Akademik

(1874-1935), financier; Germany's chief reparations* advisor. State Secretary in the Finance Ministry during 1920-1921, head of the Kriegslastenkommission (literally, War Burdens Commission) in Paris, and prin-cipal emissary to the Reparation Commission until 1924, he had served twenty-five years with the Reichsbank when he became Germany's financial expert at Versailles. Between the Spa Conference* (July 1920) and acceptance of the Dawes Plan* (1924), he shifted so often between Berlin,* Paris, London, Brus-sels, and Switzerland that he was dubbed the "International Commuter." Before Dawes, his efforts to fix a reparations debt were compromised either by prob-lems arising between France and England or by provocative remarks from his colleagues. As Germany's strongest proponent for fulfilling Allied demands, he often overlooked the political implications of his recommendations. Walther Rathenau's* financial confidant when the Foreign Minister signed the Rapallo Treaty* (April 1922), he privately censured the accord. In 1923 he was a can-didate for the position of Reichsbank President (Hjalmar Schacht* was ap-pointed).

   Bergmann retired from both government service and a post with Deutsche Bank in 1924. His Der Weg der Reparation, published in 1926, appeared in 1927 as The History of Reparations.

   REFERENCES:Kent, Spoils ofWar; Harry Graf Kessler, Walther Rathenau; Keynes, Activities; Maier, Recasting Bourgeois Europe.