Obituary

As a pioneer of the modern plastics industry, he has left a significant legacy. He was an unflinching visionary who, with a passion for detail, dared to redefine the boundaries of the possible every day. The basic idea of his work – to generate new properties of products with innovative polymer materials – has improved the lives of many people. To this day, the pioneering spirit is both an inspiration and a challenge for our family-owned company.

Helmut Wagner was a courageous creator who was fearless in breaking new ground. His impressive entrepreneurial vision and the culture of values he lived by have shaped our company group since its foundation in 1948 in Rehau, Upper Franconia, Germany. He laid the stable foundation for what is today a global organization with 20,000 employees. Even as Honorary President, he followed the further development of our family-owned company, in which the third generation is now on board, with great interest. The company was always a matter close to his heart, and he stood up for it with great determination throughout his life. In doing so, he never put himself in the foreground, but always the employees. 

His relentless commitment and his endless enthusiasm for new things were just as characteristic of Helmut Wagner as his reliability and his down-to-earth approach, in business as well as in private matters. He was popular as an open-minded world citizen and critical spirit of the times and was a source of inspiration for many to the very end. 

We are deeply grateful for a caring father and an extraordinary entrepreneur. We will honor the memory of Helmut Wagner by resolutely continuing his impressive work. His entrepreneurial spirit will continue to guide us in the future. Our gratitude and all our respect go equally to his wife, our mother Irmgard Wagner, whose share in the success cannot be put into words.

Jobst Wagner, President of the Supervisory Board, and Dr. Veit Wagner, Vice President, on behalf of the Wagner family as well as the management and employees of the REHAU Group.