Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte

The Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte e.V. (GUG), or German Society for Business History, is a non-profit scientific association based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Founded on 10 June 1976 in Cologne, it was established by academics, corporate representatives, and the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW) to promote research into business history and to strengthen exchange between academia, business, and archival practice. The GUG is internationally recognized as a scientific institution that combines academic expertise with practical consulting. The GUG's core activities include conducting and supporting research on business history, advising companies on building and maintaining sustainable corporate archives, and organizing a wide range of events such as public lectures, scientific symposia, working groups, and international conferences. It also publishes the peer-reviewed academic journal Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte (ZUG), which has been published by De Gruyter since 2004 and is the leading German-language journal in the field. A significant specialization of the GUG is the critical examination of corporate history during the Nazi era (NS-Aufarbeitung). Since the 1980s, the society has conducted numerous studies commissioned by companies to investigate their role during the "Third Reich," including issues of forced labor, expropriation, and corporate responsibility. This work has made the GUG a central institution in Germany's efforts to come to terms with its business past. The GUG is a membership-based association (eingetragener Verein) with members from academia, corporations, archives, and individuals. It is governed by a board and a scientific advisory council. Its headquarters are in Frankfurt am Main. In 2026, the GUG will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special jubilee year, including a conference titled "Business History Matters" at the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft in Cologne, returning to its founding location. The society also organizes the European Business History Association (EBHA) Annual Congress, which will be held in Berlin in 2027 in cooperation with Humboldt-University. The GUG remains a vital platform for networking, research, and public engagement in business history.

The Gesellschaft für Unternehmensgeschichte (GUG) was founded on 10 June 1976 in the Haus der Deutschen Industrie in Cologne. The initiative came from the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW), which had been actively involved since 1974, along with academics and corporate representatives. The founding members included major German companies such as August Thyssen-Hütte AG, Daimler-Benz AG, Deutsche Bank AG, Henkel AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, and Siemens AG. Wilhelm Treue was elected as the first chairman of the board, and Hans Pohl as the first chairman of the scientific advisory council. From the beginning, the GUG bridged the interests of academia and business. It took over the journal Tradition. Zeitschrift für Firmengeschichte und Unternehmerbiographie, which was facing discontinuation, and relaunched it in 1977 as Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte. Since 2004, the journal has undergone double-blind peer review and is published by De Gruyter. In the 1980s, the GUG expanded its activities to include the critical examination of corporate history during the Nazi era. Its first major project was commissioned by Daimler-Benz in 1984, examining the company's history during National Socialism. Although criticized as apologetic, it was followed by a more thorough project on forced labor at Daimler-Benz from 1986, completed in 1994 with a publication based on 280 interviews and extensive archival research. Also in 1986, the GUG began building corporate archives, with early clients including Adam Opel AG, R+V Versicherung, and Dr. August Oetker KG. In June 1997, the GUG organized a symposium on companies in National Socialism at the former I.G. Farben building in Frankfurt, which significantly raised public awareness and led to a reevaluation of corporate history in Germany. The proceedings were published as the first volume of the Schriftenreihe zur Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte by C.H. Beck. Over the decades, the GUG has continued to organize annual public lectures and scientific symposia, and has expanded its international activities, including hosting the European Business History Association (EBHA) congress. In 2026, the GUG celebrates its 50th anniversary with a jubilee year, including a conference "Business History Matters" at the IW in Cologne on 11 June 2026. The GUG remains headquartered in Frankfurt am Main and is a recognized scientific institution in the field of business history.

• 2026

  50th anniversary jubilee year, including conference "Business History Matters" in Cologne.

• 2004

  Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte moved to De Gruyter and double-blind peer review.

• 1997

  Organized symposium on companies in National Socialism in Frankfurt.

• 1994

  Completed and published the Daimler-Benz forced labor study.

• 1986

  Began corporate archive consulting; started forced labor study on Daimler-Benz.

• 1984

  First major project on Daimler-Benz during National Socialism.

• 1977

  Took over and renamed the journal Tradition as Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte.

• 1976

  Founded on 10 June in Cologne by academics, corporate representatives, and the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft.

• Hosting the European Business History Association Annual Congress in Berlin.

Non-profit scientific association bridging academia and business practice in business history.

• Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte (ZUG)

  Peer-reviewed academic journal published by De Gruyter, the leading German-language journal in business history.

• Corporate archive consulting

  Advising companies on building and maintaining sustainable corporate archives, focusing on legal requirements and practical usability.

• NS-Aufarbeitung (Nazi era research)

  Specialized research on corporate history during the Third Reich, examining corporate responsibility in historical context.

• Conferences and symposia

  Annual public lectures, scientific symposia, working groups, and international conferences such as the EBHA congress.

1. 1Homeunternehmensgeschichte.de
2. 2EBHA Congress 2027 Berlinunternehmensgeschichte.de
3. 3GUGiläumunternehmensgeschichte.de
4. 4Teilnehmenunternehmensgeschichte.de
5. 5Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org