The Vampire Economy: Doing Business Under Fascism

In "The Vampire Economy," Günter Reimann pulls back the curtain on business life under Nazi fascism, revealing a world where entrepreneurial freedom vanishes beneath bureaucratic control. Written in 1939 from firsthand observations, this short examines how totalitarian economic policy transforms independent businessmen into servants of the state. Reimann shows how price controls, raw material restrictions, and arbitrary regulations create a business environment where corruption becomes necessary for survival and the "contact man" replaces traditional business roles. This short documents the hollowing of financial institutions and weaponization of trade policies. Reimann's work provides a warning about how authoritarian regimes can maintain the appearance of private property while emptying it of meaning — creating an economic system where businessmen bear all risks while the state claims all benefits.