Friedrich Reinhart
Friedrich "Fritz" Reinhart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Darmstadt, Germany |
| Died | October 3, 1943 (aged 72) Seefeld, near Munich, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, banker |
| Known for | CEO of Commerz- und Privat-Bank (1934–1943), advocate of the Nazi regime |
Friedrich "Fritz" Reinhart (23 February 1871 – 3 October 1943) was a German financier, banker, and an advocate of the Nazi regime. From July 1934 until his passing in 1943, he held the position of CEO at the Commerz- und Privat-Bank.
Early life and banking career
Reinhart was born in Darmstadt in 1871 and began his professional journey in 1885 with an apprenticeship at Darmstädter Volksbank. By 1895, he had risen to the role of deputy cashier. In 1905, he became a board member at Württembergische Landesbank. After this institution merged with Dresdner Bank, Reinhart transitioned to its management team operating in Frankfurt and Berlin, where he served from 1910 until 1929. Following the merger with Commerzbank, he joined its management board and remained there until July 1934. At that time, he assumed the chairmanship of its Supervisory Board, effectively functioning as CEO. That same year, he also took on the presidency of the Berlin stock exchange. During the banking crisis of 1931, Reinhart was a vocal critic of Germany's reliance on short-term foreign capital.
Reinhart broadened his reach within Germany's economic landscape by becoming president of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce in February 1935, followed by leadership of the Brandenburg Chamber of Commerce in March. In October 1935, he joined the presidium of the German Institute for Banking Science based in Berlin. By December 1937, Reinhart served on the administrative council of the Hamburg World Economic Institute. From November 1939 onward, he was part of the Advisory Board for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, and in January 1943, he was appointed president of the Berlin-Brandenburg Chamber of Commerce. Over these years, Reinhart held executive positions within various industrial firms and was a member of the central committee of the Reichsbank.
Political activity in the Weimar years
In January 1920, Reinhart expressed written support for the Kapp Putsch, seeking financial backing from banks to oppose the Weimar Republic. As a conservative nationalist, he aligned himself with the growing fascist movement during the 1920s and became a member of the Society for the Study of Fascism (Gesellschaft zum Studium des Faschismus), joining notable conservative business figures such as Hjalmar Schacht, Fritz Thyssen, and Walther Funk. On 21 October 1931, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Reinhart to an economic advisory board tasked with addressing Germany’s economic difficulties; this group supported wage and price reductions consistent with Chancellor Heinrich Brüning’s deflationary approach. Reinhart also authored a publication promoting German economic autarky, military buildup, and imperial ambitions.
He participated in the Keppler circle—a consortium of business leaders established in early 1932 at Adolf Hitler’s recommendation. On 19 November 1932, together with Schacht and Thyssen, Reinhart signed the Industrielleneingabe petition urging Hindenburg to name Hitler as Chancellor.
Career under Nazi Regime
After the Nazi seizure of power, Reinhart was appointed in April 1933 to serve on an economic advisory committee, which was later disbanded in March 1934. On 11 July 1933, he was named by Prussian Minister President Hermann Göring as one of the founding members of the newly reestablished Prussian State Council. Additionally, in October 1933, Reinhart became a founding member of Hans Frank's Academy for German Law.
Reinhart continued his involvement with the expanded Keppler Circle, which was renamed the Freundeskreis der Wirtschaft (Circle of Friends of the Economy). This group maintained close ties with Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and provided financial backing to SS ventures. In 1938, Reinhart received the title of Wehrwirtschaftsführer (Military Economics Leader). He passed away in October 1943 in Seefeld, near Munich.
Sources
- Friedrich Reinhart profile at Deutsche Biographie
- Klee, Ernst. Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 2007. ISBN 978-3-596-16048-8
- Lilla, Joachim. Der Preußische Staatsrat 1921–1933: Ein biographisches Handbuch. Droste Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2005. ISBN 978-3-7700-5271-4
- Zentner, Christian; Bedürftig, Friedemann (eds). The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. Da Capo Press, New York, 1997 (originally 1991). ISBN 978-0-306-80793-0