Generaldirektor Vögler, Hitler, Fritz Thyssen, Obergruppenführer Schaub
im Ruhrgebiet, 1938
Albert Voegler was born on the 8th February, 1877 in Borbeck, in the Ruhr. He studied mechanical engineering at Karlsruhe University before working as an engineer in the Dortmunder Steel Plant. From 1906 to 1912 he was director of AG Iron and Steel Industries at Dortmund where he worked closely with Hugo Stinnes.Voegler was already a prominent figure in the German steel industry before 1914.
In 1915 Voegler was appointed head of the German Luxembourg Mining AG and in 1925 replaced Emile Kirdorf as Chairman of the Rhineland-Westphalian Coal Syndicate. The following year he became head of Germany's largest steel works, Vereinigte Stahlwerke.
In 1920 he was elected to the National Assembly as a delegate of the German People's Party, serving for four years. (He was elected again as a member for the electoral district of Westphalia South in 1933.)
In 1928 he began to fund the Nazi Party (Voegler was one of the prime sources of funds from industrial circles to Hitler's Nazi Party ). He joined with other industrialists in signing the letter that urged Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as chancellor. This was successful and on 20th February, 1933, he attended the meeting with Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering and Hjalmar Schacht where the Association of German Industrialists raised 3 million marks for the party in the forthcoming election.
During the Second World War Voegler worked under Albert Speer the Minister of Armaments and was responsible for war production in the Ruhr.
Although never a member of the Nazi Party, Voegler became President of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Science and Research and in 1934, he was appointed Reich Plenipotentiary for the socialization of Rhenish - Westphalian coal pits. He was Chairman and a member of several Boards of Directors in Nazi Germany, including the AG fur Energiewirtschaft (Berlin), Deutsche Rohrenwerke AG (Dusseldorf), Elektrizitats - AG (Nuremberg), Deutsche Edelstahlwerke AG (Krefeld), Ruhrstahl AG (Witten), Ruhrgas AG (Essen), Westfalische Union AG fur Eisen und Drahtindustrie, Harpener Bergbau AG (Dortmund) and Rheinisch - Westfalische Elektrizitatswerk AG (Essen). After the 20 July 1944 plot against Hitler's life, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the head of the security services, wanted to indict Voegler and two of his colleagues in heavy industry for 'defeatist' conversations, but the prominent industrialist was protected by the intercession of Albert Speer.
Albert Voegler committed suicide on 14th April, 1945 following his arrest by American troops.
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/text/x33/xm3397.html
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERvoegler.htm
http://www.dhm.de/lemo/objekte/pict/voeglbio/
