Walther Rathenau

Born in Berlin in 1867, Walther Rathenau was the son of Emil Rathenau, founder of the electrical giant AEG. He trained in science and engineering, then became an industrialist in his own right while also building a reputation as an essayist and thinker interested in modern society, economics, and culture.

During the First World War, he helped organize Germany's raw materials administration, a major effort to manage wartime shortages. After the war he entered politics in the Weimar Republic, serving as minister of reconstruction and then as foreign minister, where he played a central role in rebuilding Germany's international position.

Rathenau was also one of the most prominent Jewish public figures in Germany, and his career unfolded in a climate of intense nationalism and antisemitism. In 1922, only months after becoming foreign minister, he was assassinated in Berlin by right-wing extremists. His life is remembered as a striking mix of business leadership, intellectual ambition, and democratic public service.