 |
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| people and of the nation demand it". Defendant Krauch summarized the
managerial structure of Farben as follows: |
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“After 1937, the
Aufsichtsrat played no part in the management of IG affairs. I know of no one
instance in which the Aufsichtsrat disapproved of or disputed Vorstand
activities. The Vorstand was in complete command of and entirely responsible
for all IG business.” |
From the above, it appears that the Vorstand of Farben possessed
plenary powers in its corporate management. The mechanics of operating some
four hundred business enterprises within Germany and five hundred foreign
adjuncts required decentralization of the Vorstand functions. This was
accomplished by the creation of a pyramid of Committees, Works Combines,
“Sparten,” Commissions and Conferences with the “Central
Committee” at the apex. The latter occupied a position comparable to the
executive committee of an American corporation.
Special Assignments of Vorstand
Members. In addition to the over-all responsibility imposed upon all
members of the Vorstand by German law, Farben’s charter, and the Vorstand
bylaws, each member in practice was assigned a specific field of major activity
in which he was charged with special responsibilities on behalf of the entire
body. These assignments, generally speaking, fell in either the
“Technical” or “commercial” categories and qualified the
member as a “leader” in his field. A brief summary of these
specialized activities will aid in tracing the personal activities of each
defendant in relation to the respective charges.
The “Central
(Executive) Committee,” from 1930 to 1935 was the active wheel within a
wheel of the “Working Committee” in the Vorstand. With the death of
Carl Duisberg in 1935, defendant Schmitz succeeded to the dual capacity of
chairman of the Vorstand and the Central Committee. Thenceforth, the Central
Committee dealt principally with personnel, particularly selection of
“Prokuristen” and higher officials (persons possessing general power
of attorney, a practice quite general in German business administration). This
committee survived the abolition of the Working Committee in early 1938, until
the collapse in 1945. The following defendants were members during the time
indicated, to wit: Krauch (1933-40); Schmitz (1930-45); von Schnitzler
(1930-45); Gajewski (1933-45); Hoerlein (1933-45); von Knieriem (1938-45); ter
Meer (1933-45); Schneider (1938-45).
Technical Committee (TEA)
and Subordinates. The principal delegations of authority and original
responsibility reposed in the Technical Committee. As the name implies, it was
comprised of the technical members of the Vorstand and other important
technical |
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