1925

BASF, Beyer, Hoechst, Agfa, Weiler-ter-Meer, and Griesheim sign agreement to form IG Farben (Interessen Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft). Carl Duisberg, head of Bayer and leader of the predecessor Interessen Gemeinschaft, was devastated by the decision and resigned his chair (Jeffreys II, loc 1924). IGF was modeled on the great American cartels and sought to make and sell thousands of products (drugs, explosives, dyes, synthetic petroleum) worldwide (Jeffreys, 169; Jeffreys II, loc 1927ff.)). Its managing board was led by Carl Bosch (BASF) who functioned as chief executive. Beginning in 1933, Farben bankrolled the Nazis to the tune of some 80 million marks; IG acceded to Aryanization of its workforce and, through its Degesch subsidiary, manufactured the Zyklon B gas used in the death chambers (179-73). It also helped finance construction of Auschwitz and build and ran an adjacent chemical plant, IG Monowitz, where tens of thousands of slave laborers died; and financed and participated in Nazi medical experiments (189-192). After Nuremberg, IGF was broken up by Allies and three new companies arose from its ashes: Hoechst, BASF, and Bayer (192).