Six generations: Audi writes family history
The four rings are considered an attractive, modern employer, not least due to the diverse and family-friendly corporate culture. That’s why entire families have been connected with the company for generations, especially in the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm regions. They’ve experienced and helped shape Audi’s successful history.
The Audi employee Martin Schneider, from Neckarsulm, is taking Audi’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the traditional NSU brand this year as a special occasion to share his family history. He and his relatives have been associated with Audi’s Neckarsulm location almost since it was founded. His family has been connected with the four rings for over six generations and more than 100 years – from his great-great-grandfather to his nephew.
Origins of the Audi family history with Friedrich Burkardt
A few black-and-white pictures, a photo book and his grandmother’s memories – Martin Schneider tracked down his family history in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the traditional NSU brand.
It all started with his great-great-grandfather, Friedrich Burkardt. When NSU Motorenwerke was founded, he was just five years old. It’s unclear when he joined the company as a metal worker, but Schneider’s grandmother can still remember that he commuted by bike from his home in Widdern to the plant in Neckarsulm every day – around 35 kilometers each way, taking a good hour and a half.
Motorsport and love: Emerich shapes Audi family history
Motorsport and love: Emerich shapes Audi family history
Schneider’s great-grandfather, Richard Emerich, is said to have been a passionate motorsport fan. Born shortly after the turn of the century, he worked as a mechanic in the field of motorsport and supported the legendary world record races at the Great Salt Lake in Utah and at the Lausitzring, among other places. Emerich even met his future wife, Margarete, while on assignment in Lusatia.
Looking back on 150 years of Neckarsulm
Under the motto “150 years as the engine of change: Audi Neckarsulm – a strong history, a strong future”, Audi is celebrating a special anniversary and bringing back memories. After all, the roots of the traditional NSU brand stretch back to 1873:
- 1873: Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll found Mechanische Werkstätte Schmidt & Stoll for the production of knitting machines in Riedlingen on the Danube.
- 1880: The company relocates to Neckarsulm.
- 1906: The production of automobiles begins with the “Original Neckarsulmer Motorwagen”.
- 1945: The plant is partially destroyed in World War II; production gradually resumes beginning in mid-1945.
- 1969: NSU Motorenwerke AG and Auto Union GmbH merge to become AUDI NSU AUTO UNION AG with headquarters in Neckarsulm; the majority shareholder is Volkswagen AG.
- 1974/75: The site is threatened with closure during the oil crisis. In the legendary March on Heilbronn in April 1975, employees successfully fight to save the plant.
- 2011: Audi acquires a 23-hectare plot at the Böllinger Höfe industrial park in Heilbronn (more space is acquired in 2014 and 2018).
- 2013: Audi Neckarsulm receives the J.D. Power Award as the Best Production Plant in Europe.
- 2022: Optimizing production for electromobility: Existing buildings are modernized; construction starts on a new paint shop and assembly hall.
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.jpg?imwidth=1920&imdensity=1 "Unveiled: Schneider’s grandfather, Walter Emerich (second from right), worked with his colleagues on the NSU “Max-Kabine” prototype.")
Unveiled: Schneider’s grandfather, Walter Emerich (second from right), worked with his colleagues on the NSU “Max-Kabine” prototype.
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.jpg?imwidth=1920&imdensity=1 "Walter Emerich helped produce the three-wheeled “Max-Kabine” scooter in 1953.")
Walter Emerich helped produce the three-wheeled “Max-Kabine” scooter in 1953.
Model carpenter embodies Audi tradition and solidarity
Model carpenter embodies Audi tradition and solidarity
Schneider’s grandfather, Walter Emerich, born in 1935, joined NSU as a model carpenter after World War II and later worked as a model maker. His father, Armin Schneider, born in 1955, was hired as an industrial electrician under the company name AUDI NSU AUTO UNION AG.
Schneider’s mother, Sibylle Daske, née Emerich, spent several years working as a sales clerk at the Audi Shop before recently retiring. Schneider even met his wife, Isabell, at Audi back when she worked in production. “We didn’t find out until later that my father was one of her trainers,” Schneider said. Today, his wife works as a group leader in the same department as him.
Family tradition and meetups: Audi creates connections
Schneider himself works in maintenance, where he’s responsible for facilities in the car body construction plant for the Audi A4, A6 and A7 models. He’s been at Audi since 1997, and he can’t imagine a better job: “I have a really close connection with the company. It’s no wonder, since nearly everyone in my family has worked at Audi for a while at least once.”
The youngest generation of the family is represented by his nephew, Julian Sparr, who is currently completing his apprenticeship to become an IT specialist with a focus on digital connectivity. It’s an offering with which Audi is further aligning its training with the future-oriented field of digitalization. There’s a good chance that the family tradition will continue. Schneider’s four-year-old son is already showing active interest. “When we go visit his grandparents in Neckarsulm, he always knows exactly when the Audi plant is coming up,” Schneider said. “As far as I’m concerned, he can become whatever he wants later. But if he joined Audi, I’d be very happy.”
It’s not just Schneider’s family history that connects us. Audi is constantly creating opportunities for employees to meet up. For instance, around 40,000 visitors attended Audi Family Day in Neckarsulm in July under the motto “150 years as the engine of change”. Connections were strengthened at the Audi Family Festival as well. Under the motto “Experience Audi”, around 90,000 guests got to participate in a diverse program at the Ingolstadt, Münchsmünster and Neuburg locations at the beginning of October.
