27. Siemens’ Boss Was BFF With the Head of the SS
Siemens’ general director, Rudolf Bingel, was a personal friend of Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler. He made full use of his connections evil to ensure that Siemens did well under the Nazis. The company also profited from the Holocaust via the “Aryanization Program”, which expropriated Jewish businesses and properties, then resold them at fire sale prices to approved companies such as Siemens.
Unsurprisingly, Siemens did its best to forget its role during the Nazi era. However, reminders crop up from time to time. In 2001, in an astonishing display of obliviousness, Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete, the company’s consumer products arm, sought to trademark the name Zyklon. The same as in Zyklon B, the poison used in the Holocaust’s gas chambers. The company wanted to use the Zyklon name in a range of household products, including gas ovens. After a public outcry, Siemens did an about turn, and withdrew the trademark applications.
Also Read: These Corporations Committed the Ultimate Evil.