Peter E. Fäßler

Streitobjekt „Warenzeichen“. Deutsch-deutscher Wettbewerb um Tradition, Vertrauen und Legitimation

High valued trade marks are very important for the economic success of a company and represent an essential part of their goodwill. So sequestration of trade marks belonging to German companies during World War II in foreign countries meant a heavy strike against their post war export chances. In the early 1950s, when some hundred of trade marks, among them famous ones like “Carl Zeiss” or “Agfa”, were offered to the former owner, private companies from West Germany claimed the proprietary rights as well as eponymous VEB from the GDR. This essay enlightens the historical genesis of these rivalries. Furthermore it discusses the economical, political and juristical reasons for the failure of East German companies in claiming the contested trade marks, even in allied states. Finally the argumentation shows that it was not least the socialist regime in the GDR, which lost the competition for tradition, trust and legitimation.

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