Edzard Reuter

Edzard Hans Wilhelm Reuter (16 February 1928 – 27 October 2024) was a German businessman. He served as the CEO of Daimler-Benz from 1987 to 1995.

Edzard Reuter
Reuter in 1991
Born	(1928-02-16)16 February 1928 Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany
Died	27 October 2024(2024-10-27) (aged 96) Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Education	Humboldt University of Berlin Georg August University of Göttingen Free University of Berlin
Occupation	Business executive
Title	CEO of Daimler-Benz
Term	1987–1995
Predecessor	Werner Breitschwerdt
Successor	Jürgen E. Schrempp
Parent(s)	Ernst Reuter Hanna Kleinert

Early life

Edzard Reuter was born in Berlin on 15 February 1928. His father was the popular social democratic politician and later mayor of Berlin, from 1948 to 1953, Ernst Reuter. His mother Hanna Reuter née Kleinert was a secretary at the party newspaper Vorwärts. Under the Nazi regime, the family was forced to flee Germany; they found exile in Ankara, Turkey, where Reuter spent his childhood and youth. In 1946, Reuter joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

After returning to Germany in 1946, Reuter studied mathematics and theoretical physics at the University of Berlin, now known as Humboldt University of Berlin, but then in East Berlin. He transferred to the Georg August University of Göttingen. In 1949, he switched over to studying law at the newly founded Free University of Berlin. In 1955, Reuter completed his state examinations.

Career

From 1954 to 1956, he was an assistant at the Free University. After applying for a job for Daimler-Benz and failing, possibly because of his political orientation, Edzard Reuter became authorized signatory for UFA, the German film studio and then an executive for Bertelsmann, a media corporation.

In 1964, Hanns Martin Schleyer recruited Reuter to work at the Daimler-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart, where he advanced to the board of managers. In July 1987, he succeeded  [de] as chairman of the board upon recommendation of Alfred Herrhausen. Upon his assumption of office Reuter avowed himself to an "open" corporate culture. His takeovers were the aircraft and defense technology of Dornier, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and MTU Friedrichshafen, electronics from Matra, household appliances from AEG. Daimler-Benz became a giant corporation, but it cost the company billions in losses. The way he exercised his functions was criticized by many including the economist  [de]. In May 1995, Reuter was succeeded by Jürgen E. Schrempp, who gave up his predecessor's business philosophy choosing instead to emphasize shareholder value.

In August 1994, Reuter mentioned himself as a possible candidate for mayor of Berlin, but none of the parties showed interest. In 1998, Reuter became an honorary citizen of Berlin, especially for his dedication for the expansion of the Potsdamer Platz.

Death

Reuter died in Stuttgart, Germany, on 27 October 2024, at the age of 96.

Writings

• Reuter, Edzard (2013). Egorepublik Deutschland (in German). Campus Verlag. ISBN 978-3-593-42011-0.

Autobiography

• Reuter, Edzard (1999). Schein und Wirklichkeit (in German). Berlin: Siedler. ISBN 978-3-442-75571-4.

References

1. "Ehemaliger Daimler-Benz-Chef Edzard Reuter ist tot". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
2. Trenkamp, Oliver (30 October 2024). "Ein Student und eine Universität im Aufbruch". Freie Universität Berlin (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2024.
3. Dettmer, Markus (29 October 2024). "Edzard Reuter: Der Visionär, der Verluste hinterließ". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2024.
4. "Ex-Daimler-Chef Reuter tot: Sozialdemokrat mit kostspieligen Visionen". tagesschau.de (in German). 29 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
5. "Edzard Reuter". Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin (in German). 26 March 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
6. "Berliner Ehrenbürger: Wegner: "Berlin trauert um Edzard Reuter"". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 29 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
7. "Edzard Reuter". Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2024.
8. Pillau, Florian (29 October 2024). "Former Daimler CEO Edzard Reuter is dead". heise.de. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
9. "Schwere Fehler". Der Spiegel (in German). 12 July 1987. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
10. "Berliner Ehrenbürger Edzard Reuter ist tot". rbb24 (in German). 15 November 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
11. "Ex-Daimler-Chef Edzard Reuter: Schatten der Vergangenheit". stuttgarter-zeitung.de (in German). 26 February 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
12. ""Ich bin ansprechbar"". Der Spiegel (in German). 28 August 1994. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
13. Appenzeller, Gerd (16 February 2018). "Edzard Reuter zum 90. Geburtstag: Der Mann, der den Potsdamer Platz schuf". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 30 October 2024.

Further reading

• "Edzard Reuter: 'Es gibt keinen anderen Weg als strengere Regeln'". brand eins online (in German). 17 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
• Schmidt, Helmut (1988). Die Grenzen sprengen (in German). Berlin: Siedler Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88680-321-7.
• Eglau, Hans Otto (1993). Edzard Reuter (in German). Düsseldorf: ECON-Taschenbuch-Verl. ISBN 978-3-612-26062-8.
• Jakobs, Hans-Jürgen (1991). Edzard Reuter (in German). München: Heyne. ISBN 978-3-453-05121-8.

Obituaries

• "Bundespräsident Steinmeier kondoliert zum Tod von Edzard Reuter". Der Bundespräsident (in German). 29 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
• "Trauer um Edzard Reuter" (in German). Mercedes-Benz Group. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edzard Reuter.

• Helga und Edzard Reuter-Stiftung (in German) 2024