BERLIN—September 3, 2024—The American Academy in Berlin is pleased to announce funding from the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation for the establishment of a fellowship in honor of the former chairman of the Krupp Foundation, Berthold Beitz, one of the most distinguished Germans of the twentieth century. The Berthold Beitz Berlin Prize Fellowship will commence in fall 2024 and bring one scholar annually to the Academy’s Hans Arnhold Center for a semester-long residency in Berlin. The fellowship’s focus is on economic and political history. The inaugural Beitz Fellow is Zachary Shore, Professor of History at the Naval Postgraduate School; Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, University of California, Berkeley; and a National Security Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

Berthold Beitz is remembered chiefly as one of the foremost business leaders of his generation. He joined the Krupp steel corporation in 1953 and soon became its chief executive. From 1968 until his death, in 2013, he headed the Krupp Foundation.

The firm’s reputation had been deeply damaged by its role during the years of Nazi rule. Alfried Krupp was sentenced to twelve years’ imprisonment and the confiscation of his assets in the course of the Nuremberg Krupp Trial for the plundering of territories occupied by Germany and crimes in connection with forced labor. Beitz helped revive the firm and restore its standing. His leadership at Krupp—where he would remain for the next 60 years—helped the firm adapt to the postwar economic environment. He played a key role in opening new global markets for Krupp and, ultimately, other German companies. He was also the architect of the transfer of ownership of the firm from Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach to the Foundation, in 1968.

Beitz’s legacy extends well beyond his accomplishments as a businessman. During WWII, at great personal risk, he and his wife, Else, rescued an estimated 800 Jews from roundups and deportation by the Nazis in the area of Boryslaw, Poland, where he was managing a critical oil facility. He did so in a variety of ways, including by designating individuals about to be transported to concentration camps as essential workers in his facility—even though many were not, tipping off members of the Jewish community to impending Aktionen, and even hiding people in his house. Beitz—along with Oskar Schindler—was one of the very few German businessmen to stand against Nazi criminality. Berthold and Else Beitz are both commemorated as Righteous among the Nations at Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.

“We are deeply pleased that we can honor Berthold Beitz’s remarkable and humane legacy. His life exemplifies a blend of moral courage, business acumen, and a commitment to social responsibility. This fellowship, created in partnership with the Krupp Foundation, will promote the highest caliber of scholarship. I know of no more fitting a figure than Berthold Beitz to be associated with this important fellowship,” said Daniel Benjamin, president of the American Academy in Berlin.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Ursula Gather, chairwoman of the board of trustees of the Krupp Foundation, said, “Berthold Beitz was a man of the century. To honor his life’s achievements, the foundation, together with the American Academy in Berlin, has established the Berthold Beitz Fellowship. We aim to give outstanding scholars the opportunity to research and work in his tradition, and to continue his commitment to peace and understanding. We believe that scholarship has the power to contribute to international as well as Jewish–German understanding—in the spirit of Berthold Beitz.”

Sandra E. Peterson, chair of the American Academy’s board of trustees, said: “It’s a privilege to establish a Berthold Beitz Fellowship, which joins an eminent roster of named Academy fellowships that focus on a specific scholarly, writerly, or artistic field. I would like to personally thank Ursula Gather and the Krupp Foundation for their leadership and shared ideals.”

The nonprofit Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation has been supporting people and projects in art and culture, education, science, health and sports since 1968 and has thus far committed €695 million to this end. As the largest shareholder of Thyssenkrupp AG, the foundation uses income from its corporate investment exclusively for charitable purposes and pursues the goal of stimulating new developments and encouraging creativity and commitment. Through its work, the foundation sets priorities in the development of science and higher education, seeks to contribute to international understanding and aims to improve the education of young generations. The foundation that bears the name of Alfried Krupp sees itself as having a special responsibility in this regard. Its most recent initiative, launched in 2022, is an independent research project to examine the attitude of its founder during National Socialism.

The American Academy in Berlin is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit institution of advanced scholarship dedicated to upholding the cultural, academic, and political ties between the United States and Germany. For twenty-five years, the Academy has hosted residential fellows and guest lecturers from the United States who live and work together, share their expertise with German audiences, and engage with professional German peers through a robust public program and private meetings. Through these activities and more, the Academy aims to strengthen the future of the transatlantic community of values.

Photo: Berthold Beitz, 1993. Copyright Timm Rauttert

For press inquiries, contact Kristen Allen, Press Manager: kra@americanacademy.de; +49 (30) 804 83 252. To learn more about how philanthropy plays a role in sustaining the American Academy in Berlin, contact Emily Carey, Vice President of Development, in New York City: +1.917.670.0102 or ec@americanacademy.de.