Hugo Preuss
Encyclopedia
Hugo Preuß was a German
lawyer
and liberal politician
.
Preuß is often regarded as the father of the German constitution
of the Weimar Republic
(1919). However, his idea was more of a skeletal structure and not a word for word democratic plan. In many cases, his idea for the Weimar Constitution was skewed by articles used by President Paul von Hindenburg
, such as Article 48. During the early months of the formation of the German republic, Preuss opposed vehemently the Triple Entente
prohibition of the incorporation of German Austria
into Germany as a contradiction of the Wilsonian
principle of self-determination
of peoples.
Preuß was the state secretary of home affairs during the revolutionary cabinet
of 1918 and 1919. His ideas about the constitution were influenced by the French social scientist
Robert Redslob
. In 1919 he became Minister of the Interior.
Due to Preuß's Jewish heritage, the Nazi Party used this as a major attack on the Weimar Republic
to say that it was authored by a Jew, and inherently "un-German". He is mentioned by name in the 1940 Nazi propaganda film Der Ewige Jude produced by Fritz Hippler
.
Preuß was born in Berlin
, where he also died. He was a member of the German Democratic Party and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
.
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...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and liberal politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Preuß is often regarded as the father of the German constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
(1919). However, his idea was more of a skeletal structure and not a word for word democratic plan. In many cases, his idea for the Weimar Constitution was skewed by articles used by President Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
, such as Article 48. During the early months of the formation of the German republic, Preuss opposed vehemently the Triple Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
prohibition of the incorporation of German Austria
German Austria
Republic of German Austria was created following World War I as the initial rump state for areas with a predominantly German-speaking population within what had been the Austro-Hungarian Empire, without the Kingdom of Hungary, which in 1918 had become the Hungarian Democratic Republic.German...
into Germany as a contradiction of the Wilsonian
Wilsonian
Wilsonianism or Wilsonian are words used to describe a certain type of ideological perspectives on foreign policy. The term comes from the ideology of United States President Woodrow Wilson and his famous Fourteen Points that he believed would help create world peace if implemented.Common...
principle of self-determination
Self-determination
Self-determination is the principle in international law that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or external interference...
of peoples.
Preuß was the state secretary of home affairs during the revolutionary cabinet
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
of 1918 and 1919. His ideas about the constitution were influenced by the French social scientist
Social Scientist
Social Scientist is a New Delhi based journal in social sciences and humanities published since 1972....
Robert Redslob
Robert Redslob
Robert Redslob was a German-French constitutional and public international law-scientist who was critical of the French constitution in the early twentieth century. His ideas from his work Die parlamentarische Regierung in ihrer wahren und in ihrer unechten Form from 1918 had a remarkable...
. In 1919 he became Minister of the Interior.
Due to Preuß's Jewish heritage, the Nazi Party used this as a major attack on the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
to say that it was authored by a Jew, and inherently "un-German". He is mentioned by name in the 1940 Nazi propaganda film Der Ewige Jude produced by Fritz Hippler
Fritz Hippler
Fritz Hippler was a German filmmaker who ran the film department in the Propaganda Ministry of the Third Reich, under Joseph Goebbels. He is most famous as director of the propaganda film Der ewige Jude ....
.
Preuß was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he also died. He was a member of the German Democratic Party and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold was a Social Democratic paramilitary force formed during the Weimar Republic in 1924....
.