Hanns Martin Schleyer
Hans "Hanns" Martin Schleyer (German pronunciation: [ˈhans ˈmaʁtiːn ˈʃlaɪɐ]; 1 May 1915 – 18 October 1977) was a German business executive, and employer and industry representative, and SS officer who served as president of two powerful commercial organizations, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (German: Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände, BDA) and the Federation of German Industries (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, BDI). Schleyer became a target for radical elements of the German student movement in the 1970s for his role in those business organisations, positions in the labour disputes, aggressive appearance on television, conservative anti-communist views, position as a prominent member of the Christian Democratic Union, and past as an enthusiastic member of the Nazi student movement and a former SS officer.
Hanns Martin Schleyer | |
|---|---|
Schleyer in November 1973 | |
| President of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations | |
| In office 1 January 1977 – 18 October 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Otto A. Friedrich |
| Succeeded by | Otto Esser |
| President of the Federation of German Industries | |
| In office 6 December 1973 – 18 October 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Hans Günter Sohl |
| Succeeded by | Nikolaus Fasolt (1978) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 May 1915 Offenburg, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire |
| Died | 18 October 1977 (aged 62) en route to Mulhouse, France |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union (1970–1977) Nazi Party (1937–1945) |
| Spouse |
Waltrude Schleyer (m. 1939) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Johann Martin Schleyer (great-great uncle) |
| Alma mater | Heidelberg University University of Innsbruck (Dr. jur.) |
| Occupation |
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He was kidnapped on 5 September 1977 by the far left Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion, RAF) and subsequently murdered; his driver and police escort of three policemen were also killed when his car was ambushed. The German government determined that it was in the national interest not to negotiate with terrorists. The abduction and murder are commonly seen as the climax of the RAF campaign in 1977, known as the German Autumn. After his death Schleyer has been extensively honoured in Germany; the Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize, the Hanns Martin Schleyer Foundation and the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle are named in his honour. In 2017 German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German government marked the 40th anniversary of the kidnapping.