The roll of honour of former BDI Presidents (from left to right): Fritz Berg, Hans-Günther Sohl, Hanns Martin Schleyer, Nikolaus Fasolt, Rolf Rodenstock, Hans Joachim Langmann, Tyll Necker, Heinrich Weiss, Hans-Olaf Henkel, Michael Rogowski, Jürgen R. Thumann, Hans-Peter Keitel, Ulrich Grillo, Dieter Kempf. © BDI

The BDI and its Presidents, 1949 – 2016

On 19 October 1949 representatives of 32 business associations and working groups founded the Ausschuss für Wirtschaftsfragen der industriellen Verbände / Committee for Economic Issues of the Industrial Associations at the Excelsior Hotel in Cologne. In addition to the President of the first German Bundestag, Dr. Erich Köhler, the evening reception was attended by four Federal Ministers: Vice-Chancellor Franz Blücher; Minister of Economic Affairs Ludwig Erhard; Minister of Labour Anton Storch and Minister for Transport Hans-Christoph Seebohm.

Ulrich Grillo © Christian Kruppa

Ulrich Grillo – A Call for a Committed Business Community (2013 – 2016)

Past History

BDI/BDA Business Representation, Rue Marie de Bourgogne, Brussels. © BDI/D.A.O.

BDI internationally

When the BDI opened the new Brussels office in February 2016 it was primarily a completely new space. With its glass facades and walls the architectural design of the offices in the rue Marie de Bourgogne are a symbol of the transparency which has always been characteristic of the organisation’s international activities.

BDI Historical Archive