No Future without Remembrance
As a responsible company, Bayer is committed to strengthening resilience against antisemitism and other forms of inhuman and hateful ideologies, so that history does not repeat itself – today or in the future. To this end, Bayer is contributing to the development of a culture of remembrance within the company and beyond.
In 1925, six German companies decided to form a community of interests known as Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG, or I.G. Farben for short. Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co. was one of the founding members. Today’s Bayer AG is one of the companies that were newly created following the liquidation of I.G. Farben in 1952.
On this page, you will learn more about our projects, initiatives and cooperations that critically examine this history, with a particular focus on Nazi forced labor and the role of I.G. Farben. They describe how we draw lessons from the past for our actions today – for a corporate culture firmly aligned with our values and principles.
By consciously engaging with our role throughout history, we seek to contribute to a global dialogue on responsibility, remembrance and democratic resilience.
Against Forgetting, for Democracy: The Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation
The Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation supports research and remembrance projects on crimes committed during the National Socialist era – in particular on Nazi forced labor and the former company Interessengemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG, or I.G. Farben for short.
The Finkelstein Foundation develops programs that promote a corporate culture shaped by historical and ethical responsibility, contemporary leadership and democratic conduct. It advances dialogue-based projects in Europe, Israel and the United States to strengthen resilience against hatred and discrimination – today and in the future. Bayer established the independent Finkelstein Foundation in 2023.
"By honoring the story of the Finkelsteins, we remember the past, reflect on the known and unknown cruelties of I.G. Farben and keep the memory alive to help prevent any of this happening again in the future. It is also a contribution to the fight for freedom and the diversity of thought."
The work of the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation is built upon three mutually reinforcing pillars:
Annette Schavan, former Federal Minister of Education and Research and long-standing member of the German Bundestag, was appointed Chairwoman of the advisory council. Since 2019, Schavan also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” (EVZ), a German public-law foundation that promotes remembrance of Nazi injustices and supports human rights and democracy projects worldwide.
It was established in 2000, originally to provide compensation and humanitarian aid to former forced labourers under National Socialism, and today funds international projects on historical education, support for survivors and civic engagement. With its historical ties to I.G. Farben, Bayer is listed among the founding companies.
"With the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation, Bayer actively contributes to a culture of remembrance. The story of the family deeply moved me, and I am humbled to take part in this important endeavor and in honoring their legacy."
The Finkelstein Legacy
Left image: Dr. Hans Finkelstein conversing with colleagues. View of a laboratory at the Uerdingen site, 1932. © Bayer AG, Bayer Archives Leverkusen; right image: Hans Finkelstein’s son Berthold Finkelstein headed the Gustav Stresemann Institute until 1996. © Gustav-Stresemann-Institut e.V.
In tracing the history of the Finkelstein family, we focus on Dr. Hans Finkelstein and his son Berthold, both of whom were connected to I.G. Farben and whose lives are representative of the persecution faced by people at I.G. Farben during National Socialism and the Second World War.
Their stories emerged through research in the Bayer archives. We know that many similar stories have remained – and may continue to remain – hidden. They can only be uncovered through extensive, systematic research and a deliberate engagement with the past. This research is ongoing, and we continue to support it.
Setting a shared Example
CEO Bill Anderson at the memorial ceremony in Monowice, a district of present-day Oświęcim. © Bartek Dąbrowski
In 2025, the world marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camps. On this occasion, the World Jewish Congress invited Bill Anderson, together with other representatives of German companies, to the official commemoration ceremony in Oświęcim/Auschwitz, Poland.
The event honored the last surviving Holocaust survivors and was attended by representatives of Jewish communities. In addition to the formal ceremony with around 3,500 guests at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, Bill Anderson and other business leaders visited the site of Monowitz (Auschwitz III) and the city of Oświęcim as it is today. During the visit, they reflected on the history of their companies and reaffirmed their commitment to combating antisemitism and upholding human rights.
"Together, we must ensure that the voices of the past continue to resonate in our actions – today and in the future."
Leadership Seminar in Partnership with the Auschwitz Memorial
In collaboration with the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust (ICEAH) and the Auschwitz Memorial, Bayer has developed what is, so far, a unique leadership seminar. Since 2023, the program has been offered annually, providing senior leaders with a dedicated space for collective reflection on ethics in a corporate context, societal responsibility, and the importance of actively cultivating a culture of remembrance.
A central element of the seminar is an in-depth examination of Bayer’s corporate history and its historical ties to I.G. Farben. The program aims to deepen senior executives’ understanding of moral responsibility and to strengthen their ability to recognize ethical gray areas within their decision-making authority. Participants are encouraged to make well-informed decisions -particularly in times of geopolitical tension and increasing societal polarization – by engaging with questions such as:
- What role does a culture of remembrance play in ethical decision-making in everyday business?
- How can leaders act responsibly under pressure?
- What forms of resilience are required of leaders today?
Experiences from previous cohorts show that the seminar is deeply moving and generates lasting learning outcomes.
"The experience was deeply emotional but the single most impactful leadership learning I have had throughout my career. It has taught me, whatever the circumstance, to uphold the highest standards of ethical behaviour and personal integrity and be brave, speak up - even if it could have consequences."
Memorial for the victims of forced labor at the Lower Rhine sites of I.G. Farben
View of the memorial for victims of forced labor at I.G. Farben’s Lower Rhine sites, located next to Bayer Headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany © Marcus Mueller Saran
To promote a company culture guided by remembrance and reflection, Bayer has built a memorial for the victims of forced labor at I.G. Farben during the Second World War next to its Headquarters in Leverkusen. The memorial honors the approximately 16,000 forced laborers from numerous occupied countries in Europe who were deployed at the Lower Rhine sites to expand production from 1940 to 1945. According to available documents, approximately one-third of these forced laborers were women. Most were between 17-23 years old when they arrived, and there were also children among them.
The memorial was designed and built by an interdisciplinary group of artists and designers led by Professor Jussi Ängeslevä from ART+COM Studios. The intent was to create a physical and artistic interpretation of an original dataset containing information from the Bayer archives about the approximately 16,000 people. Located at the very heart of the company in Leverkusen, the place is also designed to enable an individual engagement with the past.
The computationally designed sculpture of wood, steel and living plants will intentionally transform over time due to the forces of nature, reminding employees and visitors that remembering the past is imperative when thinking of the future. The physical installation is augmented by a site-specific mobile app that helps visitors decipher its unique form and obtain impressions of various data: from spatial references to demographic details and personnel documents of 26 forced laborers of I.G. Farben who are quoted verbatim. The examples reveal the fates of the forced laborers and make the perspective of those responsible explicitly clear.
"Remembrance of the injustice suffered by the approximately 16,000 individuals at the Lower Rhine sites must inform our moral awareness. It can also serve as an ethical framework for the decisions we make today and in the future."
The memorial was inaugurated in May 2023. Among the guests were representatives of Bayer’s Board of Management and the Works Council, the former Mayor of Leverkusen Uwe Richrath, and Johannes Finkelstein, grandson and son of Dr Hans and Berthold Finkelstein. © Marcus Mueller Saran
Supporting the Pears Jewish Campus in Berlin
Oliver Renner, Head of Communications Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Matthias Berninger, the former Bayer CEO Werner Baumann and rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, Chairman of the Chabad community and initiator of the project during the opening of the "Pears Jewish Campus" 2023 in Berlin. © Max Mordinson
To actively promote Jewish life in Germany and further embed the legacy of Hans and Berthold Finkelstein in the company's remembrance culture, Bayer has sponsored three student labs within the Hans-Finkelstein-Wing at the Pears Jewish Campus Berlin.
Four years after construction began, the Jewish Campus (PJC) in Berlin was opened in June 2023. The 8000 m2 interfaith campus is based on three pillars: education, culture and sports. The education facilities now also include Bayer science labs, allowing students to study chemistry in a state-of-the-art setting.
A memorial board for Dr. Hans Finkelstein in front of one of the laboratories at the Hans Finkelstein Wing. © Max Mordinson
Open Doors to the Company Archive
The Heritage Communications department – Bayer's historical archive – has been accessible for interested scientists since the 1960s. The first study on the role of industrial companies during National Socialism and the Second World War, in which files from the archive were used, was published in 1972. Since then, several scientific papers have been created based on documents from the archive, which deal with a wide variety of aspects of the company's history - and in particular with the era of I.G. Farbenindustrie AG.
Hero image “Stolpersteine”: © Chris Rausch