Historical study on Continental's role in the Third Reich

摘要

In an independent academic study presented on 27 August 2020, Continental has undertaken a comprehensive review of the company's involvement with the German National Socialist regime. The study traces in detail how Continental became a pillar of the National Socialist armaments and war economy and at the same time benefited economically from the regime's mobilisation and armament policy. The broad-based study entitled "Zulieferer fur Hitlers Krieg. Der Continental-Konzern in der NS-Zeit" (Supplier to Hitler's War. The Continental Group in the Nazi Era)" was conducted by historian Prof. Paul Erker (LMU Munich), who is a renowned expert on corporate history in the Nazi era. The study pursues the conceptually innovative approach of the "virtual corporation" by including those companies that were not yet part of today's Continental in the period under review, i.e. Teves, VDO, Phoenix and Semperit.