Das Ende eines Automobil-Konzerns – der Borgward-Konkurs und die Bremer Politik

The end of an automobile company – Borgward’s bankruptcy and Bremen politics.The collapse of the Borgward company in early 1961 was not only a shocking moment for Bremen, but for the entire German automobile industry. The circumstances of the largest bankruptcy of a German company at the time have repeatedly been subject to debate, especially concerning suspicions and accusations about who was to blame. Those responsible in Bremen politics at the time have especially been the focus of attention and criticism since then. The following study aims to show that grave mistakes within the management of Borgward, such as wrong choices concerning corporate strategy, excessive production- and sales-costs and an antiquated style of leadership, were responsible for the bankruptcy, not Bremen’s politicians. This highlights that a scientifically ambitious historical revision of the Borgward-bankruptcy needs to review new aspects of the story rather than following the approach of previous studies in order to not fall victim to conspiracy theories or ill-founded suspicions.