Hanns Martin Schleyer ( ; 1 May 1915 – 18 October 1977 ) was a German business executive and employer and industry representative , who served as President of two powerful commercial organizations , the Confederation of German Employers ' Associations ( '' Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände '' , BDA ) and the Federation of German Industries ( '' Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie '' , BDI ) . Schleyer 's role in those business organisations , his positions in the labour disputes and aggressive appearance on television , his conservative anti-communist views and position as a prominent member of the Christian Democratic Union , and his past as an enthusiastic member of the Nazi student movement made him a target for radical elements of the German student movement in the 1970s . He was kidnapped on 5 September 1977 by the far left Red Army Faction ( '' Rote Armee Fraktion '' , RAF ) and subsequently murdered ; his driver and police escort of three policemen were also murdered when his car was ambushed . The German government decided to not negotiate with terrorists . The abduction and murder are commonly seen as the climax of the RAF campaign in 1977 , known as the German Autumn . After his death Schleyer has been extensively honoured in Germany ; the Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize , the Hanns Martin Schleyer Foundation and the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle are named in his honour . In 2017 German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German government marked the 40th anniversary of the kidnapping
was kidnapped
Kidnapping and murder of Hanns-Martin Schleyer
Hanns Martin Schleyer