Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess sorry for quoting Holocaust quip
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess made the comment “ebit macht frei,” a play on a Nazi-era slogan during an internal company event.
The phrase “arbeit macht frei” or work sets you free hung above the gates at Holocaust sites such as Auschwitz.
Volkswagen’s CEO has apologized for the remarks.
The historical connection between Volkswagen and the Holocaust runs deep.
In the early ’30s, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered the design of a people’s car, or “Volkswagen.”
The company was founded in 1937 as part of a plan to ensure Germans could afford a car, and utilized slave labour from those at concentration camps during World War II.
Volkswagen’s shares are trading down 0.6% as of 9 a.m in London (5 a.m ET).
Business Insider
Volkswagen boss apologises for Nazi gaffe – BBC News