The Schufa Group, Germany’s leading credit reporting agency, has announced plans to comprehensively examine its historical connection to its Jewish founders. This initiative, timed to coincide with the company’s centennial anniversary, aims to shed light on a previously less-explored chapter of its past.
According to a statement released by Schufa spokesperson Tanja Panhans, the company intends to utilize its own extensive archives and collaborate with independent historians to meticulously document and analyze the events surrounding the founders’ experiences during the Nazi era. This undertaking is being framed as part of a broader “Schufa Transparency Initiative” signifying a commitment to openly addressing the company’s history and validating this narrative through an external, impartial perspective.
The Schufa Group, initially known as the “Schutzgemeinschaft für Absatzfinanzierung” (Protection Association for Credit Financing) was established in February 1927 by two Berlin brothers and a board member of the Berlin Municipal Utilities (Bewag). During the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933, Walter Meyer and Robert Kauffmann, both founders, were forced to relinquish their positions. Subsequently, in 1937, Kurt Meyer was dismissed from his role as managing director due to his Jewish faith and subsequently fled to Argentina.
The planned historical exploration aims to detail the circumstances of this period and its impact on the founding members and the nascent organization. The company emphasizes the importance of a detailed and unbiased account as a means of acknowledging its history.
