Max Auschnitt

Auschnitt and fiancée Miss Leonora Brooke (daughter of White Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke), in 1932

Max Auschnitt, also known as Ausschnitt, Auschnit or Aușnit (February 14, 1888 – 1959), was a Romanian industrialist and rival of Nicolae Malaxa, who played an important role before World War II. Together with Aristide Blank and Malaxa, he was one of the major businessmen present in King Carol II's camarilla.^[1] He was managing director of the Iron Domains and Factory (UDR) of Reşiţa, the largest stock company that existed in Romania before the establishment of the communist regime.

Born in Galaţi city to Jewish Romanian parents, he graduated from the Academy for Advanced Studies in Vienna. He was president of the General Association of Industry of Banat, Vice General of the Union of Industrialists of Romania and Senator at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Galați.

Auschnitt managed UDR successfully, leading it to become the Romanian firm with the largest capital (1 billion lei), the highest turnover and the most employees (16,669 in 1938, and 22,892 in 1948). Together with his brother Edgar Ausnit (d. 1968), he owned several steel and munitions businesses including the Titan-Nădrag-Călan chain, which had over 4,900 employees in 1938. He was among the managers of various foreign companies in Vienna or Munich, as well as of Romanian-based companies such as the Romanian Telephone Society and the Chrissoveloni Bank. He left Romania during the World War II, eventually retreating into the United States, where he died. All Ausnit property was confiscated by the wartime antisemitic and fascist regimes, and later nationalized by the communist regime.

References

2. Burton Hersh, The Old Boys, 2001, p. 106