Hanns Martin Schleyer

Hanns Martin Schleyer

Hanns Martin Schleyer (German pronunciation: [ˈhaːns ˈmaɐtiːn ˈʃlaɪ̯ɐ̯]; 1 May 1915 – 18 October 1977) was a German member of the SS, business executive, and employer and industry representative, who served as President of two powerful commercial organizations, the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände, BDA) and the Federation of German Industries (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie, BDI). Schleyer's role in those business organisations, his positions in the labour disputes and aggressive appearance on television, his conservative anti-communist views and position as a prominent member of the Christian Democratic Union, and his past as an enthusiastic member of the Nazi student movement and former SS officer made him a target for radical elements of the German student movement in the 1970s.He was kidnapped on 5 September 1977 by the far left Red Army Faction (Rote Armee Fraktion, RAF) and subsequently murdered; his driver and police escort of three policemen were also murdered when his car was ambushed. The German government decided to not negotiate with terrorists. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Hanns Martin Schleyer has received more than 175,335 page views. His biography is available in 19 different languages on Wikipedia making him the 185th most popular social activist.