Fritz Gajewski ascended to the managing board of IG Farben in 1932, marking a trajectory that aligned his corporate leadership with the expansion of the German chemical industry. Over several decades, his professional life moved from technical roles in photographic manufacturing to high-level administrative oversight within the nation's wartime and post-war industrial apparatus.
Academic and Early Career
Born in 1885 in Baltiysk, Gajewski was one of twelve children. He completed a pharmacy apprenticeship before enrolling at Leipzig University in 1905 to study chemistry and pharmacy, earning his doctorate in 1910. After military service, he began working for BASF in 1912. He returned to the military during the First World War, serving until 1917, before managing BASF gas works at Ludwigshafen-Oppau.
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In 1925, Gajewski became an assistant to Carl Bosch and a company director. His duties included oversight of artificial silk and cellulose-based products. Beginning in 1936, he served on the supervisory board of Dynamit Nobel, a position he maintained until 1945.
Wartime Activities and Denunciation
Gajewski joined the Nazi Party in 1933. During 1938, he reported a former colleague, Gerhard Ollendorf, to the Gestapo to prevent his departure from Germany, citing sensitive information. By 1940, he joined the South-East Europe Committee, facilitating regular visits to company sites in Hungary, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. In 1942, he received official confirmation as a Wehrwirtschaftsführer.
Trial and Post-war Recovery
Arrested in 1945, Gajewski appeared at the IG Farben trial in 1947. Although proceedings revealed his denunciation of Jewish board members, he was acquitted of war crimes. He resumed his career in 1952 as chairman of Dynamit Nobel. He also chaired boards at Genschow & Co. and Chemie-Verwaltungs AG before retiring in 1957. He died in Cologne in 1965.
Fast facts
- Born: 1885, Baltiysk
- Died: 1965, Cologne
- Education: Leipzig University
- Party Membership: Nazi Party, 1933
- Industry: Chemical industry
- Award: Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Award: Great Silver Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Questions readers ask
Was Fritz Gajewski convicted of war crimes?
No, he was acquitted during the IG Farben trial in 1947.
Which companies did he manage after the Second World War?
He served as chairman of Dynamit Nobel, Genschow & Co., and Chemie-Verwaltungs AG.
Achievements
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Great Silver Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Educated at Leipzig University
