Arthur Zarden

Arthur Heinrich Ludwig Zarden (27 April 1885 in Hamburg – 18 January 1944 in Berlin) was a leading personality in German tax legislation and for a short time State Secretary in the Reich Finance Ministry.

Not much is known about Zarden's childhood or youth. In 1904, he left the Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Hamburg after his school-leaving examination and took up studies in law at the University of Lausanne, followed by semesters in Munich, Berlin and Kiel. His first State examination in law in 1908 in Kiel and his graduation to Doctor of Law in 1909 in were followed by his second State examination in law in Hamburg late in 1912. After being sworn in as an Assessor a few days later, he began his career, first in the Hamburg Inheritance Taxation Administration, the later Taxation Deputation. In 1914 came his appointment to Administration Assessor, in 1917, another to Government Adviser, and in 1919-20 a transfer to the Reich Finance Ministry. On 24 July 1920 he wed Edithe Orenstein, the industrialist Benno Orenstein's daughter. Further positions held by Zarden were Ministerial Adviser in 1920, Ministerial Manager in 1925, Ministerial Director and finally in 1932, State Secretary.

Zarden came to the Reich Finance Ministry at a time of upheaval. The building of a centralistic finance administration, the burden of reparations from the war that Germany had lost, and lastly the struggle against inflation made the first years very hard. Owing to this, he concentrated himself on the consolidation of Reich finances through reconstruction and creation of capital gains, asset, and income taxes, along with compulsory loans. This was understood to mean a compulsory yielding of up to 10% of assets for each person and business. After economic stabilization, Zarden worked together with others on the Weimar Republic's second tax reform, which was aimed above all at simplifying and lowering taxes, as well as reorganizing finances between the Reich and the Länder (provinces or states). He authored countless articles in trade journals and union magazines.

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