The Lex Krupp was a document signed into law on 12 November 1943 by

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

that converted Friedrich Krupp AG into a

partnership A partnership is an agreement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments or combinations. Organizations ...

with specially regulated rules of succession in order to ensure that the Krupp family enterprise remain intact.

History

This specialized German law of 1943 was created through the combined efforts of Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, the head of the steel concern Fried. Krupp AG Essen,

Martin Bormann Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and a war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler ...

, Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery, Dr.

Hans Lammers Hans Heinrich Lammers (27 May 1879 – 4 January 1962) was a German jurist and prominent Nazi Party politician. From 1933 until 1945 he served as Chief of the Reich Chancellery under Adolf Hitler. In 1937, he additionally was given the post of ' ...

, Chief of the

Reich Chancellery The Reich Chancellery () was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany (then called ''Reichskanzler'') in the period of the German Reich from 1878 to 1945. The Chancellery's seat, selected and prepared since 1875, was the fo ...

, and Hitler, in order to establish a legal mandate for the preservation of the Krupp family enterprise, so that Gustav's son and heir, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, would be heretofore addressed as Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. This law was signed by Hitler on 12 November 1943, and became effective immediately, thus transferring ownership from Bertha Krupp to the first male heir of Bertha Krupp and Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach.

References

* The Arms of Krupp by

William Manchester William Raymond Manchester (April 1, 1922 – June 1, 2004) was an American author, biographer, and historian. He was the author of 18 books which have been translated into over 20 languages. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal and the ...

Krupp Orders by Adolf Hitler 1943 documents {{Germany-law-stub