The public discussion in 2019 about the history of our company prompted us to intensively deal with the past in our family. Many details of the company's history were unknown to us, and the truth is that we did not ask questions. As a family, we did not pose the obvious question of how our company was able to persist in the Second World War.
Against this background, we asked Prof. Dr Manfred Grieger to scientifically research the history of Bahlsen in July 2019. The study by Prof. Dr Manfred Grieger and Prof. Dr Hartmut Berghoff is the first academic account of the history of the Bahlsen company from 1911 up until the second generation of the family existing company management. The team of authors had complete freedom of research for this extensive project and, of course, access to important internal sources such as the company archive.
We would like to thank the authors and their team for their meticulous work. The results help us to better understand the events of the past and to learn lessons for the future.
The research results show that our predecessors and protagonists of the time took advantage of the system during the Nazi era. Their main motivation seemed to be to continue the company under the Nazi regime, with dire consequences. People were harmed, in particular the over 800 forced labourers from 1940 until 1945. That is inexcusable.
The truth about these events of the past is painful and uncomfortable. We deeply regret the injustice done to these people at Bahlsen. We also regret that we did not face up to this difficult truth earlier.
We cannot change our history, but we can influence our future. The most important insight we have gained from the research results is that we have an obligation to help ensure that similar events do not occur ever again.
We will therefore use the means at our disposal to ensure that these findings will not be kept hidden, but rather to promote a culture of remembrance within the company and in our environment. We fully support the management's activities on this.
We are firmly committed to a democratic and open society and take a clear stand against hatred, xenophobia and anti-democratic tendencies.
Hanover, August 2024
Johannes, Andreas, Verena and Julia Bahlsen
Susanne and Werner M. Bahlsen