Honoring a Pioneer: FDTech and the Legacy of Carl Hahn in Chemnitz

From Automotive Pioneer to Technology Pioneer

Carl Hahn shaped the automotive world like few others. As former CEO of the Volkswagen Group, he thought ahead, took bold decisions, and understood that progress requires both vision and the courage to act on it.

It is precisely this spirit that connects a pioneer like Carl Hahn with a technology company like FDTech. Where Hahn advanced the automobile of his era, we work today on the mobility of tomorrow – on autonomous driving and the software that makes it real. The technologies have changed; the mindset has not. Innovation, long-term thinking, and the will to shape mobility rather than merely follow it remain the common thread. Honoring Hahn's legacy in Chemnitz is, for us, also a way of affirming the path we are on.

A Garden Brought to Life – Together

The grand opening of the Carl Hahn Garden took place in the presence of Mayor Sven Schulze, Minister President Michael Kretschmer, the citizens of Chemnitz, and the family of Carl Horst Hahn.

FDTech GmbH, community4you AG, Saxony International School – Carl Hahn gGmbH, THE NSH GROUP (NILES-SIMMONS-HEGENSCHEIDT), and Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH – through their generous donations and the outstanding commitment of Chemnitz's Parks and Recreation Department – helped bring a piece of automotive history to life.

As part of this contribution, FDTech sponsored a bench in the newly designed garden – a small but lasting invitation for visitors to pause, reflect, and connect with the story this place tells.

Our involvement in the Carl Hahn Garden is part of a broader and lasting relationship with Volkswagen – one that is both content-driven and deeply rooted in our shared home of Chemnitz.

That connection also found creative expression: FDTech served as an impulse-giver for the new mural by Polish artist Mariusz Waras on the walls of the Chemnitz Volkswagen plant – a striking piece that brings art, industry, and the city's automotive identity together in the public space.

Alongside other prominent representatives of the Chemnitz business community, we were glad to support and accompany the commemorative festivities – a shared expression of gratitude and regional pride.

On July 1, 2026, Chemnitz's honorary citizen and former CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Prof. Dr. Carl Horst Hahn, would have turned 100.

The City of Chemnitz commemorated his life and work with numerous public events. In the presence of his children and other family members – some of whom traveled from the U.S. especially for the occasion – a grateful retrospective unfolded over two days at locations including Chemnitz City Hall, the #Petrikirche, and the Chemnitz Motor Works, where his achievements were honored.

A heartfelt thank you to the City of Chemnitz and to everyone else involved. It is a privilege to help keep the memory of a visionary alive – and to carry his pioneering spirit forward into the mobility of the future.