Aufsätze (Articles)

Nina Kleinöder
A «Place in the Sun»? 1
The article «A ‹Place in the Sun›? German Rails and Sleepers in Colonial Railway Building in Africa, 1905 to 1914» takes up Bernhard von Bülow’s imperialistic claim that was closely connected to economic protagonists. Today, these protagonists are still fairly unknown and overlooked by (economic) colonial research. Therefore, the article is an approach to outline a first example for German entrepreneurial engagement in colonial railway building, by analyzing the case of Fried. Krupp/Friedrich-Alfred-Hütte. Looking at Krupp’s activities in (West-)Africa, the article explores which paths the German railway building followed, and tries to identify protagonists and their networks. We assume that the distinct markets of colonies were a vehicle for the internationalization of the firms involved. In questions of agency and as part of the imperial project, German enterprises participated in the colonization of Africa, but at the same time, they followed their own economic agenda.

Dieter Ziegler
«Bankenmacht», «Verwaltungsherrschaft», «Aktionärsdemokratie»? 25
«Bankenmacht», «Verwaltungsherrschaft», «Aktionärsdemokratie»? On the problem of management control in German stock corporations 1870 to 1931
The liberalization of stock company law in Prussia and the North German Confederation respectively as well as the abolition of state concessions as a prerequisite for the formation of a joint-stock company led to a debate about the means of control regarding joint-stock companies. The new stock company law instituted supervisory boards as a controlling body, as a mandatory «contracted general assembly», but did not elaborate on a clear definition of their duties. Yet, since the end of the so called «Gründerboom» in 1873, it became more and more apparent that the supervisory boards failed to provide adequate supervision. The law was amended in 1884 accordingly, in order to increase the supervisory boards’ means of control over the executive board. Subsequently, many joint-stock companies developed an oligarchic power structure, which cut down on shareholder protection rights. Banks were heavily involved in this process due to their voting rights as «inside shareholders», but by no means would it be suitable to label this as «Bankenherrschaft».

Christian Beyer
Die Oberschlesische Kohlenkonvention – eine «kleine Familienvereinigung»? 57
The Upper Silesian Coal Convention – a «family affair»?
This article presents new evidence on the Upper Silesian Coal Convention, a coal-mining cartel in Upper Silesia, in existence from 1898 to 1925. The cartel had evolved from collusive agreements dating back to 1890 and accounted for approximately one fourth of Germany’s coal supply. Yet, market coverage and longevity of the convention, as well as the economic importance of the Upper Silesian industrial district in general, imply that this cartel has been understated in historical research so far. Aristocratic industrialists, the leading group of entrepreneurs in Upper Silesia, shaped the formation and operation of the cartel. They induced an oligopolistic market structure and social homogeneity among cartel members that facilitated cartel formation in Upper Silesia.

Harald Wixforth
Das Ende eines Automobil-Konzerns – der Borgward-Konkurs und die Bremer Politik 87
The end of an automobile company – Borgward’s bankruptcy and Bremen politics.
The collapse of the Borgward company in early 1961 was not only a shocking moment for Bremen, but for the entire German automobile industry. The circumstances of the largest bankruptcy of a German company at the time have repeatedly been subject to debate, especially concerning suspicions and accusations about who was to blame. Those responsible in Bremen politics at the time have especially been the focus of attention and criticism since then. The following study aims to show that grave mistakes within the management of Borgward, such as wrong choices concerning corporate strategy, excessive production- and sales-costs and an antiquated style of leadership, were responsible for the bankruptcy, not Bremen’s politicians. This highlights that a scientifically ambitious historical revision of the Borgward-bankruptcy needs to review new aspects of the story rather than following the approach of previous studies in order to not fall victim to conspiracy theories or ill-founded suspicions.

Aus aktuellem Anlass (For topical reasons)

Ralf Banken/Hendrik Fischer
Nachruf Prof. Dr. Toni Pierenkemper (17. Oktober 1944 bis 19. Juli 2019) 121

Carsten Burhop
Nachruf Prof. Dr. Hans Pohl (27. März 1935 bis 10. Dezember 2019) 125

Rezensionen (Reviews)

Stefanie van de Kerkhof
Johannes Bähr/Paul Erker/Maximiliane Rieder, 180 Jahre KraussMaffei. Die Geschichte einer Weltmarke 128

Werner Bührer
Johannes Bähr/Christopher Kopper, Industrie, Politik, Gesellschaft. Der BDI und seine Vorgänger 1919–1990 129

Raymond G. Stokes
Dietmar Bleidick, Die Ruhrgas 1926 bis 2003 131

Harald Wixforth
Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger/Stephanie Tilly, Alles mit Bedacht? –
225 Jahre Bankhaus C. L. Seeliger 133

Jonathan Voges
Alfred Reckendrees, Beiersdorf. Die Geschichte des Unternehmens hinter den Marken NIVEA, tesa, Hansaplast & Co 135

Harm G. Schröter
Wiebke Glässer, Marktmacht und Politik. Das internationale Kartell der Ölgesellschaften 1960–1975 137

Ute Engelen
Luise Stein, Grenzlandschicksale. Unternehmen evakuieren in Deutschland und Frankreich 1939/1940 139

Marcel Boldorf
Wolfgang von Hippel, Hermann Röchling 1872–1955, Ein deutscher Großunternehmer zwischen Wirtschaft und Politik, Facetten eines Lebens in bewegter Zeit 141

Sebastian Beck
Josef Wilhelm Knoke, Zwischen Weltwirtschaft und Wissenschaft. Der Unternehmer und Wirtschaftsbürger Henry Theodor von Böttinger (1848–1920) 143

Holm Arno Leonhardt
Günther Schulz/Mark Spoerer (Hrsg.), Integration und Desintegration Europas. Wirtschafts- und sozialhistorische Beiträge 145

Dorothea Schmidt
Felix Axster/Nikolas Lelle (Hrsg.), «Deutsche Arbeit». Kritische Perspektiven auf ein ideologisches Selbstbild 146

Mitteilungen (Announcements)

Preis für Unternehmensgeschichte Ausschreibung 2020 149