Hermann Schmitz

In 1898 he began studying at Ahrenbergische Aktiengesellschaft für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb in Hessen, and in 1905 he entered the Commerce College in Nuremberg.

He was promoted to administrator of BASF's exterior department, a position he maintained after the company became part of IG Farben.

As per his job requirements he maintained contacts with large businesses, such as Standard Oil, with which he took part in negotiations, always having the support of that era's governments in the interests of IG Farben.

In 1933, he was elected to the Reichstag under the administration of the Nazi Party and after two years, he succeeded Carl Bosch as IG Farben's CEO.

He was released in 1950 and went on to become member of the administrators' council of Deutsche Bank in Berlin, as well as the honorary president of "Rheinische Stahlwerke AG".