Hugo Boss: Historical ties to Nazi regime and forced labor

A historical study by Roman Köster, titled ‘Hugo Boss, 1924–1945: The History of a Clothing Factory Between Weimar Republic and Third Reich’, examines the company’s connection to the Nazi regime.

Founded in 1924 in Metzingen, Germany, the small clothing business faced severe financial difficulties and near bankruptcy during the Great Depression. In 1931, founder Hugo Ferdinand Boss joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Following this, the company began receiving orders for brown shirts intended for Nazi organizations, including the SA (Sturmabteilung).

The research also investigates the company’s use of 140 forced laborers during World War II. Although the study was funded by Hugo Boss in 2011, the company maintains that it did not intervene in the research or its content.