How did Wolfsburg, home to Volkswagen, become a city built on slave labour and Nazi involvement?
This episode explores the dark origins of Wolfsburg, the German city synonymous with Volkswagen. Host Gavin Green narrates this historical account, with Jez Medinger providing the voiceover. The story connects automotive history to World War II, slave labor, and key 20th-century figures.
The city's name derives from a 13th-century castle whose coat of arms featured a leaping wolf. Wolfsburg's central location with canal and rail links made it a strategic industrial site. Adolf Hitler personally confirmed the project and laid the foundation stone in a 1938 ceremony.
The narrative details the factory's rapid completion just 15 months later in August 1939. It identifies the protagonists as a notorious dictator, a famous sports car name, a British major, and a leading German industrialist. The city's primary tourist attraction is now the Autostadt, a Volkswagen-themed museum and park.
The original castle remains a key cultural landmark, though overshadowed by the automotive complex. The episode describes the site's selection east of the small town of Fallersleben. Hitler's involvement began with his opening of the 1937 Berlin Motor Show.
The foundation ceremony is noted for its prominent swastika displays. The factory's activation is directly linked to the timing of the war. The account positions this chapter as the darkest in the series on automotive cities.
The tone is educational and narrative, presenting a historical documentary through direct storytelling. The style is serious and factual, focusing on chronological events and their broader implications.
Listeners interested in World War II history and the moral complexities of industrial giants will find this episode compelling. Those seeking lighthearted automotive content or technical car discussions might prefer to skip it.
