Just been reading a story about Rudolf and Adi Dassler who founded the Puma and adidas empires and what a story it is! They make the Noel V Liam fall out seem like an undying fraternal love.
They set up their company in Herzogenaurach Bavaria in the 20s but both later joined the Nazi party. It should be remembered though that Adi drove hundreds of miles on one of the world's first motorways, to give his shoes and the company's sponsorship to Jessie Owens. Anyway, one night during an allied air-raid in 1943, Adi and his family were in their underground shelter when Rudolf and his family started to get in. "The dirty bastards are here again" said Adi, meaning the bombers but Rudi was convinced he meant him and his family and the brothers had a mssive falling out with Rudi leaving and setting up Puma.
From that moment on, the entire town was divided along almost sectarian lines. You were either three stripes or a leaping cat and never the twain shall meet. Bars, bakers, the football teams, everything in the town was either one or the other and "intermarriage" was frowned upon!
Apparently, when workmen went to work in the house of one or other of the brothers, they would deliberately wear the shoes of the "opposition" as the brother concerned would be so enraged, he'd tell the workmen to go to his basement and pick out a pair of shoes from his company to wear in his house and so the workmen got free footwear!
The brothers never reconciled and though they are buried in the same cemetary, their graves are as far from each other as space will allow.
They set up their company in Herzogenaurach Bavaria in the 20s but both later joined the Nazi party. It should be remembered though that Adi drove hundreds of miles on one of the world's first motorways, to give his shoes and the company's sponsorship to Jessie Owens. Anyway, one night during an allied air-raid in 1943, Adi and his family were in their underground shelter when Rudolf and his family started to get in. "The dirty bastards are here again" said Adi, meaning the bombers but Rudi was convinced he meant him and his family and the brothers had a mssive falling out with Rudi leaving and setting up Puma.
From that moment on, the entire town was divided along almost sectarian lines. You were either three stripes or a leaping cat and never the twain shall meet. Bars, bakers, the football teams, everything in the town was either one or the other and "intermarriage" was frowned upon!
Apparently, when workmen went to work in the house of one or other of the brothers, they would deliberately wear the shoes of the "opposition" as the brother concerned would be so enraged, he'd tell the workmen to go to his basement and pick out a pair of shoes from his company to wear in his house and so the workmen got free footwear!
The brothers never reconciled and though they are buried in the same cemetary, their graves are as far from each other as space will allow.
