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Betriebliche Wohnungspolitik im fordistischen Zeitalter
Das Volkswagenwerk in Wolfsburg und Automobiles Peugeot in Sochaux von 1944 bis 1979

Autor: Ute Engelen
Jahr: 2010, Heftnummer: 2, Seite(n): 180-203

The «Wirtschaftswunder» or the «Trente Glorieuses» is often ascribed to the establishment of Fordism, the regime of accumulation which is said to have dominated business and society until the 1970’s. This article examines to what extent the funding of housing by the automobile manufacturers Volkswagen and Peugeot was marked by Fordist elements, such as the subsidisation of privately owned homes. As housing shortages prevailed in Wolfsburg and Sochaux, while the employment increased sharply, the companies engaged in the construction of residential homes and tenements. Therefore they contracted non-profit building companies they controlled; the works councils’ influence remained at a minimum. Since the 60’s, these automobile manufacturers have increasingly subsidised the construction of family homes for their employees, who could afford more and more their own accommodation due to the rise in real wages. As a result, it can be seen that Volkswagen’s and Peugeot’s housing commitment was rather a reaction to corporate need than the systematic implementation of Fordist policy.