Bücher: „Dreihundert Männer“ gewinnt den Deutschen Wirtschaftsbuchpreis

Konstantin Richter won the Deutsche Wirtschaftsbuchpreis 2026 for his book "Dreihundert Männer. Aufstieg und Fall der Deutschland AG". The jury chose this book as the best economic work of the year, describing how a few dozen men shaped German industry from around 1870 to the mid-1900s. These men, including former Deutsche Bank CEO Alfred Herrhausen and BERTELSMANN CEO Thomas Middelhoff, formed a tightly-knit network of banks and industrial companies.

Richter's book provides both a historical description and an analysis of problems in the present. He sees the end of the Deutschland AG as a cultural progress, but also a void that followed. The Deutsche Wirtschaftsbuchpreis celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, presented by the Handelsblatt, the Frankfurter Buchmesse, Goldman Sachs, and the R+V Versicherung.

Jury chair Hans-Jürgen Jakobs noted a trend towards historical books in recent years, stating that books help find orientation and draw lessons for the present in a complex world. The Deutsche Wirtschaftsbuchpreis, launched in 2007 under the motto "Understand Economics", aims to explain economic connections clearly and promote understanding of economics among the general public.

The jury selected Richter's book from a shortlist of ten titles out of over 80 submissions from major German-language publishers. Richter's book is chosen for being an excellently told story that comprehensively covers an important topic without being overloaded, according to Jakobs. The book approaches the subject with the journalist's detached view and the writer's empathetic language.

Richter connects the stories, fates, and developments of managers and their companies in a kaleidoscope of the second half of the 20th century, similar to the words spoken by former German Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau about "300 men" who shaped the economic destiny. Richter concludes that the culture of the Deutschland AG was exclusively negative.

The jury president reflected that over the 20 years of the Deutsche Wirtschaftsbuchpreis, fundamental books on the economy and capitalism have been awarded, but their focus has changed with world events, recently focusing on digital and geopolitical issues.