  friedrich flick (born 10 july 1883 in ernsdorf, siegerland; died 20 july 1972 in constance) was a german industrialist, a member of the flick industrial family, the richest person in west germany during the cold war and one of the richest people in the world at the time of his death in 1972. he initially built a fortune during world war i and became extremely wealthy during the weimar republic, establishing a major industrial conglomerate in the coal and steel industries. despite being found guilty in the nuremberg flick trial, he quickly became one of west germany's richest people by the 1950s and the largest shareholder of daimler-benz. he was awarded numerous honours, including the grand cross with star and sash of the order of merit of the federal republic of germany in 1963 and the bavarian order of merit, and was an honorary senator of the technical university of berlin. at the time of his death, his industrial conglomerate encompassed 330 companies and around 300,000 employees. his heirs were his son friedrich karl flick and his grandson friedrich christian flick, who established the modern art gallery friedrich christian flick collection. thumb|300px|friedrich flick (no. 3 from left, front) == further reading == * thomas ramge: die flicks. eine deutsche familiengeschichte um geld, macht und politik. campus-verlag, frankfurt am main 2004, isbn 3-593-37404-8. * gÃ¼nter ogger: friedrich flick der grosse. 3. auflage. scherz verlag, bern-mÃ¼nchen-wien 1971. * kim christian priemel: flick - eine konzerngeschichte vom kaiserreich bis zur bundesrepublik. wallstein verlag, gÃ¶ttingen 2007, isbn 3-8353-0219-1. * norbert frei, ralf ahrens, jÃ¶rg osterloh, tim schanetzky: flick. der konzern. die familie. die macht. blessing verlag, mÃ¼nchen 2009, isbn 978-3-89667-400-5    it:flick
1883_births 1972_deaths Businesspeople_in_steel Flick_family German_businesspeople German_people_convicted_of_crimes_against_humanity Grand_Crosses_with_Star_and_Sash_of_the_Order_of_Merit_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany Members_of_the_Bavarian_Order_of_Merit Nazis People_convicted_by_the_United_States_Nuremberg_Military_Tribunals People_from_Kreuztal