The Louwman Museum in The Hague, the Netherlands, has opened a permanent exhibition that highlights the development of the Volkswagen Beetle – strongly recognizing the contribution of Josef Ganz. The exhibition starts with the German economy car Hanomag Kommissbrot of the mid-1920s and continues with the Ganz-designed Standard Superior and Rapid “Swiss VW”. The accompanying timeline reads:
Jewish engineer and journalist Josef Ganz used the term ‘Volkswagen’ (people’s car) in the early 1930s, in his quest for an affordable car. Ganz published numerous technical solutions including rear-engined configuration, backbone chassis and swing arm suspension. His patents were used in the manufacture of the Standard Superior. Josef Ganz, banned from working in Germany in 1933, escaped Nazi persecution and fled to Switzerland where he later designed the Rapid prototype. Inspired by engineers like Ganz, Hitler ordered Ferdinand Porsche to design the KdF wagen (‘Strength Through Joy’ car).
