The haunting displays of shoes, suitcases, and eyeglasses in the Auschwitz Museum serve as a chilling reminder of the Nazis’ insatiable appetite for material gain. These tangible remnants of the Jews who perished in Auschwitz bear witness to the alliance forged between German corporations and the Nazi regime.
In this enlightening talk, renowned author and historian Peter Hayes delves into the deep entanglement of the German corporate world in the persecution, exploitation, and genocide of Europe’s Jews. Hayes argues that the roots of this collaboration can be traced back to the pivotal decisions and actions undertaken by the country’s corporate leaders at the dawn of Nazi rule in 1933.
Hayes examines the grim reality that German big business played a crucial role in enabling the Nazi regime’s crimes. Hayes reveals how business leaders, driven by their pursuit of profit, willingly became accomplices in the persecution and exploitation of Europe’s Jewish population. Their complicity extended beyond financial support; it encompassed the provision of critical resources, technological expertise, and logistical infrastructure that proved indispensable to the Nazi war machine.