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

16th meeting of the Family Business Working Group on November 22, 2019, at Coroplast Fritz Müller GmbH & Co. KG: Family Whisperers. Family Businesses and Their Advisors
{2019_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}/{2019_Report_Family_Business_Working_Group}

15th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on November 9, 2018, at the Werner Reimers Foundation, Bad Homburg: “Bankruptcies, Bad Luck, and Mishaps” in Family Businesses
{2018_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}/{2018_Report_Family_Business_Working_Group}

14th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on November 10, 2017, at Falke KGaA, Schmallenberg: The Longevity of Family Businesses. Strategic Skill or Happy Coincidence?
{2017_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}/{2017_Report_Family_Business_Working_Group}

13th Meeting of the Family Business Working Group on November 11, 2016, at Johann Borgers GmbH & Co. KG, Bocholt: Crises in Family Businesses
{2016_Program_Family_Business_Working_Group}/{2016_Report_Family_Business_Working_Group}

12th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on November 13, 2015, at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Frankfurt am Main: Types of Entrepreneurs and Leadership Styles
{2015_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2015_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

11th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on November 7, 2014, at the Kurtz Ersa Group, Hasloch: Family Businesses – The Entrepreneur and His Family
{2014_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2014_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

10th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on November 7–8, 2013, at Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG, Gerolstein: Hidden Champions
{2013_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2013_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

9th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on October 26, 2012, Eintracht Museum, Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt am Main: Sports
{2012_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2012_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

8th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on October 28, 2011, Darmstadt Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Darmstadt), Darmstadt: Energy and Environment
{2011_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2011_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

2010
No meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises took place.

6th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on September 18 and 19, 2009, at Borgers GmbH, Bocholt: Internationalization
{2009_Program_AK_Family_Businesses}/{2009_Report_AK_Family_Businesses}

5th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on September 28 and 29, 2008, at Standortinitiative Wurzen e.V. and Sächsisches Wirtschaftsarchiv e.V., Wurzen and Leipzig: SMEs in Eastern Germany
{2008_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2008_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

4th Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on September 7, 2007, Kreuzwertheim: Companies and ‘Their’ Location
{2007_Program_AK_Family_Businesses}/{2007_Report_AK_Family_Businesses}

3rd Conference of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on February 22, 2007, Museum of Olfry Ziegelwerke GmbH & Co. KG, Gut Daren: Companies and Archives
{2007_2_Program_WG_Family_Businesses}/{2007_2_Report_WG_Family_Businesses}

2nd Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on September 29, 2006, at ODU Steckverbindungen GmbH & Co. KG: Family Businesses – A Spectrum Reflected in Recent Research
{2006_Program_Working_Group_Family_Businesses}

1st Constitutive Meeting of the Working Group on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on October 21, 2005, at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Frankfurt am Main: Structure of the Working Group
{2005_Program_WG_Family_Business}

The working group was established on October 9, 2024. Discussions focus on research related to specific topics within the working group’s field.

Co-chairs:
Prof. Dr. Jan-Otmar Hesse, University of Bayreuth
PD Dr. Christian Marx, Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History
Prof. Dr. Sabine Pitteloud, Swiss Distance Learning University

Become a member:
If you are interested in participating in the Global Economy and Multinational Enterprises (GEME) working group, please contact our office.

Upcoming Event: 2nd Meeting of the Global Economy and Multinational Enterprises (GEME) Working Group:
The upcoming meeting in 2026 will be held online. More information will follow soon.

Review: 1st Meeting of the Global Economy and Multinational Enterprises (GEME) Working Group

What happens when economic history views foreign direct investment (FDI) not as a statistic, but as a lived reality? With this topic, the new international working group Global Economy and Multinational Enterprises (GEME) began its work on October 8, 2025. The meeting at the BASF Visitor Center in Ludwigshafen opened up new methodological and conceptual perspectives on international corporate strategies.

The opening lecture by NEIL ROLLINGS (University of Glasgow) provided key insights for the subsequent discussions. Case studies on Sartorius in China (CAETANO FRANZ), German leather companies in postcolonial India (CHRISTINA HÄBERLE), and the European rubber industry (TONIO SCHWERTNER) demonstrated the diversity and path dependencies of corporate internationalization. The discussions made it clear that FDI should not be treated solely as a macroeconomic measure. A more productive approach is to understand it as a complex, lived process shaped by strategies, decisions, negotiations, and institutional frameworks. Furthermore, internationalization is not based solely on capital flows but also on non-market-related strategies: chambers of commerce, international conferences, lobbying, and informal networks form key infrastructures that deserve greater analytical attention.

The Uppsala model remains a useful theoretical framework for incremental internationalization, yet it became apparent that real-world developments are often fragmented, experimental, or contentious, and thus deviate from the ideal-typical trajectory. Supply chains were discussed as an alternative analytical perspective. Their heuristic value is undisputed, but every “chain” has gaps and breaks—it therefore remains more of a metaphor than a robust method. A cautious and context-sensitive approach therefore seems warranted.

The working group will continue its discussions in upcoming meetings. The event program can be found in the download section. A detailed conference report will follow shortly.

Impressions

Review and Download

The working groups listed here are currently inactive. They can be reactivated if the need arises. Here you will find a list of all working group meetings, including all speakers and presentations.

History of Marketing

Sitzungsprogramme des Arbeitskreises Marktetinggeschichte 2007-2024
Sitzungsberichte des Arbeitskreises Marktetinggeschichte 2007-2024

History of Media Companies

Liste der Vorträge 2005 - 2011
Tagungsbericht Februar 2011

East German Companies in the Process of Transformation

Liste der Vorträge 2010 - 2012
Tagungsbericht März 2012
Tagungsbericht März 2011

History of Transportation

Liste der Vorträge 1998 - 2008
Tagungsbericht Mai 2008

Businesses Under National Socialism

Liste der Vorträge 1998-2005

Workshop: Understanding the Past - Assuming Responsibility: Nazi-Era Forced Labor within the Company’s Own History

On the initiative of the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation and in cooperation with the GUG and the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future (EVZ), workshops have been held since 2024 to help companies deal with the Nazi period and democratic engagement in business. The annual workshop offers professionals from the fields of (historical) communication, public affairs, and corporate social (or political) responsibility an opportunity to confidentially exchange ideas about various possibilities and best practice examples for historical reappraisal and the commitment to democracy in companies. The goal is to establish a network based on this kind of work to strengthen democratic values.

Following the successful inaugural workshop «Looking Back to Move Forward: Reappraising the Nazi period and promoting democracy in companies», held in June 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, the event format was continued in November 2025. Under the theme «No Time to Forget: Corporate Historical Responsibility and Engagement for Democracy Today», another workshop for business representatives, with a focus on forced labor, took place in Weimar.

After a guided tour of the recently opened Museum Forced Labor under National Socialism and expert inputs on research, cultures of remembrance, and educational work, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on how companies can critically examine their own histories and, building on this foundation, credibly commit to democracy and diversity today. The discussions once again underscored the importance of archival research, careful source analysis, and independent scholarly inquiry. Together, these elements provide the fact-based foundation that enables companies to assume responsibility in a credible manner and to strengthen democratic values—particularly at a time when fundamental democratic principles are increasingly under pressure.

Impressions

Our understanding of History Communication:
“History Communication is the communication of a company's history in all its facets. In doing so, History Communication navigates the tension between corporate interests, stakeholder expectations, and the external public. The basis of this communication must be a scholarly examination of history.”

Since the terms History Marketing and History Communication are often not clearly distinguished from one another in practice, this workshop aims to help clarify the goals, methods, and fields of application of historical communication. Since 2013, corporate representatives have been meeting regularly to discuss fundamental questions, share experiences, and exchange best practices in this field.

The focus is explicitly not on the use of individual historical facts to market products in the sense of History Marketing. Rather, the focus is on the systematic engagement with a company’s own history: This includes the processes for acquiring historical knowledge—such as through archival work, scholarly research, or eyewitness projects—as well as the professional handling of the results obtained from these efforts.

The discussion will cover both forms of presentation—such as in publications, exhibitions, or multimedia platforms—as well as suitable communication tools like books, apps, podcasts, intranet offerings, or other digital formats. The aim of the workshop is to promote the exchange of experiences, provide practical insights, and develop a deeper understanding of how historical communication can be used strategically and sustainably.

The workshop invites experts (theorists/scholars) to give keynote presentations. Furthermore, participants share their experiences in relation to the topic. Since sensitive data is exchanged and discussed among participants during the workshop and a working atmosphere prevails, the workshop is generally reserved for GUG member companies and the number of participants is limited (max. 15 people).

The workshop is led by Dr. Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger (GUG). It meets once a year.
Previous sessions have taken place, for example, at the Siemens MedMuseum, the Kurtz-Ersa Group, Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG, adidas AG, Spielwarenmesse Nürnberg eG, the FC Bayern München Erlebniswelt, Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG, the Vitra Design Museum, BASF, Mast-Jägermeister, Bankhaus Metzler, and Fraport AG.

Interested parties are kindly asked to contact Dr. Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger.

© Adolf Würth GmbH Co KG

The ninth symposium took place on November 13, 2025, at Semper idem Underberg AG in Rheinberg on the topic “Family Businesses in the Context of the German Economic Miracle.”

Past Events

Impressions

Impressions

Impressions

Impressions

Impressions

Impressions

Impressions

Wintershall under National Socialism

Conference in September 2019

As part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, Wintershall organised a conference in September 2019 in collaboration with the Society for Corporate History to examine its own past during the Nazi era. Important topics such as the handling of forced labour were at the forefront of the conference. Following the event, GUG Managing Director Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger answered questions about the conference's main topics and findings in an interview with Lars Hofmann from hr.
In addition, Hessenschau and Hessenschau kompakt reported on the company's anniversary and its efforts to come to terms with its past.
On 7 January 2020, the Frankfurter Rundschau also reported on the book project that GUG is carrying out on behalf of Wintershall to reappraise the company's history.

Bericht der Tagung
Frankfurter Rundschau vom 07.01.2020

Impressions

Book presentation in October 2020

On 22 October 2020, the study ‘Expansion at any price – Studies on Wintershall AG. Between crisis and war, 1929–1945’, supervised by the GUG, was presented. It deals with the Wintershall company during the Nazi era. It was written by Manfred Grieger, Rainer Karlsch and Ingo Köhler. An article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and two articles in industry-specific portals discuss the book presentation and the findings of the study:

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 22.10.2020
Energy Voice, 23.10.2020
Rigzone, 25.10.2020