missing translation: fa.article-intro.reading-time – 11/10/2023
Family reunion at the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm: Julian Sparr, Sybille Daske and Martin Schneider (from left to right)
The four rings are considered an attractive, modern employer, not least due to the diverse and family-friendly corporate culture. That’s why entire families have been connected with the company for generations, especially in the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm regions. They’ve experienced and helped shape Audi’s successful history.
The Audi employee Martin Schneider, from Neckarsulm, is taking Audi’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the traditional NSU brand this year as a special occasion to share his family history. He and his relatives have been associated with Audi’s Neckarsulm location almost since it was founded. His family has been connected with the four rings for over six generations and more than 100 years – from his great-great-grandfather to his nephew.
A few black-and-white pictures, a photo book and his grandmother’s memories – Martin Schneider tracked down his family history in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the traditional NSU brand.
It all started with his great-great-grandfather, Friedrich Burkardt. When NSU Motorenwerke was founded, he was just five years old. It’s unclear when he joined the company as a metal worker, but Schneider’s grandmother can still remember that he commuted by bike from his home in Widdern to the plant in Neckarsulm every day – around 35 kilometers each way, taking a good hour and a half.
The great-grandfather Richard Emerich (middle) turned his passion into a profession and experienced NSU’s successes firsthand as a mechanic in motorsport.
The great-grandfather Richard Emerich (middle) turned his passion into a profession and experienced NSU’s successes firsthand as a mechanic in motorsport.
Under the motto “150 years as the engine of change: Audi Neckarsulm – a strong history, a strong future”, Audi is celebrating a special anniversary and bringing back memories. After all, the roots of the traditional NSU brand stretch back to 1873:
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Schneider himself works in maintenance, where he’s responsible for facilities in the car body construction plant for the Audi A4, A6 and A7 models. He’s been at Audi since 1997, and he can’t imagine a better job: “I have a really close connection with the company. It’s no wonder, since nearly everyone in my family has worked at Audi for a while at least once.”
The youngest generation of the family is represented by his nephew, Julian Sparr, who is currently completing his apprenticeship to become an IT specialist with a focus on digital connectivity. It’s an offering with which Audi is further aligning its training with the future-oriented field of digitalization. There’s a good chance that the family tradition will continue. Schneider’s four-year-old son is already showing active interest. “When we go visit his grandparents in Neckarsulm, he always knows exactly when the Audi plant is coming up,” Schneider said. “As far as I’m concerned, he can become whatever he wants later. But if he joined Audi, I’d be very happy.”
It’s not just Schneider’s family history that connects us. Audi is constantly creating opportunities for employees to meet up. For instance, around 40,000 visitors attended Audi Family Day in Neckarsulm in July under the motto “150 years as the engine of change”. Connections were strengthened at the Audi Family Festival as well. Under the motto “Experience Audi”, around 90,000 guests got to participate in a diverse program at the Ingolstadt, Münchsmünster and Neuburg locations at the beginning of October.
