Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Reinhold Würth

Born on April 20, 1935 in Öhringen, Reinhold Würth joined the company in 1949 as second employee and first apprentice of his father's wholesale screw trade in Künzelsau.

In 1994, Reinhold Würth retired from operative management of the Würth Group and took over the chair of the company's Advisory Board. On March 1st, 2006, his daughter Bettina Würth became his successor in this position. Reinhold Würth continues to be the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Family Trusts.

During his professional career, Reinhold Würth has devoted himself to the study of psychological issues such as staff motivation, management culture and professional ethics. Apart from this he has been showing enormous commitment to the fields of art and culture. His passion for collecting art started with the purchase of a watercolor by Emil Nolde in the 1960s. Meanwhile, Reinhold Würth has put together an important collection of more than 8,000 artworks, amongst them paintings, drawings and sculptures by Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Alfred Hrdlicka, Markus Lüpertz and Christo.

At the end of 1991, the committed patron of the arts and culture opened his collection to the public in a separate museum in the wake of the official opening of the new corporate headquarters in Künzelsau-Gaisbach. The museum of modern art of the 20th and 21st centuries integrated in the corporate headquarters is always open to staff and public likewise and presents three to four changing exhibitions every year. With Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch Hall opened in May 2001, Reinhold Würth created another attractive forum for his collection. Public recognition of his business achievements as well as his particular commitment to art and society is reflected in many decorations and memberships.

Reinhold Würth is involved in different advisory boards, boards of trustees and is a member of many clubs and associations (amongst others, he is chairman of the Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Württembergischen Landesmuseums e.V., chairman of the citizens' action group Pro Region Heilbronn-Franken). The enthusiastic pilot (license as professional pilot/ATPL) and motorcyclist (Harley-Davidson) is married, to his wife, Carmen, with children, Marion, Bettina und Markus.

Until the end of the summer semester 2003, Prof. Reinhold Würth headed the Interdisciplinary Institute of Entrepreneurship at the University of Karlsruhe. Reinhold Würth is honorary doctor and honorary senator of the University of Tübingen and was awarded both the Great Distinguished Service Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Medal of Merit of the state of Baden-Württemberg. In 1997, he was made freeman of the city of Erstein (France). In recognition of outstanding merits and commitment to the spreading and communication of French art and culture, Reinhold Würth was presented the order Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French ministry of education and cultural affairs in March 2000. Carmen and Reinhold Würth were also given the freedom of the city of Künzelsau in April 2003 in appreciation of their commitment to society and culture. In March 2004, Reinhold Würth was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor, in April of that year, the Ludwig-Erhard-Foundation Bonn awarded him the Ludwig-Erhard-Medal in recognition of his commitment to the free market economy. In May 2004, Reinhold Würth was admitted to the Business Hall of Fame (following an initiative by manager magazin and Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bonn). In June 2004, Reinhold Würth received the German Founders' Prize in Berlin as lifetime achievement award. With this award the StartUp-partners stern, the savings banks, McKinsey & Company as well as the ZDF honor businesses in the different stages of their successful existence – from concept to lifetime achievement. In 2005 Prof. Reinhold Würth was bestowed the honorary senator dignity of the University of Stuttgart. The same year as a result of a royal decision, Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth was appointed officier at the royal order of Orania-Nassau. For his manifold cultural activities in Palermo the entrepreneur was awarded an honorary doctorate in art history and museography by the University of Palermo in May 2007. In November 2007, Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth was given the honorary doctorate by the University of Louisville (Kentucky, USA) for his exemplary commitment to business, public service, and cultural enrichment.

As of: 10/2008

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