15. THE CHEMISTRY IS RIGHT: THE CORPORATION AND POLITICS

Jan Pehrke
Translated by Simon Phillips

Since its founding in 1865, the chemical corporation BASF has been ready to wield its economic power in order to ensure that its interests are effectively represented in the political arena. Even during its decision about where to locate its headquarters, BASF was able to skilfully play off the cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen against each other and ensure that the corporation could secure a location that met all of its needs. From this point on, BASF continued to deploy its expertise with considerable success, irrespective of which form of government it was dealing with at the time. Whether during the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich or the Federal Republic, BASF has always found the ways and means with which to exert its influence and to secure its profits. This, of course, has required political flexibility, but it has meant that BASF has always made a profit. The corporation’s flexibility is also clear from its readiness to participate in the preparations for war that were conducted during the German Empire – doing so promised BASF attractive returns on its investments.