   hanns martin schleyer (1 may 1915 â 18 october 1977) was a german business executive and employer and industry representative, who served as president of two powerful commercial organizations, confederation of german employers' associations (bundesvereinigung der deutschen arbeitgeberverbÃ¤nde, bda) and federation of german industries (bundesverband der deutschen industrie, bdi). he was targeted as an enemy by radical elements of the german student movement due to his role in those business organisations and his past activities as an officer of the nazi ss. he was kidnapped on september 5, 1977 by the far left organisation red army faction (rote armee fraktion, raf) and subsequently murdered. 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 honoured in germany; the hanns martin schleyer prize, the hanns martin schleyer foundation and the hanns-martin-schleyer-halle are named in his honour. == early life == born in offenburg, baden, schleyer came from a national-conservative family. his father was a judge and his great-great uncle was johann martin schleyer, a renowned catholic priest who invented the volapÃ¼k language. hanns martin schleyer started studying law at the university of heidelberg in 1933, where he joined the corps suevia, a student fraternity. in 1939 he obtained a doctorate at the university of innsbruck. very early in his life he became a follower of national socialism. after a stint in the 
1915_births 1977_deaths Assassinated_German_people Deaths_by_firearm_in_France German_murder_victims German_people_taken_hostage Kidnapped_German_people Kidnapped_businesspeople Murdered_businesspeople People_from_Offenburg People_from_the_Grand_Duchy_of_Baden SS-UntersturmfA 1/4 hrer Terrorist_incidents_in_1977 Victims_of_the_Red_Army_Faction