overwhelming that curiosity inevitably tempts one to ‘have a stab at’ Robert’s
entitlement, and establish just how ‘generous’, (Chirnside, 1977, Chap. 1)
Haber’s arrangement with him really was. Throughout this simplistic financial analysis, the influence of issues such as taxation, costs of money
exchange/transfer, and the such, can, at best, only be approximated, as
Haber’s financial matters are notoriously difficult to penetrate. Robert Le
Rossignol was still in receipt of monies from Haber after the war but the
situation then became even more confused, although we try to address aspects
of this in the next chapter. The simplest way to approach our estimate is to
firstly establish Haber’s gross income from the BASF over the period 1915–
1917 for Robert’s remuneration would have been entirely dependent on this
amount.
The Oppau plant went into production on 09 September 1913 producing
ammonium sulfate. Its first full year of production therefore was 1914.
Together with the sister plant at Leuna, production of synthetic ammonia
continued throughout the war and beyond. Payments to Haber can be
determined from the royalty levels (Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia) that applied at
each annual interval. Szöllössi-Janze
74 quotes accurate figures on production
and gross payments from 1915 to 1919, viz.;
In 1915 Haber received 262,726 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
17,515,054 kg ammonia produced.
In 1916 he received 983,814 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
65,587,621 kg ammonia produced.
In 1917 he received 1,415,643 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
94,376,188 kg ammonia produced.
In 1918 he received 931,070 Marks @ 0.8 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
116,383,750 kg ammonia produced.
In 1919 he received 555,464 Marks @ 0.8 Pfennig kg
−1 ammonia from
69,433,000 kg ammonia produced.
The royalty rate of 1.5 Pfennig kg
−1 was reduced by Mayer in 1918 to 0.8
Pfennig kg
−1 to draw attention away from Haber because of the fear that the
Allies or the Reich would try and confiscate his wealth, the balance was to be
recovered from the BASF later.
75 The data shows that from 1915 to 1917
Haber’s gross royalties amounted to 2,662,183 Marks, reducing
to *2,610,000 Marks if we make some adjustment to account for the
endowment fund at Karlsruhe (Chap. 7). These earnings represent a colossal
amount of money and Germany at the time lacked a unified income tax base,
the various Federal States acting independently in this respect. However, the
First World War cost Germany 160 billion Marks. Between 1914–1918 only
14 Robert’s War 1914–1918
305
entitlement, and establish just how ‘generous’, (Chirnside, 1977, Chap. 1)
Haber’s arrangement with him really was. Throughout this simplistic financial analysis, the influence of issues such as taxation, costs of money
exchange/transfer, and the such, can, at best, only be approximated, as
Haber’s financial matters are notoriously difficult to penetrate. Robert Le
Rossignol was still in receipt of monies from Haber after the war but the
situation then became even more confused, although we try to address aspects
of this in the next chapter. The simplest way to approach our estimate is to
firstly establish Haber’s gross income from the BASF over the period 1915–
1917 for Robert’s remuneration would have been entirely dependent on this
amount.
The Oppau plant went into production on 09 September 1913 producing
ammonium sulfate. Its first full year of production therefore was 1914.
Together with the sister plant at Leuna, production of synthetic ammonia
continued throughout the war and beyond. Payments to Haber can be
determined from the royalty levels (Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia) that applied at
each annual interval. Szöllössi-Janze
74 quotes accurate figures on production
and gross payments from 1915 to 1919, viz.;
In 1915 Haber received 262,726 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
17,515,054 kg ammonia produced.
In 1916 he received 983,814 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
65,587,621 kg ammonia produced.
In 1917 he received 1,415,643 Marks @ 1.5 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
94,376,188 kg ammonia produced.
In 1918 he received 931,070 Marks @ 0.8 Pfennigs kg
−1 ammonia from
116,383,750 kg ammonia produced.
In 1919 he received 555,464 Marks @ 0.8 Pfennig kg
−1 ammonia from
69,433,000 kg ammonia produced.
The royalty rate of 1.5 Pfennig kg
−1 was reduced by Mayer in 1918 to 0.8
Pfennig kg
−1 to draw attention away from Haber because of the fear that the
Allies or the Reich would try and confiscate his wealth, the balance was to be
recovered from the BASF later.
75 The data shows that from 1915 to 1917
Haber’s gross royalties amounted to 2,662,183 Marks, reducing
to *2,610,000 Marks if we make some adjustment to account for the
endowment fund at Karlsruhe (Chap. 7). These earnings represent a colossal
amount of money and Germany at the time lacked a unified income tax base,
the various Federal States acting independently in this respect. However, the
First World War cost Germany 160 billion Marks. Between 1914–1918 only
14 Robert’s War 1914–1918
305