Eberhard von Kuenheim
Encyclopedia
Dr.-Ing. E.h. Eberhard von Kuenheim (born 2 October 1928) is a German
industrial manager. He was, between 1970 and 1993, Chairman of the executive board (effectively CEO) of the BMW Group.
near Bartenstein, (East Prussia
). His father died of a riding accident in 1935, his mother died in a Soviet
NKVD
camp after World War II
Kuenheim fled the advancing Red Army
in early 1945 and was evacuated
via Pillau to Western Germany in March 1945 throughout the Operation Hannibal
.
He studied Mechanical engineering
until 1954 at the Technical University of Stuttgart and joined the Quandt Group
, BMW's largest shareholder since 1959, in 1965.
On 1 January 1970 Kuenheim became the CEO of the BMW Group, when BMW had 23,000 employees. A number that had risen to 71,000 when he stepped down in 1993. Kuenheim "transformed BMW from a small, unfocused manufacturer of cars and motorcycles into a world performance luxury icon"
After Bernd Pischetsrieder
followed him as CEO, Kuenheim guided BMW's supervisory board until 1999. Today he's the head of BMW's Eberhard-von-Kuenheim-Foundation, he's an Honorary Senator of the Technical University of Munich
, which named a building at the Mechanical engineering faculty after Kuenheim.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
industrial manager. He was, between 1970 and 1993, Chairman of the executive board (effectively CEO) of the BMW Group.
Biography
Kuenheim was born in JudittenJudyty, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
Judyty is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Sępopol, within Bartoszyce County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia...
near Bartenstein, (East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
). His father died of a riding accident in 1935, his mother died in a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
camp after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Kuenheim fled the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in early 1945 and was evacuated
Evacuation of East Prussia
The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region between 20 January, and March 1945, as part of the evacuation of German civilians towards the end of World War II...
via Pillau to Western Germany in March 1945 throughout the Operation Hannibal
Operation Hannibal
Operation Hannibal was a German military operation involving the evacuation by sea of German troops and civilians from Courland, East Prussia, and the Polish Corridor from mid-January to May, 1945 as the Red Army advanced during the East Prussian and East Pomeranian Offensives and subsidiary...
.
He studied Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
until 1954 at the Technical University of Stuttgart and joined the Quandt Group
Herbert Quandt
Herbert Werner Quandt , was a German industrialist who is regarded as having saved BMW when it was at the point of bankruptcy and made huge profit in doing so.- Early life :...
, BMW's largest shareholder since 1959, in 1965.
On 1 January 1970 Kuenheim became the CEO of the BMW Group, when BMW had 23,000 employees. A number that had risen to 71,000 when he stepped down in 1993. Kuenheim "transformed BMW from a small, unfocused manufacturer of cars and motorcycles into a world performance luxury icon"
After Bernd Pischetsrieder
Bernd Pischetsrieder
Dr. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder is a German automobile engineer and manager.He was born in Munich, Bavaria, and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich from 1968 to 1972. He earned the degree of "Diplom-Ingenieur", and began his career at BMW in 1973 as a Production...
followed him as CEO, Kuenheim guided BMW's supervisory board until 1999. Today he's the head of BMW's Eberhard-von-Kuenheim-Foundation, he's an Honorary Senator of the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
, which named a building at the Mechanical engineering faculty after Kuenheim.