DB Schenker

Schenker: a name synonymous with logistics. But here, outside DB Schenker in Warsaw, the air crackles with a different kind of history. DB Schenker stands as a key player in modern logistics. Its reach extends globally. Yet, its Warsaw presence holds a unique significance, interwoven with Poland’s own complex narrative. DB Schenker, part of Deutsche Bahn, operates as a vital link in global supply chains. It manages the flow of goods for manufacturers, exporters, and importers of major brands. Its headquarters at Ul. Zwirki I Wigury 16C, Warsaw, serves as a central hub for its Polish operations. DB Schenker’s history takes a darker turn during World War II. Documents reveal its role in transporting looted goods from Nazi-occupied territories back to Germany. These operations spanned across Europe, from Athens to Lisbon, Oslo to Warsaw. The stolen goods enriched the German state and companies like Mannesmann, Rheinmetall, Siemens, and AEG. Even family businesses used Schenker, in cooperation with the Deutsche Reichsbahn, to transport forced laborers and plundered resources from Eastern Europe. Schenker’s activities extended beyond Europe. It played a part in Germany’s arms trade, supplying weapons to China and supporting Franco’s coup in Spain. As the war progressed and the Eastern Front crumbled, Schenker’s operations intensified. It facilitated the transport of livestock and grain from occupied Poland, even as the Soviet Army advanced. DB Schenker’s Warsaw office played a pivotal role in documenting these plundered resources, typing up shipping orders for goods destined for Berlin. Today, DB Schenker’s role in global logistics stands in stark contrast to this shadowy past. The company’s modern operations represent a world vastly different from the wartime era. Yet, understanding this history provides a deeper context to DB Schenker’s presence here in Warsaw.