Carl Hahn Obituary
Aria Murphy
Published Jan 05, 2026
Carl Hahn was a German businessman and former head of the Volkswagen Group from 1982 to 1993. Carl Hahn died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, 14 January 2023 at the age of 96.
This was confirmed by a DPA news agency spokeswoman for the Hahn Foundation. The former manager’s death had previously been reported in the media.
According to information from the world, the funeral service will take place on January 24 in Wolfsburg.
Carl Hahn grew up in the German state of Saxony, near Chemnitz. His father was a senior manager at the German car and motorcycle manufacturer DKW and a co-founder of the Auto Union in 1932, which later became the Audi car brand.
He studied business administration at the Universities of Cologne and Zurich, as well as economics and politics in the United Kingdom and France.
Hahn received his doctorate in Economics from the University of Berne to volunteer in Perugia for a year to study art history to volunteer at Fiat.
Hahn began his career at Volkswagen in 1954 as Head of Export Promotion. He led VW’s American division from 1959 to 1964.
Carl Horst Hahn served as the chairman of the board of management of the parent company, Volkswagen AG (formerly Volkswagenwerk AG).