Editing Hermann Josef Abs (section)

==Post-War Career and Economic Reconstruction==
After the war, Abs played a central role in West Germany’s “economic miracle.” In 1948, he became deputy supervisory board chairman of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), which distributed [[Marshall Plan]] funds to rebuild German industry. The Marshall Plan funds were used to set up the extensive stay behind units of [[Operation Gladio]] and led by [[Allen Dulles]] and the [[Gehlen Organization]], later the West Germany's BND (CIA's counterpart).

As head of the German delegation to the London Debt Conference (1951–1953), he negotiated the London Debt Agreement, halving Germany’s foreign debts and restoring its creditworthiness, a cornerstone of economic recovery. In 1952, Abs rejoined Deutsche Bank, initially at its Süddeutsche Bank subsidiary, becoming spokesman of the managing board in 1957 and chairman of the supervisory board from 1967 to 1976, when he was named honorary chairman. His influence extended to 24 supervisory boards, including Daimler-Benz and Lufthansa, prompting the 1965 “Lex Abs” law limiting board memberships to 10, with his positions grandfathered in. As a close adviser to Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (who approved the use of Operation Gladio and SS Nazi General [[Reinhard Gehlen]]’s placement as their key intelligence agent), Abs shaped investment policies for heavy industry and served as a “financial diplomat.”