Five years after the scandalous statements of the company heiress, an investigation is looking into the history of the confectioner Bahlsen. Verena Bahlsen drew a lot of criticism for herself and the company when she claimed in 2019 that forced laborers at Bahlsen had been “treated well” during the Nazi era. She apologized shortly after, saying it was a mistake. But the name Bahlsen suddenly stood for more than just Leibniz biscuits and takeaway bars.
The family said in a statement that the public discussions had led to an intensive investigation into the past. “We did not know many details about the history of the company and the truth is that we did not ask for them either.” An investigation by commissioned historians Manfred Grieger and Hartmut Berghoff should therefore provide answers. The result is a 600-page book entitled “The History of the Bahlsen House”, which covers the years 1911 to 1974.
Bahlsen profited from National Socialism
The result of the investigation: the company supported the Nazi regime and profited from the system, especially through the use of forced labor; Bahlsen employed more forced laborers than previously known. Under National Socialism, business increased dramatically.
According to the company, more than 800 foreign workers performed forced labor for Bahlsen between 1940 and 1945. According to Bahlsen, these were mainly women from Poland and Ukraine. The forced laborers in Germany were generally subjected to extensive racially motivated discrimination, as the authors explain. People from Poland had to wear a purple-yellow P-diamond on their clothing, which made them recognizable as people who were being discriminated against on racial grounds.
At Bahlsen, too, forced laborers from Poland were made to wear the stigmatizing P symbol, Grieger and Berghoff wrote. They received lower wages, smaller food rations, and poorer medical care. According to the investigation, they were housed in barracks and excluded from public life. They were forbidden to have social contact with Germans. Polish men who had sexual contact with German women were threatened with execution.
Bahlsen family: “We regret the injustice”
The family said the truth about the events at the time was uncomfortable and painful. “We deeply regret the injustice that happened to these people in Bahlsen. We also regret that we did not face this difficult truth earlier.” The company archives have been fully opened up for scientific research for the first time. Bahlsen generously funded the project, but made no demands on the content, the authors wrote. There was particularly close contact with Werner M. Bahlsen and his daughter Verena.
For decades, the company reduced the memory of forced labor under its own management to the story of amicable cooperation in difficult times. Today, people recognize their history. “It is up to us to keep this memory alive and to ensure that this history of National Socialism never repeats itself,” reads a plaque in the foyer of the main building.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
