Heinrich von Brentano
Encyclopedia
Heinrich von Brentano di Tremezzo
(6 June 1904 – 14 November 1964) was a German
conservative politician (CDU
) and lawyer. He served as Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
from 1955 to 1961.
politician Otto von Brentano. He belonged to a family of Italian
(Lombard
) origin which had settled in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
in the 17th century and were recognized as Hessian nobles, with close contact to important figures of the German Romanticism
, including Goethe
, Savigny and Arnim. He was related to famous German poets such as Clemens Brentano
and Bettina von Arnim
. The author Bernard von Brentano
was his elder brother.
From 1932, he worked as a lawyer in Darmstadt
, and from 1943 until 1945 as a prosecutor
in Hanau
.
Brentano remained a bachelor throughout his life. In 1961, rumors circulated about his homosexuality, to which Adenauer replied: "He had not hit on me yet."
Brentano died of cancer at the age of 60. He was buried at Waldfriedhof Darmstadt.
, Brentano was one of the founders of the Christian Democratic Union
in Hesse
and became a member of the Landtag of Hesse
in 1946, from 1947 as parliamentary party leader.
He also attended the proceedings of the Parlamentarischer Rat
assembly drafting the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
. In the federal elections of 1949, he obtained a seat in the West German Bundestag
parliament by directly winning the mandate of the Bergstraße constituency. In the federal parliament, he was the leader of the CDU faction from 1949 to 1955 and again from 1961 until his death.
A member of the European Common Assembly
and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
, Brentano was an important figure in the foundation of the European Economic Community
(EEC).
After the Allied occupation statute
had been lifted in 1955, he was appointed Foreign Minister of Germany
at the suggestion of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
, who prior had filled the office himself. Brentano resigned when Adenauer had to form a coalition government
with the Free Democratic Party
after the federal election of 1961. He was succeeded by his party fellow Gerhard Schröder
.
Tremezzo
Tremezzo is a comune of some 1300 people in the Province of Como, in the Italian region Lombardy.It is located on the western shore of Lake Como between Mezzegra to the south-west and Griante to the north-east, and about 20 km from Como...
(6 June 1904 – 14 November 1964) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
conservative politician (CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
) and lawyer. He served as Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...
from 1955 to 1961.
Personal life
Brentano was born in Offenbach am Main, the son of the lawyer and CentreCentre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
politician Otto von Brentano. He belonged to a family of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
(Lombard
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
) origin which had settled in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
in the 17th century and were recognized as Hessian nobles, with close contact to important figures of the German Romanticism
German Romanticism
For the general context, see Romanticism.In the philosophy, art, and culture of German-speaking countries, German Romanticism was the dominant movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. German Romanticism developed relatively late compared to its English counterpart, coinciding in its...
, including Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
, Savigny and Arnim. He was related to famous German poets such as Clemens Brentano
Clemens Brentano
Clemens Brentano, or Klemens Brentano was a German poet and novelist.-Overview:He was born in Ehrenbreitstein, near Koblenz, Germany. His sister was Bettina von Arnim, Goethe's correspondent. His father's family was of Italian descent. He studied in Halle and Jena, afterwards residing at...
and Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim
Bettina von Arnim , born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena Brentano, was a German writer and novelist....
. The author Bernard von Brentano
Bernard von Brentano
Bernard von Brentano was a German writer, poet, playwright, storyteller, novelist, essayist and journalist....
was his elder brother.
From 1932, he worked as a lawyer in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, and from 1943 until 1945 as a prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
.
Brentano remained a bachelor throughout his life. In 1961, rumors circulated about his homosexuality, to which Adenauer replied: "He had not hit on me yet."
Brentano died of cancer at the age of 60. He was buried at Waldfriedhof Darmstadt.
Political career
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Brentano was one of the founders of the Christian Democratic Union
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and became a member of the Landtag of Hesse
Landtag of Hesse
The Landtag of Hesse is the state Parliament of the German State of Hesse. It convenes in Wiesbaden and currently consists of 118 members of five Parties. Currently there is coalition between the CDU and the FDP....
in 1946, from 1947 as parliamentary party leader.
He also attended the proceedings of the Parlamentarischer Rat
Parlamentarischer Rat
The Parlamentarischer Rat was the West German constitutional convention that created the current constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany...
assembly drafting the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is the constitution of Germany. It was formally approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the Allies of World War II on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May, as the constitution of those states of West Germany that were initially included...
. In the federal elections of 1949, he obtained a seat in the West German Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
parliament by directly winning the mandate of the Bergstraße constituency. In the federal parliament, he was the leader of the CDU faction from 1949 to 1955 and again from 1961 until his death.
A member of the European Common Assembly
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
, Brentano was an important figure in the foundation of the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(EEC).
After the Allied occupation statute
Occupation statute
The Occupation Statute of Germany of April 10, 1949 specified the roles and responsibilities of the newly created German government and the Allied High Commission in West Germany...
had been lifted in 1955, he was appointed Foreign Minister of Germany
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...
at the suggestion of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
, who prior had filled the office himself. Brentano resigned when Adenauer had to form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with the Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
after the federal election of 1961. He was succeeded by his party fellow Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder (CDU)
Gerhard Schröder was a West German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union Party.A lawyer by profession, Schröder joined the Nazi Party and the SA in 1933....
.