Hans Ehard
Encyclopedia
Hans Ehard was a German lawyer and politician, a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU)
party.
After studying jurisprudence in Munich and Würzburg
Ehard became public prosecutor in the Bavaria
n Ministry of Justice
in 1919. In this office, he was the main prosecutor of Hitler and Ludendorff in 1924, after their failed attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government
in 1923. In 1933 he became President of the high court in Munich, a position he held until the end of the war. He sympathised with the Bavarian People's Party
but was not politically active in those years.
After the war, in 1945, he briefly served under Schäffer as Minister of Justice, later serving in Hoegner's first cabinet as undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Justice. He was a member of the constituent assembly, and was elected Minister President on 21 December 1946 with a coalition of CSU, SPD
and the Economic Structure Combination (Wirtschaftliche Aufbau-Vereinigung). He became the first freely elected Bavarian prime minister since 1933. He was a member of the Bavarian Landtag
from 1946 to 1966.
When the SPD withdrew its Ministers from the coalition he was able to form a CSU-only government on 21 September 1947. During the formation years of the Federal Republic of Germany
, he advocated a strongly federalist concept for the new country, in opposition to most of the SPD-ruled states, who wanted a strong central government. He also argued for a form of European federation. From 1949 to 1955 he was also chairman of the CSU. From 1954 to 1957, his party was in opposition to the SPD-lead coalition government. As of 2008, this three years were the CSU's only period outside of government. Ehard held in those years the position of President of the Landtag, from 1954 to 1960.
Between 26 January 1960 to 11 December 1962 he again served as Minister President, stepping down to become Justice Minister, in which capacity he served until 5 December 1966
Ehard had been President of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (SDW), an environmental charity, as well as of the Bavarian Red Cross. In 1957 he was made an honorary citizen of city of Munich, the British equivalent being Freedom of the City
.
Hans Ehard was the oldest former Minister-President of Germany from June 9, 1980 to November 1985 preceded by Wilhelm Kaisen
and succeeded by Max Seydewitz
. If you only count the Ministers-President of the FRG
he was succeeded by Bruno Diekmann
on March 27, 1990.
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
party.
Life
Hans Ehard was born in Bamberg in 1887, son of a local official, August Ehard. He was married in 1916 to Annelore Maex. After his wife died in 1957, he married Sieglinde Odörfer in 1960.After studying jurisprudence in Munich and Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
Ehard became public prosecutor in the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Ministry of Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
in 1919. In this office, he was the main prosecutor of Hitler and Ludendorff in 1924, after their failed attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
in 1923. In 1933 he became President of the high court in Munich, a position he held until the end of the war. He sympathised with the Bavarian People's Party
Bavarian People's Party
The Bavarian People's Party was the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party, which broke off from the rest of the party in 1919 to pursue a more conservative, more Catholic, more Bavarian particularist course...
but was not politically active in those years.
After the war, in 1945, he briefly served under Schäffer as Minister of Justice, later serving in Hoegner's first cabinet as undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Justice. He was a member of the constituent assembly, and was elected Minister President on 21 December 1946 with a coalition of CSU, SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
and the Economic Structure Combination (Wirtschaftliche Aufbau-Vereinigung). He became the first freely elected Bavarian prime minister since 1933. He was a member of the Bavarian Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
from 1946 to 1966.
When the SPD withdrew its Ministers from the coalition he was able to form a CSU-only government on 21 September 1947. During the formation years of the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, he advocated a strongly federalist concept for the new country, in opposition to most of the SPD-ruled states, who wanted a strong central government. He also argued for a form of European federation. From 1949 to 1955 he was also chairman of the CSU. From 1954 to 1957, his party was in opposition to the SPD-lead coalition government. As of 2008, this three years were the CSU's only period outside of government. Ehard held in those years the position of President of the Landtag, from 1954 to 1960.
Between 26 January 1960 to 11 December 1962 he again served as Minister President, stepping down to become Justice Minister, in which capacity he served until 5 December 1966
Ehard had been President of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (SDW), an environmental charity, as well as of the Bavarian Red Cross. In 1957 he was made an honorary citizen of city of Munich, the British equivalent being Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
.
Hans Ehard was the oldest former Minister-President of Germany from June 9, 1980 to November 1985 preceded by Wilhelm Kaisen
Wilhelm Kaisen
Carl Wilhelm Kaisen was a German politician from the Social Democratic Party of Germany . Between 1945 and 1965 he was mayor of the city Bremen which also made him the head of the state of Bremen....
and succeeded by Max Seydewitz
Max Seydewitz
Max Seydewitz was a German politician and Minister-President Saxony in East Germany)....
. If you only count the Ministers-President of the FRG
FRG
FRG may refer to:* Free Radical Gasification, a carbon conversion process developed by Responsible Energy Inc.* Family Readiness Groups in the United States Army...
he was succeeded by Bruno Diekmann
Bruno Diekmann
Bruno Diekmann was a German politician from Kiel and Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein ....
on March 27, 1990.
Post-War career
- 1945 Bavarian Minister of Justice
- 1946-1954 Bavarian Prime Minister
- 1949-1955 Chairman of the CSU
- 1950-1951 President of the Bundesrat
- 1951-1952 Bavarian transport minister
- 1954-1960 President of the Bavarian LandtagLandtag of BavariaThe Landtag of Bavaria is the unicameral legislature of the state of Bavaria in Germany. Between 1946 and 1999 there was an upper house, the Senate of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum....
- 1960-1962 Bavarian Prime Minister
- 1961-1962 President of the State Senate
- 1962-1966 Bavarian Minister of Justice
Sources
- Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg - Boisls bayrische Biography - Hans Ehard (in German), page 167
- Bavarian government website - Hans Ehard (in German)