Hans Gerling (born June 6, 1915 in Cologne, † August 14, 1991) was a German businessman who headed the Gerling Konzern, one of Europe's largest insurance groups, from 1949 until his death. He was the second of three sons of Auguste, b. Hoffmeister and

Robert Gerling The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, founder of the Cologne-based Gerling insurance company. Hans Gerling joined the Gerling Konzern in 1937 and became CEO in 1949. After the death of Robert Gerling in 1935, management of the

Gerling-Konzern The Gerling-Konzern, also known as the Gerling Group, was an internationally operating Cologne-based multi-line insurance company that was taken over in April 2006 by the Hanover-based Talanx Group, brand name HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutsch ...

, which was the largest privately owned insurance company in Europe, passed first to Walter Forstreuter, then to Hans Gerling's brother Robert Gerling II, and finally, in 1939 when Robert Gerling II emigrated to the United States, to Hans Gerling. At the end of World War II, the US military government allowed the Gerling insurance company to reopen for business with Forstreuter at its head. On November 13, 1948 Forstreuter resigned from the chairmanship in favor of Hans Gerling, who became chairman of all Gerling companies in January 1949. Control of the Gerling insurance group sparked a long legal battle between the three brothers. A settlement provided that Hans Gerling and initially his brother Walter retained the German companies of the Gerling Group, Robert received DM 30 million as compensation and the Swiss and American companies. Hans Gerling initiated the construction of the Gerling skyscraper in Cologne Gereonsviertel, inviting sculptor

Arno Breker Arno Breker (19 July 1900 – 13 February 1991) was a German architect and sculptor who is best known for his public works in Nazi Germany, where they were endorsed by the authorities as the antithesis of degenerate art. He was made official ...

to participate in the design. It was completed on January 25, 1953. In 1954, Hans Gerling established Gerling-Konzern Globale Rückversicherungs-AG, an international reinsurance holding company, and Gerling Globale became the first German insurance company to expand overseas. Gerling founded on April 20, 1954, the Gerling Speziale Kreditversicherungs-AG, which initially operated credit, suretyship and fidelity insurance. After the departure of his youngest brother Walter, Hans Gerling took over in 1965 the sole management. Together with Herbert Quandt and

Emil Georg Bührle Emil Georg Bührle (31 August 1890 in Pforzheim – November 26, 1956 in Zürich) was a controversial German arms manufacturer, art collector and patron who emigrated to Switzerland. His art collection is now housed in the Foundation E.G. Bühr ...

, Hans Gerling financed Ivan David Herstatt's

Herstatt Bank Herstatt Bank (Bankhaus I.D. Herstatt K.G.a.A.) was a privately owned bank in the German city of Cologne. It went bankrupt on 26 June 1974, an event widely referred to as the Herstatt crisis. Herstatt's failure specifically highlighted the importa ...

, in which Gerling held a majority share. In 1974, enormous losses at the Herstatt Bank forced Hans Gerling to sell the Gerling insurance business. He later recovered control of the company, which is now run by his son Rolf Gerling. Hans Gerling was inducted into the

Insurance Hall of Fame The Insurance Hall of Fame, occasionally referred to as the International Insurance Hall of Fame, honors exceptional members of the insurance field. It was created in 1957 and is administered by the global nonprofit International Insurance Society ( ...

in 2000, alongside

Otto Von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of J ...

, one of only seven Germans to be so honored in the history of the industry. Books and films about Hans Gerling *Thoughts of an outstanding entrepreneur, book by Hans and Rolf Gerling * Dynastien in NRW: Gerling - das Geschäft mit der Sicherheit. WDR-Fernsehen *"Mahlzeit, Herr Direktor" by

Günther Wallraff Günther, Guenther, Ginther, Gunther, and the variants Günter, Guenter, Guenther, Ginter, and Gunter, are Germanic names derived from ''Gunthere, Gunthari'', composed of '' *gunþiz'' "battle" (Old Norse '' gunnr'') and ''heri, hari'' "army". Gu ...

: Steckbrief eines Unerwünschten Die lange Günter-Wallraff-Nacht , WDR Fernsehen

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerling, Hans Businesspeople from Cologne 1915 births 1991 deaths German financial businesspeople 20th-century German businesspeople