Heidrun Edelmann. Heinz Nordhof und : Ein deutscher Unternehmer im amerikanischen Jahrhundert. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2003. 363 S. + 36 Abb. gebunden, ISBN 978-3-525-36268-6.

Reviewed by Alfred C. Mierzejewski

Published on H-German (September, 2004)

Heidrun Edelmann has written a convention‐ man management attitudes toward proft and the al chronological biography of the frst general di‐ social responsibility of frms. It also provides rector of Volkswagen, Heinz Nordhof. It is the valuable clues as to why Volkswagen is inefcient frst scholarly study of Nordhof and, for this rea‐ and, for a good part of its history, has been unable son alone, merits the attention of historians of to earn a proft. post-war German business. Edelmann contends Heinz Nordhof was born in a Catholic family that Nordhof was infuenced by Catholic social in Hildesheim on January 6, 1899. He attended teaching and by his impressions of American Catholic primary and secondary schools. In 1918, management practices. She argues that through he served in the German army on the western the application of these ideas, he promoted labor front and was wounded. After the war, he attend‐ peace in post-war West , thereby con‐ ed the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg, tributing to the success of Germany's frst democ‐ where he received a degree in engineering in racy. Edelmann uses an extensive range of docu‐ 1927. While there, Nordhof was infuenced by mentary sources, primarily from the VW Ar‐ Professor Georg Schlesinger who supported the chive. Remarkably, she does not use the comple‐ Weimar Betriebsrätegesetz (Works Council Law) mentary fles of the Federal Ministry of Econom‐ that provided for a measure of democracy within ics (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft) and the frms. Schlesinger called for greater power-shar‐ Federal Ministry of Finances (Bundesministerium ing among management and employees in the für Finanzen) at the Bundesarchiv, Koblenz. This workplace, increased pay and shorter weakens her account of the privatization of Volk‐ hours. Schlesinger was, in turn, infuenced by swagen in particular. Surprisingly, she does not Götz Briefs, one of the leading proponents of list those documentary sources that she does use Catholic social teaching. Through Schlesinger, in her bibliography. She does provide a complete Nordhof imbibed Briefs's ideas. Essentially, Briefs list of the published materials that she consulted. advocated harmony in the workplace and the Edelmann's book provides insight into West Ger‐ H-Net Reviews avoidance of social confict in general. This could post-war period. Once the United States entered be achieved, in his view, through the sharing of the war, he expected Germany to lose. power between owners, managers, and workers Discussion of Nordhof's wartime activities without jeopardizing private property. Firms raises the question of his relationship with the would earn profts, but only to an unspecifed so‐ Nazi Party. Nordhof never joined the NSDAP. cially responsible extent. Edelmann contends that However, he did become a member of the Nordhof adopted Briefs's ideas and applied them Deutsche Arbeitsfront and the Nationalsozialistis‐ later at Volkswagen. Reinforcing this infuence, ches Kraftfahrer Korps. Membership in the frst and setting a pattern for Nordhof's subsequent was virtually mandatory for someone in a leading business career, was his extensive involvement in management position such as Nordhof, while the Catholic student and social organizations. latter organization was relatively innocu‐ After completing his studies, Nordhof began ous. More troubling are questions about Nord‐ a business career that saw him rise rapidly. He ob‐ hof's use of forced labor at his Brandenburg tained his frst job as an engineer with BMW in plant. did not employ SS slave laborers at ei‐ 1927. He left that position in the foll