Christian Schneider (chemist)
Encyclopedia
Christian Schneider was a German
chemist, industrial manager and, in the Third Reich, a Wehrwirtschaftsführer (war economy leader).
at the nitrogen laboratory at BASF
in 1912 and remained in this role until joining the German Imperial Army in 1914, being injured during the conflict.
's assistant at the IG Farben plant in Leuna
in 1919 and soon rose through the corporate ranks. He was appointed an authorised signatory in 1921, a director two years later and became deputy manager of the Ammoniakwerke Merseburg
plant in 1924. By 1928 he had been named an alternate member of IG Farben's managing board and was made plant manager at Merseburg in 1936.
came to power Schneider sought to underline his commitment to Nazism
by becoming a sponsoring member of the Schutzstaffel
. He held the rank of honorary Standartenführer
within the organisation and developed a number of close contacts in the office of the Reichsführer-SS
Heinrich Himmler
. He joined the Nazi Party proper in 1937 and also became involved in the counter-intelligence
work of the Abwehr
when he was made Hauptabwehrbeauftragter (head of security officers) for "Liaison Office W" (or Wehrmacht
at IG Farben's headquarters in Berlin
that same year.
His career growth continued when he was appointed the head of Product Division I (which controlled IG Farben's mining, oil and nitrogen concern) in succession to Krauch, a post which brought with it full membership of the board. He became chief of plant managers in 1939, a role which also gave him responsibility for the slave labourers who worked on behalf of IG Farben at Auschwitz. He was made chief of counter-intelligence at IG Farben in 1940 and a Wehrwirtschaftsführer in 1941. According to Diarmuid Jeffreys, Schneider was made aware of the the Holocaust
in early 1943 when Walter Dürrfeld told him during a visit to Buna Werke
in early 1943.
, Schneider was acquitted on all counts. After his acquittal, he took roles at the Süddeutsche Kalkstickstoff-Werke AG Trostberg and Rheinauer Holzhydrolyse-GmbH, Mannheim
.
During his life Schneider was twice married, to Frieda Butzengeiger and Hedwig Breidenbach, and fathered four children.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
chemist, industrial manager and, in the Third Reich, a Wehrwirtschaftsführer (war economy leader).
Early years
The son of August Schneider, an electrician, and his wife, Babette Weiss, Schneider studied chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, completing his doctorate in 1911. He began working with Alwin MittaschAlwin Mittasch
Alwin Mittasch was a German chemist. He received his PhD at the University of Leipzig for work with Wilhelm Ostwald in 1901. He started working for BASF Ludwigshafen in 1904 as assistant of Carl Bosch. Mittasch discovered the efficient and cheap iron based catalyst for the ammonia synthesis in the...
at the nitrogen laboratory at BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
in 1912 and remained in this role until joining the German Imperial Army in 1914, being injured during the conflict.
Career at IG Farben
Schneider became Carl KrauchCarl Krauch
Carl Krauch was a German chemist and industrialist. He was an executive at BASF ; during World War II, he was chairman of the supervisory board. He was a key implementer of the Reich’s Four-Year Plan to achieve national economic self-sufficiency and promote industrial production...
's assistant at the IG Farben plant in Leuna
Leuna
Leuna is a town in the Saalekreis, Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle. It is known for the Leunawerke , at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes in Germany, where a very wide range of chemicals and plastics is produced...
in 1919 and soon rose through the corporate ranks. He was appointed an authorised signatory in 1921, a director two years later and became deputy manager of the Ammoniakwerke Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
plant in 1924. By 1928 he had been named an alternate member of IG Farben's managing board and was made plant manager at Merseburg in 1936.
Under the Nazis
Soon after Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
came to power Schneider sought to underline his commitment to Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
by becoming a sponsoring member of the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
. He held the rank of honorary Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
within the organisation and developed a number of close contacts in the office of the Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
. He joined the Nazi Party proper in 1937 and also became involved in the counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
work of the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
when he was made Hauptabwehrbeauftragter (head of security officers) for "Liaison Office W" (or Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
at IG Farben's headquarters in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
that same year.
His career growth continued when he was appointed the head of Product Division I (which controlled IG Farben's mining, oil and nitrogen concern) in succession to Krauch, a post which brought with it full membership of the board. He became chief of plant managers in 1939, a role which also gave him responsibility for the slave labourers who worked on behalf of IG Farben at Auschwitz. He was made chief of counter-intelligence at IG Farben in 1940 and a Wehrwirtschaftsführer in 1941. According to Diarmuid Jeffreys, Schneider was made aware of the the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
in early 1943 when Walter Dürrfeld told him during a visit to Buna Werke
Buna Werke
Buna Rubber was named by BASF Ag, and through 1988 Buna was remaining a trade name of BASF. According to Joseph Borkin in his book entitled "The Crimes and Punishment of IG Farben", BASF Ag was the majority financier for Auschwitz 4, a camp that contained a production site for production of...
in early 1943.
Post-war
Brought to trial for plunder, slavery and SS membership at the IG Farben trialIG Farben Trial
The United States of America vs. Carl Krauch, et al., also known as the IG Farben Trial, was the sixth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany after the end of World War II....
, Schneider was acquitted on all counts. After his acquittal, he took roles at the Süddeutsche Kalkstickstoff-Werke AG Trostberg and Rheinauer Holzhydrolyse-GmbH, Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
.
During his life Schneider was twice married, to Frieda Butzengeiger and Hedwig Breidenbach, and fathered four children.