SCHAEFFER, HANS

SCHAEFFER, HANS (1886–1967), German government official. Born in Breslau, Schaeffer began to practice law in 1912. He served with the German armed forces during World War i and, when demobilized early in 1919, was appointed to the German Ministry of Economic Affairs. At first engaged in drafting the economic provisions of the Weimar Constitution, he was promoted in 1923 to undersecretary and shifted to international economic affairs. German reparations became his principal field. In 1929, during the beginnings of the world economic depression, he joined the Ministry of Finance, where he became instrumental in overcoming the German banking crisis and relieving Germany of its war debt. In 1932 he left government service to become president of the *Ullstein publishing house, but in 1933 the Nazi government forced his dismissal. Subsequently he worked together with Allen Dulles and Jean Monnet on the liquidation of the Swedish Kreuger Match Combine, and in 1936 he became the Combine's adviser and moved to Sweden, where he lived until his death. Schaeffer took an interest in Jewish affairs, particularly after Hitler's rise to power. He participated in the formation of the *Reichsvertretung der deutschen Juden and was in contact with the Jewish representatives at the *Evian Conference. Schaeffer kept a diary which represents an important source for German economic history from the 1920s to the 1960s.

bibliography:

S. Adler-Rudel, in: blbi, 10 (1967), 159–215; S. Kaznelson, Juden im deutschen Kulturbereich (1959), 582; New York Times (March 25, 1967), 23. add. bibliography: E. Wandel, Hans Schaeffer (1974).

[Joachim O. Ronall]