Berthold Beitz
Berthold Beitz | |
|---|---|
Beitz in 1963 | |
| Born | Berthold Beitz September 16, 1913 |
| Died | July 13, 2013 (aged 99) Kampen (Sylt), Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation(s) | Industrialist, philanthropist |
| Known for | Krupp Krupp Foundation |
| Spouse |
Else Hochheim
(m. 1939) |
| Children | 3 |
Berthold Beitz (German: [ˈbɛʁt̩ˌhɔlt baɪ̯t͡s] ⓘ; 26 September 1913 – 30 July 2013) was a German industrialist. He was the head of the Krupp steel conglomerate beginning in the 1950s. He was credited with helping to lead the re-industrialization of the Ruhr Valley and rebuilding Germany into an industrial power.
He and his wife Else Beitz gained acclaim for saving Jewish workers during World War II by declaring them to be essential workers at an oil facility. He pulled 250 people off a train headed for the Belzec extermination camp in July 1942. It is estimated that Beitz and his wife saved over 800 lives. In 1973, for saving Jews, he received the Righteous Among the Nations title awarded by the Israeli Yad Vashem, the highest honor given to a non-Jew.