Wilhelm Hoegner
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Hoegner was the second Bavaria
n prime minister
(SPD
) after World War II
(1945–46 and 1954–57) and father of the Bavarian constitution. He has been the only Social Democrat to hold this office.
, he studied law in Munich, Berlin
and Erlangen
. After graduation, he worked as a lawyer, then Staatsanwalt
, a state prosecutor
, and in 1919 he also became a member of the SPD. He married Anna Woock in 1918, who he had two children with. From 1924 to 1930, he was a member of the Landtag of Bavaria
, the state parliament, for his party.
He was involved in the investigation into Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch
in 1923 and through this became part of the opposition to the Nazis. He published, anonymously, a paper on the findings of the investigation, which is considered an important historical document due to the fact that the Nazis destroyed all official reports from the inquest after 1933. He actively opposed Hitler in his time as a member of the German Reichstag
from 1930 to 1933. For this reason, he was dismissed from government service after the Nazi takeover
in 1933 and had to escape to Austria
, and from there, in 1934, to Switzerland
, where he worked as a free lance writer. He was in contact there with other German refugees from the Nazis and worked with them in an organisation called Demokratisches Deutschland, aimed against the Nazis.
Upon his return to Bavaria in June 1945, he served at the court in Munich. He became prime minister of Bavaria from 1945 to 1946, after the sudden dismissal of Fritz Schäffer
, also holding the post of Minister of Justice until 1947. He became known in this time as the father of the new Bavarian constitution. After losing the election in December 1946, he was replaced as Bavarian prime minister by Hans Ehard but remained as Minister of Justice. When his party decided to leave the coalition with the Christian Social Union
(CSU), he opposed this move and temporarily lost influence within the Social Democratic Party
(SPD), resigning from his ministerial post.
From 1946 to 1970, he was again a member of the Bavarian Landtag
(parliament), leading the SPD faction there from 1958 to 1962. He held the post of Minister of the Interior from 1950 to 1954, when Bavaria was ruled by a CSU-SPD coalition. During this time, he devoted a great deal of effort towards the reunion of the Palatinate with the rest of Bavaria, but ultimately failed, with only 7.6 percent of all eligible voters in the Palatinate opting for a reunion.
He became prime minister of Bavaria for a second time in 1954, when he led a four-party coalition of conservative and liberal parties until 1957. The coalition fell apart before the end of its term after the 1957 federal elections
and, as of 2010, Wilhelm Hoegner is still the last non-CSU prime minister of Bavaria.
He was also a member of the German Bundestag
from 1961 to 1962.
While being a social democrat, Hoegner was not a doctrinaire socialist, and he always preferred a common-sense approach to politics and the economy, rather than radical theories. He considered being a social democrat to be wholly compatible with Christian ethics and values, an important factor in the traditionally conservative / Catholic-dominated state of Bavaria.
Hoegner died, aged 92, almost blind but mentally still in full capacity, on 5 March 1980 in Munich.
(KPD), as having played a decisive role in Hitler's assumption of power. The declared main enemy of the Communists was not Hitler or the conservative parties in Germany, but the SPD
, the social democrats, who the Communists called the "social fascists". The intention of the Communists was to bring Hitler to power whereafter a Communist revolution in Germany would take place and a Communist dictatorship would be established. Hoegner mentions astonishing facts in this chapter, e.g. that 500,000 communists had voted for Hitler in the election for president of the German Reich in 1932.
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 prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
(SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
) after World War II
World 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...
(1945–46 and 1954–57) and father of the Bavarian constitution. He has been the only Social Democrat to hold this office.
Biography
Wilhelm Hoegner was born in Munich in 1887, the son of Michael Georg Hoegner and Therese Engelhardt. Growing up in BurghausenBurghausen, Altötting
Burghausen is the largest city in the Altötting district of Oberbayern in Germany. It is situated on the Salzach river, near the border with Austria. Its castle, atop a ridge, is the longest castle in Europe .- History :...
, he studied law in Munich, 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...
and Erlangen
Erlangen
Erlangen is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located at the confluence of the river Regnitz and its large tributary, the Untere Schwabach.Erlangen has more than 100,000 inhabitants....
. After graduation, he worked as a lawyer, then Staatsanwalt
Staatsanwaltschaft
The Staatsanwaltschaft or public prosecutor's offices are criminal justice bodies attached to the judiciary but separate from the courts in Germany, Austria and the German-speaking parts of Switzerland...
, a state 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...
, and in 1919 he also became a member of the SPD. He married Anna Woock in 1918, who he had two children with. From 1924 to 1930, he was a member of the Landtag of Bavaria
Landtag of Bavaria
The 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....
, the state parliament, for his party.
He was involved in the investigation into Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch
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 and through this became part of the opposition to the Nazis. He published, anonymously, a paper on the findings of the investigation, which is considered an important historical document due to the fact that the Nazis destroyed all official reports from the inquest after 1933. He actively opposed Hitler in his time as a member of the German Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
from 1930 to 1933. For this reason, he was dismissed from government service after the Nazi takeover
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
in 1933 and had to escape to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and from there, in 1934, to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he worked as a free lance writer. He was in contact there with other German refugees from the Nazis and worked with them in an organisation called Demokratisches Deutschland, aimed against the Nazis.
Upon his return to Bavaria in June 1945, he served at the court in Munich. He became prime minister of Bavaria from 1945 to 1946, after the sudden dismissal of Fritz Schäffer
Fritz Schäffer
Fritz Schäffer was a German politician for the Bavarian People's Party and the Christian Social Union . In 1945 he became the first Bavarian Minister-President after World War II...
, also holding the post of Minister of Justice until 1947. He became known in this time as the father of the new Bavarian constitution. After losing the election in December 1946, he was replaced as Bavarian prime minister by Hans Ehard but remained as Minister of Justice. When his party decided to leave the coalition with the Christian Social Union
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...
(CSU), he opposed this move and temporarily lost influence within the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD), resigning from his ministerial post.
From 1946 to 1970, he was again a member of the Bavarian Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
(parliament), leading the SPD faction there from 1958 to 1962. He held the post of Minister of the Interior from 1950 to 1954, when Bavaria was ruled by a CSU-SPD coalition. During this time, he devoted a great deal of effort towards the reunion of the Palatinate with the rest of Bavaria, but ultimately failed, with only 7.6 percent of all eligible voters in the Palatinate opting for a reunion.
He became prime minister of Bavaria for a second time in 1954, when he led a four-party coalition of conservative and liberal parties until 1957. The coalition fell apart before the end of its term after the 1957 federal elections
German federal election, 1957
The 3rd German federal election, 1957, was conducted on September 15, 1957, to elect members to the Bundestag of West Germany.-Issues and Campaign:...
and, as of 2010, Wilhelm Hoegner is still the last non-CSU prime minister of Bavaria.
He was also a member of the 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...
from 1961 to 1962.
While being a social democrat, Hoegner was not a doctrinaire socialist, and he always preferred a common-sense approach to politics and the economy, rather than radical theories. He considered being a social democrat to be wholly compatible with Christian ethics and values, an important factor in the traditionally conservative / Catholic-dominated state of Bavaria.
Hoegner died, aged 92, almost blind but mentally still in full capacity, on 5 March 1980 in Munich.
Further reading
- Die verratene Republik (in German), by Wilhelm Hoegner, Munich, 1979.
- Der Volksbetrug der Nationalsozialisten (in German), by Wilhelm Hoegner
- Der Schwierige Außenseiter: Erinnerungen eines Abgeordneten, Emigranten und Ministerpräsidenten (in German), by Wilhelm Hoegner, Munich, publisher: Isar Verlag, 1959
"The Guilt of the Communists"
Hoegner's book, "Die verratene Republik", ("The betrayed republic") Munich 1979, contains a remarkable chapter with this title. Hoegner blames the Communist Party of GermanyCommunist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
(KPD), as having played a decisive role in Hitler's assumption of power. The declared main enemy of the Communists was not Hitler or the conservative parties in Germany, but the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, the social democrats, who the Communists called the "social fascists". The intention of the Communists was to bring Hitler to power whereafter a Communist revolution in Germany would take place and a Communist dictatorship would be established. Hoegner mentions astonishing facts in this chapter, e.g. that 500,000 communists had voted for Hitler in the election for president of the German Reich in 1932.
Sources
- Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg - Boisls bayrische Biography - Wilhelm Hoegner pp. 356–357
- Institut für Zeitgeschichte - Wilhelm Hoegner
- Wilhelm Hoeger biography Official Bavarian government website