Talk: Ivan Hirst - The Englishman who made Volkswagen part of the German economic miracle

Anmeldung möglich

Ivan Hirst was a British officer, who was put in charge of the Volkswagen works after the end of WW II. He stayed for almost four years and took a great part in altering the original intentions of dismantling the factory into turning it into a fully operational car plant, till it was finally handed over to German management. Thus, he played a major role in laying the foundations of an important player in the German economy. His story is that of a very interesting life in difficult times.
Volker Köster was born in Duisburg in 1957. He studied English and history at Duisburg University and Sheffield City Polytechnic from 1977 to 1983. After working in the car trade for 35 years he is now retired. Being enthusiastic about cars from his childhood, the history of the motor car as well as the car industry are still among his special interests. He is a committee member of the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft Ruhr.