61340 Vorabseiten_e - Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz

their intention was to sell the three businesses separately since they «could
provide a living for three German compatriots («Volksgenossen»)». 50 The decisive
factor, however, was that Schenk’s offer was suspected to be a front for an
attempted take-over by either Nestlé or Sarotti Berlin, which was a subsidiary
of the Swiss company. The provisional administrator of Altmann & Kühne
wrote to the authorities that, at the discussions held with Schenk, he had had
the impression that «the prospective buyer, party member Schenk, was not
acting for himself but on behalf of a firm from the «Altreich». As we Vienna
confectioners had no interest in Altmann being taken over by a firm from the
«Altreich», I have made enquiries about party member Schenk». For many years
Schenk «was employed by the subsidiary of the Swiss Nestlé-Gesellschaft AG»,
which has advanced him the sum of 170,000 reichsmarks to purchase Altmann
& Kühne. «As early as the beginning of April, I was aware that Sarotti
Berlin, which also belongs to Nestlé, was showing a good deal of interest in the
Altmann business. Under the present circumstances it would appear that party
member Schenk wants to buy Altmann on behalf of Nestlé». 51
At the end of August, the «Aryanisation Committee» («Arisierungskommission»)
decided to close one of the businesses and to sell the other two. Prospective
purchasers for one of the businesses were rejected because they did not have the
required know-how; the decision concerning Schenk was postponed since his
links with Nestlé were still considered unacceptable. Nestlé’s head office in
Switzerland was informed accordingly. At the beginning of September 1938,
the managing director told the board of directors that Altmann & Kühne’s most
favourably located salespoint should be bought for 100,000 reichsmarks, which
was considered a good price at the head office in Vevey. 52 Shortly afterwards,
however, the authorities decided to liquidate the whole company. It was only
when Schenk went to see them personally with his lawyer and explained that he
would not use Nestlé money but find funds elsewhere that he was granted
permission to acquire the business in November 1938.
Shortly after the end of the war, Hans Schenk wrote to Nestlé’s head office in
Switzerland with the intention of re-establishing the contact that had been lost.
In Vevey this caused consternation, especially since Hans Riggenbach, manager
of Sarotti Berlin, had been instrumental in 1938 in Schenk obtaining the funds
needed for the transaction from the Austrian Länderbank. Nestlé therefore had
not provided the funding itself, which would not have been acceptable, but had
helped Schenk obtain the necessary loan. At the same time, it was remembered
that, on his way to the USA in 1938, Emil Altmann had visited Nestlé in Vevey
and offered to sell his business for 30,000 francs. At the time, Nestlé refused his
offer with the excuse that the Nazi authorities would never approve a transaction
carried out in Switzerland and that any amount paid directly to Altmann
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