1937-1945

The "Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH" is founded on 28 May 1937, and is renamed "Volkswagenwerk GmbH" on 16 September 1938. At the beginning of 1938, construction of the Volkswagen plant gets underway in today's Wolfsburg; here, the vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche is to be built.

During the Second World War, the Volkswagen plant is converted to armament production for the German armed forces. Approximately 20,000 forced laborers, prisoners of war, and later also concentration camp inmates are among those working there.

Bearing in mind the events of that time VOLKSWAGEN AG set up a humanitarian fund in September 1998 for the benefit of forced laborers, who worked at the Volkswagen Company of that period during the Second World War. Up to the end of 2001, more than 2,050 individuals from 26 states received a humanitarian payment. In addition, the "Place of Remembrance of Forced Labor in the Volkswagen Factory" was built with the participation of Volkswagen apprentices at the Wolfsburg plant.

In February 1999 VOLKSWAGEN AG belonged to the founding members of "Stiftungsinitiative der deutschen Wirtschaft" (German Economy Foundation Initiative Steering Group), which was the predecessor of the Bundesstiftung "Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft" (German Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and the Future) to compensate former forced laborers.