On May 28, 1937, the government of Germany–then under the control of Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party–forms a new state-owned automobile company, then known as Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH. Later that year, it was renamed simply Volkswagenwerk, or “The People’s Car Company.” CLICK HERE
From Video: In this video, I expose Volkswagen’s and Beetle’s Nazi origins. In this video, we explore Volkswagen’s dark gensis in Nazi Germany during World War II and explore the hidden players: Adolf Hitler, Ferdinand Porsche and Henry Ford.
Volkswagen has always been more than a car. It occupies a special place in German society. WSJ’s Dipti Kapadia goes through some of the iconic moments for the German auto maker, now caught in a scandal over emissions. Photo: Getty Images
