Hanns Martin Schleyer
A former SS officer who rose to lead West Germany's most powerful industry groups, his kidnapping and murder by left-wing militants marked a traumatic turning point in the nation's history.
1915–1977 (age 62)·German business magnate and SS officer·Birthday: May 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Hanns Martin Schleyer's life and death are etched into the darkest chapters of post-war Germany. A committed Nazi who joined the SS in 1933, he held administrative positions in the occupied Czechoslovakia during the war. After 1945, he executed a staggering rehabilitation, leveraging his intellect and drive to climb the ladder of West Germany's economic miracle. By the 1970s, he was the simultaneous president of both the Confederation of German Employers' Associations and the Federation of German Industries, making him arguably the most powerful industrial lobbyist in Europe. To the radical left-wing Red Army Faction (RAF), he personified the unbroken continuity of fascist power within the capitalist state. In 1977, they kidnapped him, triggering the 'German Autumn.' After 43 days, when a government rescue operation failed, Schleyer was executed. His death became a symbol of the violent clash between the established order and revolutionary terror in 1970s Germany.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Hanns was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hanns Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Hanns's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Died at 62
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
Key Achievements
- Served as president of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), shaping West German labor and economic policy in the 1970s.
- Simultaneously presided over the Federation of German Industries (BDI), holding unprecedented dual leadership of the country's key industrial lobby groups.
- Was a high-ranking SS officer (Hauptsturmführer) during World War II, involved in the administration of the Nazi-controlled Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled fencer in his youth and remained involved in sports administration later in life.
The kidnapping of Schleyer was part of the RAF's 'Offensive 77', which also included the hijacking of a Lufthansa airliner.
His final, desperate message from captivity, a letter to the government, ended with the words 'I am prepared for anything'.
A memorial service for him was attended by many of West Germany's top political and industrial figures, including Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
“The economy is the fate of the nation.”
