The German construction industry and industrial self-responsibility in occupied Europe, 1939–45

This article enquires into the role of private German businesses in the administration of Nazi-occupied Western and Northern Europe during the Second World War. It is argued that the National Socialists were able to rule over occupied Europe with a remarkably low number of administrative personnel because they trusted private industry with central administrative responsibilities and tasks. The focus will be on the German construction industry working under the paramilitary construction unit Organisation Todt, as no other sector relocated its activities to such a degree to the occupied territories. Under the slogan of ‘industrial self-responsibility’, German construction firms played a crucial role as bridgeheads and mediators, especially in the early phase of the occupation, helped to draft procurement contracts for construction projects, to control prices and entrepreneurial profits, to supervise local sub-contractors, and finally, to recruit and supervise forced labour. By investigating these aspects, the article adds not only to our understanding of the German administration of occupied Europe, but also of the functioning of the Nazi state in general. Moreover, the article highlights the consequences of industrial self-responsibility for state-business relations in the Third Reich.