Roman Köster – författare

This book explores the extent of private companies’ freedom of action during the Nazi period through six case studies of different economic sectors. Since the mid-1990s, historical research has intensively discussed the role played by private, domestic and foreign enterprises during the ‘Third Reich’. Numerous case studies suggest that even under the extreme ideological circumstances of the ‘Third Reich’, the strategic decisions of private firms followed economic criteria. In fact, the regime was especially able to control the economy successfully in those cases in which it operated with economic incentives and gave companies room for manoeuvre. This scope, however, became increasingly smaller towards the end of the war due to increasing state intervention and government control. The chapters discuss this scope of action and relate it to the National Socialist crimes.This book was originally published as a special issue of Business History.

This book explores the extent of private companies’ freedom of action during the Nazi period through six case studies of different economic sectors. Since the mid-1990s, historical research has intensively discussed the role played by private, domestic and foreign enterprises during the ‘Third Reich’. Numerous case studies suggest that even under the extreme ideological circumstances of the ‘Third Reich’, the strategic decisions of private firms followed economic criteria. In fact, the regime was especially able to control the economy successfully in those cases in which it operated with economic incentives and gave companies room for manoeuvre. This scope, however, became increasingly smaller towards the end of the war due to increasing state intervention and government control. The chapters discuss this scope of action and relate it to the National Socialist crimes.This book was originally published as a special issue of Business History.

Wohlstand für Massen, Bevölkerungswachstum, technischer Fortschritt in Industrie und Landwirtschaft, aber auch Umweltzerstörung, soziale Ungleichheit und Krieg werden in der jüngeren Diskussion wieder häufiger mit dem Begriff des Kapitalismus verbunden. Der "Moderne Kapitalismus" habe in einer längeren Transformation seit 400 Jahren zu einer vollkommen neuen Organisation von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft geführt, die das Bevölkerungswachstum überhaupt erst ermöglichte. Dabei wird der Begriff in der Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte heute äußerst kontrovers diskutiert. Während das historische Phänomen für manche eine imperialistische Verirrung der europäischen Geschichte darstellt, die sie am liebsten revidieren möchten, werden in diesem Band Aufsätze versammelt, die das Phänomen und seine Mechanismen historisch beschreiben und begreifen. Hierbei geht es weniger um das Wissen und die Interpretationen über den Kapitalismus, als um die historischen Phänomene und Prozesse, die ihn ausmachen.