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A Journal for Company Histories and Entrepreneurial Biography1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 July 2012

Wilhelm Treue  and
Klaus H. Wolff
Wilhelm Treue
Affiliation:
Gottingen University
Klaus H. Wolff
Affiliation:
Lecturer in Economics atMiddlebury College
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Abstract

The following article served to introduce the first issue of Tradition, a German journal of business history, in October, 1956. It constitutes a review of business history generally, with particular reference to progress and ideas in Germany, notes of efforts in other Continental countries, and comparative references to American progress. Guideposts are set up both for the journal and for scholars active in the field. These illustrate certain unique problems facing German historians, but at the same time emphasize the existence of broad agreement among business historians on basic goals and operating methods. Reprinted in translation through the courtesy of Tradition and of Professor Wilhelm Treue, Editor.

Type
Research Article
Information
Business History Review , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , Autumn 1957 , pp. 323 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © The President and Fellows of Harvard College 1957

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References

2 “History and anniversary celebration of the first century of the Lauchhammer Ironworks, Schloss Mueckenberg, the 25th of August 1825.”

3 R. Richard Wohl, The Business History Review (June, 1954).

4 For example the two-volume history of Unilever and the history of the Union Castle Line from which, in this issue, a few important passages have been reprinted in translation.

5 An example would be Thomas C. Cochran, Railroad Leaders 1845–1890, The Business Mind in Action (1953).

6 Cf. Fritz Redlich, American Business History, “Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial-und Wirtschaftsgeschichte,” Vol. 38, pp. 247ff.

7 Redlich, Fritz, “The Beginnings and Development of German Business History,” Supplement to Bulletin of the Business Historical Society(Sept., 1952).CrossRefGoogle Scholar [One chapter from this history of German business history will appear in translation in this journal.]

8 Impressive, and frequently quite important studies should be noted, however. These appear in The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc. This journal was in its ninth year of publication in 1956.

9 There is a report on this (Association for Studies in Economic History) in this issue [of Tradition] by Dr. Hans R. Schmid.

10 The following will serve as examples: Wilhelm Steinberg, Hundert Jahre Unternehmertum im Ruhrgebiet [Entrepreneurs in the Ruhr during the last Hundred Years], No. 46 of the Vortragsreihe (lecture series), 2/17/52. Fritz Pudor, Wirken und Erbe eines Unternehmers [The Work and Heritage of a Business Leader]. (Harkort, the machine builder and railroad pioneer), No. 49, 12/17/53. Jacob Herle, Der Weg zum Reichsverband der Deutschen Industrie [The Developments Leading Toward the Reichs Association of German Industry], No. 1, 1956.

11 Cf. Fritz Redlich's work cited above. By the same author: Entrepreneurship in the Initial Stages of Industrialization (with Special References to Germany), Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv, Vol. 75, 1955. Also: Wilhelm Treue, Deutsche Wirtschaftsfürher im 19. Jahrhundert [German Business Leaders in the Nineteenth Century], Historische Zeitschrift, Vol. 167, 1943; by the same author: Firmengeschichte, ibid., Vol. 172, 1951, and Die Bedeutung der Firmengeschichte, für die Wirtschafts-und die Allgemeine Geschichte [On the Significance of Company Histories for Economic and General History], Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, Vol. 41, 1954.

12 R. Guardini, Der unvollständige Mensch und die Macht [Partial Man and Power], Lecture delivered at the general assembly of the Verein deutscher Eisenhüttenleute [German Iron and Steel Association], Düsseldorf, 11/4/55, published in Stahl und Eisen, Vol. 75, 1955.

13 Th. Litt, Technischer Fortschritt und menschliche Freiheit [Progress in Technology and the Freedom of Man], Lecture delivered to the Arbeitskreis für Unternehmerfragen [Committee on issues in Entrepreneurship] of the Verband der Nordrheinischen Textilindustrie [Association of the North-Rhine Textile Industry] in Düsseldorf, 11/22/55, Vortragsreihe des Deutschen Industrie-institutes [Lecture Series of the Institute of German Industries], No. 7, 2/13/56.

14 Staatsarchivrat (title) Dr. Helmuth Richtering, Firmen und wirtschaftsgeschichtliche Quellen in Staatsarchiven [Sources for Company Histories and Economic History in Government Archives], Lecture delivered at the Arbeitstagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft rheinisch-westfälischer Werks-und Wirtschaftsarchivare [Meeting of the Association of Rheinish-Westphalian Archivists of Business and Commerce], Dortmund, 3/26/56. The lecture will be published by the Gesellschaft für Westfälische Wirtschaftsgeschichte [Association for Westphalian Economic History].

15 Beginning with the first pioneering study by Karl Burhenne, Betriebsarchiv, 1908, I mention only a few: A. Roth, Betriebsarchive und Entwicklungskunde [Firm Archives and Developmental Studies], 1922; Fr. Natalis, Technische Betriebsarchive [Technological Firm Archives], 1931; Fr. Heintzen-berg, Das Siemensarchiv und das Siemensmuseum [The Archive and the Museum of the Siemens Firm], 1953; H. Lohberg, Aufgaben, Aufbau und Tätigkeit des Historischen Archivs der Gutehofjnungshütte [Tasks, Organization and Activities of the Historical Archive of (ironworks) Gutehoffnungshütte] in “Der Archivar,” No. 3, 1953; S. von Weiher, Das neue Siemensarchiv und Siemens Museum in München [The New Archive and Museum of Siemens in Munich], 1954; P. H. Mertes, Das Archivwesen der Wirtschaft [Archives in Business] Vortragsreihe des deutschen Industrie-institutes [Lecture Series of the Institute of German Industries], 2, 1954; by the same author: Archivgutpflege und Unternehmungsgeschichte [Maintenance of Archives and Company History], Mitteilungen der IHK Dortmund [Bulletin of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce IHK in Dortmund], 3, Dortmund, 1954. See also: Die Pflege der Firmengeschichte [Cultivation of company historiography], Article in “Der Unternehmerbrief,”No. 21; Ein gutes Archiv macht sich bezahlt [A Good Company Archive Pays for Itself], Article in the “Industriekurier” 3/20/54; Die Geschichtliche Entwicklung der deutschen Industrie Archive und Werkzeitschriften [The Historical Development of German Industry Archives and Company Papers (house organs)], article in “Informationsdienst der Wirtschaftsvereinigung Eisen-und Stahlindustrie,” No. 195, 1953.

16 From the literature on company papers I cite only the following: L. H. A. Geck, Aus den Aufängen des deutschen Werkzeitungswesens [The Beginnings of German Company Papers], Jahrbuch für Nationalökonomik und Statistik, 150, 1939; Adalbert Frensdorff, Werkzeitschrift und Werkarchiv müssen zusammenarbeiten [On the Need of Cooperation between Company Paper and Company Archive], Lecture delivered 9/4/53 before the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Werkschriftleiter innerhalb der Wirtschaftsvereinigung der Eisen-und Stahlindustrie; Henry S. Angelo, Werkzeitschriften in der industriellen Demokratie [Company Histories (the role of) in Industrial Democracy], Lecture delivered before the third international congress of Werkzeitschriftleiter [editors of company papers] in Copenhagen, 8/22/55, Vortragsreihe des Deutschen Industrieinstitutes [Lecture Series of the Institute of German Industries], No. 37, 9/12/55; Hans Constantin Paulssen, Die Werkzeitung im Dienst des sozialen Friedens [The Service of the Company Paper in Maintaining Peaceful Labor Relations], loc. cit., No. 49, 12/5/55. See also: the publication “A. S. B. Sonderdienst für Werkveröffentlichungen” [Special series on Company Publications], issued by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für sociale Betriebs-gestaltung [Committee on Social (-ly desirable) Organization of Industry], which reported, for example, on the Tagung für Werkarchive und Werkgeschichte [Meeting on Company Archives and Company History] in Neckarsteinach in its issue No. 3, Vol. 6 (4/30/56).

17 Erna Patzelt, Das Bild als Quelle der Wirtschaftsgeschichte [Pictures as source material for Economie History], “Archivalische Zeitschrift,” 1954.

18 Franz Lerner, Firmengeschichte und landesgeschichtliche Forschung [Company Histories and Research in Regional (State) History] in “Blätter für deutsche Landesgeschichte,” Vol. 91, 1954.

19 The latest publication of Walther Herrmann, Uber Unternehmerbiog-rafieri [On Biographies of Entrepreneurs], Zeitschrift für handelswissenschaftliche Forschung, No. 8, 1956, refers to this topic.

20 Soltow, James H., “The Business Use of Business History,” Business History Review (Sept., 1955).CrossRefGoogle Scholar See also Edward W. Miller, Essays in the History of Entrepreneurship (1952), which affords a good insight into the methodology of Harvard-trained business historians and biographers.

21 Ludwig Beutin, Die Praxis und die Wirtschaftsgeschichte [Business History and Business Practice], Vortragsreihe der Gesellschaft für Westphälische Wirtschaftsgeschichte [Association for Westphalian Economic History], Lectures No. 3, 1955.

22 Ernst Joachim Dohnany, Das Ethos des unternehmerischen Standes [The Ethics of the Business Profession], Vortragsreihe des Deutschen Industrieinstitutes [Lecture Series of the Institute of German Industries] No. 45, 11/7/55.

23 Hans Helmuth Kuhnke, Wirtschaft und Bildung [Business and Education], in “Aktuelle Betriebsfragen,” No. 24, 1955.

24 Winschuh, Josef, Das neue Unternehmerbild, Grundzüge einer Unternehmerpolitik [The New View of the Business Leader, Outline of a Business Policy], 2nd ed., 1955.Google Scholar