{{Short description|German businessman (1928–2024)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox person | image = 21. Internationales Management-Gespräch-Edzard Reuter-HSGN 028-00882.jpg | caption = Reuter in 1991 | name = Edzard Reuter | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|2|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|10|27|1928|2|16|df=y}} | death_place = Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany | education = {{ubl|Humboldt University of Berlin|Georg August University of Göttingen|Free University of Berlin}} | occupation = Business executive | title = CEO of Daimler-Benz | predecessor = Werner Breitschwerdt | successor = Jürgen E. Schrempp | term = 1987–1995 | parents = Ernst Reuter<br>Hanna Kleinert }}
'''Edzard Hans Wilhelm Reuter''' (16 February 1928 – 27 October 2024) was a German businessman. He was the CEO of Daimler-Benz from 1987 to 1995.
==Early life== Edzard Reuter was born in Berlin on 15 February 1928. His father was the popular social democratic politician and later mayor of Berlin, from 1948 to 1953, Ernst Reuter.<ref name="o505">{{cite web | title=Ehemaliger Daimler-Benz-Chef Edzard Reuter ist tot | website=Deutschlandfunk | date=30 October 2024 | url=https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ehemaliger-daimler-benz-chef-edzard-reuter-ist-tot-100.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref><ref name="Trenkamp" /> His mother Hanna Reuter ''née'' Kleinert was a secretary at the party newspaper ''Vorwärts''.<ref name="Dettmer-2024">{{cite web | last=Dettmer | first=Markus | title=Edzard Reuter: Der Visionär, der Verluste hinterließ | website=Der Spiegel | date=29 October 2024 | url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/edzard-reuter-der-visionaer-der-verluste-hinterliess-a-453a468f-1744-432c-8a94-2b7ee3518dda | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref><ref name="tagesschau.de-2024">{{cite web | title=Ex-Daimler-Chef Reuter tot: Sozialdemokrat mit kostspieligen Visionen | website=tagesschau.de | date=29 October 2024 | url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/badenwuerttemberg/nachruf-reuter-daimler-100.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> Under the Nazi regime, the family was forced to flee Germany; they found exile in Ankara, Turkey, where Reuter spent his childhood and youth.<ref name="Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin-2021">{{cite web | title=Edzard Reuter | website=Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin | date=26 March 2021 | url=https://www.parlament-berlin.de/Das-Haus/Berliner-Ehrenbuerger/edzard-reuter | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> In 1946, Reuter joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).<ref name="Dettmer-2024" />
After returning to Germany in 1946,<ref name="m440">{{cite web | title=Berliner Ehrenbürger: Wegner: "Berlin trauert um Edzard Reuter" | website=Der Tagesspiegel | date=29 October 2024 | url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/berliner-ehrenburger-wegner-berlin-trauert-um-edzard-reuter-12610574.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> Reuter studied mathematics and theoretical physics at the University of Berlin, now known as Humboldt University of Berlin, but then in East Berlin.<ref name="Trenkamp" /> He transferred to the Georg August University of Göttingen.<ref name="Trenkamp" /><ref name="Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften">{{cite web | title=Edzard Reuter | website=Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften | url=https://www.bbaw.de/die-akademie/akademie-historische-aspekte/mitglieder-historisch/historisches-mitglied-edzard-reuter-3141 | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> In 1949, he switched over to studying law at the newly founded Free University of Berlin.<ref name="Trenkamp">{{cite web |last=Trenkamp | first=Oliver | title=Ein Student und eine Universität im Aufbruch | website=Freie Universität Berlin | date=30 October 2024 | url=https://www.fu-berlin.de/presse/publikationen/tsp/archiv/2008/ts_20080419/ts_200800419_61/index.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> In 1955, Reuter completed his state examinations.<ref name="Trenkamp" /><ref name="Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften" />
== Career == From 1954 to 1956, he was an assistant at the Free University.<ref name="Pillau" /> After applying for a job for Daimler-Benz and failing, possibly because of his political orientation,<ref name="Trenkamp" /> Edzard Reuter became an authorized signatory for UFA, the German film studio and then an executive for Bertelsmann, a media corporation.<ref name="Pillau" />
In 1964, Hanns Martin Schleyer recruited Reuter to work at the Daimler-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart, where he advanced to the board of managers.<ref name="Pillau" /><ref name="tagesschau.de-2024" /> In July 1987, he succeeded {{ill|Werner Breitschwerdt|de}} as chairman of the board<ref name="Pillau" /> upon recommendation of Alfred Herrhausen.<ref name="x072">{{cite web | title=Schwere Fehler | website=Der Spiegel | date=12 July 1987 | url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/schwere-fehler-a-6f978d71-0002-0001-0000-000013523800 | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> Upon his assumption of office Reuter avowed himself to an "open" corporate culture.<ref name="Dettmer-2024" /> His takeovers were the aircraft and defense technology of Dornier, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and MTU Friedrichshafen, electronics from Matra, and household appliances from AEG.<ref name="tagesschau.de-2024" /> Daimler-Benz became a giant corporation, but it cost the company billions in losses.<ref name="tagesschau.de-2024" /><ref name="b970">{{cite web | title=Berliner Ehrenbürger Edzard Reuter ist tot | website=rbb24 | date=15 November 2016 | url=https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/beitrag/2024/10/edzard-reuter-gestorben-ernst-reuter-berlin.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> The way he exercised his functions was criticized by many including the economist {{ill|Ekkehard Wenger|de}}.<ref name="Dettmer-2024" /> In May 1995, Reuter was succeeded by Jürgen E. Schrempp, who gave up his predecessor's business philosophy choosing instead to emphasize shareholder value.<ref name="x476">{{cite web | title=Ex-Daimler-Chef Edzard Reuter: Schatten der Vergangenheit | website=stuttgarter-zeitung.de | date=26 February 2020 | url=https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.ex-daimler-chef-edzard-reuter-schatten-der-vergangenheit.3f33db92-8175-4936-ab11-1d763c49b193.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref>
In August 1994, Reuter mentioned himself as a possible candidate for mayor of Berlin, but none of the parties showed interest.<ref name="o650">{{cite web | title="Ich bin ansprechbar" | website=Der Spiegel | date=28 August 1994 | url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ich-bin-ansprechbar-a-843daa56-0002-0001-0000-000013684789?context=issue | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref> In 1998, Reuter became an honorary citizen of Berlin, especially for his dedication for the expansion of the Potsdamer Platz.<ref name="Abgeordnetenhaus Berlin-2021" /><ref name="i887">{{cite web | last=Appenzeller | first=Gerd | title=Edzard Reuter zum 90. Geburtstag: Der Mann, der den Potsdamer Platz schuf | website=Der Tagesspiegel | date=16 February 2018 | url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/der-mann-der-den-potsdamer-platz-schuf-3926380.html | language=de | access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref>
==Death== Reuter died in Stuttgart, Germany, on 27 October 2024, at the age of 96.<ref name="Pillau" />
==Writings== * {{cite book | last=Reuter | first=Edzard | title=Egorepublik Deutschland | date=2013 | publisher=Campus Verlag | isbn=978-3-593-42011-0 | language=de}}
===Autobiography=== * {{cite book | last=Reuter | first=Edzard | title=Schein und Wirklichkeit | publisher=Siedler | publication-place=Berlin | date=1999 | isbn=978-3-442-75571-4 | language=de}}
==References== <references>
<ref name="Pillau">{{cite news | last = Pillau | first = Florian | url = https://www.heise.de/en/news/Former-Daimler-CEO-Edzard-Reuter-is-dead-9997257.html | title = Former Daimler CEO Edzard Reuter is dead | work = heise.de | date = 29 October 2024 | access-date = 29 October 2024 }}</ref>
</references>
==Further reading== * {{cite web |title=Edzard Reuter: 'Es gibt keinen anderen Weg als strengere Regeln' |website=brand eins online |date=17 October 2024 |url=https://www.brandeins.de/magazine/brand-eins-wirtschaftsmagazin/2023/neue-werte/edzard-reuter-es-gibt-keinen-anderen-weg-als-strengere-regeln |language=de |access-date=30 October 2024}} * {{cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Helmut |author-link=Helmut Schmidt |title=Die Grenzen sprengen |publisher=Siedler Verlag |publication-place=Berlin |date=1988 |isbn=978-3-88680-321-7 |language=de}} * {{cite book |last=Eglau |first=Hans Otto |title=Edzard Reuter |publisher=ECON-Taschenbuch-Verl |publication-place=Düsseldorf |date=1993 |isbn=978-3-612-26062-8 |language=de}} * {{cite book |last=Jakobs |first=Hans-Jürgen |title=Edzard Reuter |publisher=Heyne |publication-place=München |date=1991 |isbn=978-3-453-05121-8 |language=de}}
===Obituaries=== * {{cite web |title=Bundespräsident Steinmeier kondoliert zum Tod von Edzard Reuter |website=Der Bundespräsident |date=29 October 2024 |url=https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2024/10/241029-Kondolenz-Reuter.html |language=de |access-date=30 October 2024}} * {{cite web |title=Trauer um Edzard Reuter |publisher=Mercedes-Benz Group |date=29 October 2024 |url=https://group.mercedes-benz.com/unternehmen/news/nachruf-edzard-reuter.html |language=de |access-date=30 October 2024}}
== External links == {{Commonscat}} * [https://www.reuter-stiftung.de Helga und Edzard Reuter-Stiftung] {{in lang|de}} 2024
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reuter, Edzard}} Category:1928 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Businesspeople from Berlin Category:German expatriates in Turkey Category:Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Category:Mercedes-Benz Group executives Category:20th-century German businesspeople