A Brimming Spirit. Werner von Siemens in Letters - Tapa dura

December 13, 2016, marks the 200th birthday of Werner von Siemens. On behalf of Siemens Stiftung, his great-great-granddaughter Nathalie von Siemens joined a team of historians, authors, and editors in combing through around 4,000 letters to and from Werner von Siemens, which form the foundation of a one-of-a-kind book. It is a collage of very personal remarks from his letters and forays into the events of the 19th century. Through Werner's letters, we experience how the first steps in founding the company come to pass, how visions are implemented, and how setbacks and defeats are overcome. His letters are moving and illuminating, revealing the deeply human side of Werner von Siemens.

Since January 2013, Dr. Nathalie von Siemens has served as the Siemens Stiftung Managing Director and Spokesperson. Together with her colleagues from the board of directors, Rolf Huber and George Bernwieser, Nathalie von Siemens drives the operational pursuit of the foundation's goals. Siemens Stiftung operates in the fields of basic services, education, and culture. As a hands-on foundation, Siemens Stiftung develops its own projects and implements them with a view to the long term. Together with partners, the foundation aims to help people improve their living conditions. Within the board, Nathalie von Siemens is particularly involved in the education and culture working areas. Beyond this operational role at Siemens Stiftung, she is also a spokesperson for the National MINT Forum in Germany. Prior to taking on her role as Managing Director of Siemens Stiftung, Nathalie von Siemens held various posts at Siemens AG in management development, corporate strategy, investor relations, and corporate communications. In each case, she focused on the issue of sustainable value-based business development. Nathalie von Siemens' academic background is in moral philosophy and business ethics. In 2004, her doctoral dissertation explored the concept of friendship in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. Dr. Nathalie von Siemens is a member of the supervisory board at Siemens AG, Siemens Healthcare GmbH, and the Messer Group GmbH. Translated from German by Matt Zuvela.