Hugo Boss (businessman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugo Boss
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Hugo Ferdinand Boss
8 July 1885 |
| Died | 9 August 1948 (aged 63) Metzingen, Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Allied-occupied Germany
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| Known for | Founding Hugo Boss Luxury clothing company |
| Political party | NSDAP (1931-1945) |
Hugo Ferdinand Boss (born July 8, 1885 – died August 9, 1948) was a German businessman. He started the famous fashion company Hugo Boss AG. This company is known for its stylish clothing today.
However, Hugo Boss was also a member of the Nazi Party from 1931 until the end of Nazi Germany in World War II. His company used forced labor during the war. These workers came from countries Germany had taken over and from prisoner-of-war camps. They made uniforms for Nazi groups like the SS and the Wehrmacht.
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Early Life of Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss was born in a town called Metzingen in Germany. He was the youngest of five children. When he was young, he learned to be a merchant, which is someone who trades goods.
From 1903 to 1905, he served in the military. After that, he worked in a weaving factory. In 1908, he took over his parents' shop in Metzingen. This shop sold lingerie. When World War I started in 1914, he joined the army again. He served as a corporal until the war ended.
Starting the Hugo Boss Company
In 1923, Hugo Boss started his own clothing company in Metzingen. He opened a factory in 1924 with two business partners. At first, his company made shirts and jackets. Later, they also made work clothes, sportswear, and raincoats.
In the 1930s, the company began making uniforms for many groups. These included the SA (also known as the "Brownshirts"), the SS, and the Hitler Youth. They also made uniforms for the postal service, the national railroad, and later the Wehrmacht (the German armed forces).
Hugo Boss and the Nazi Party
Hugo Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931. This was two years before Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany. By 1932, the black SS uniform was designed by others, not by Hugo Boss's company. However, his company produced these black SS uniforms. They also made the brown uniforms for the SA and the black-and-brown uniforms for the Hitler Youth.
During World War II, Hugo Boss's company used forced labor. Some of these workers were French and Polish prisoners of war. In 1999, lawyers representing people who survived the Holocaust took legal action against the Hugo Boss company. This was because of the use of forced labor during the war. The company later apologized for using about 140 Polish and 40 French forced workers.
After World War II, there was a process called "denazification" in Germany. This process aimed to remove Nazi influence from society. Hugo Boss was first called a "strong supporter and beneficiary" of the Nazi system. Because of this, he had to pay a large fine. He also lost his right to vote and to run a business.
However, he appealed this decision. He was then re-classified as a "follower," which meant a less severe punishment. Even so, the ban on him running the company meant his son-in-law, Eugen Holy, took over the business.
Death of Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss died in 1948. He was 63 years old. He passed away from a tooth infection in Württemberg-Hohenzollern, which was part of Allied-occupied Germany at the time.
See also
In Spanish: Hugo Ferdinand Boss para niños
