Heinrich Held facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heinrich Held
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| Minister President of Bavaria | |
| In office 2 July 1924 – 9 March 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Eugen Ritter von Knilling |
| Succeeded by | Ludwig Siebert |
| Minister for Commerce, Industry and Trade | |
| In office 1927–1932 |
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| Minister for Agriculture | |
| In office 1930–1932 |
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| Minister for Economy | |
| In office 1932–1933 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 June 1868 Erbach, Hesse-Nassau |
| Died | 4 August 1938 (aged 70) Regensburg, Nazi Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Bavarian People's Party |
| Residences | Regensburg, Bavaria |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Heinrich Held (born June 6, 1868 – died August 4, 1938) was an important German politician. He was the Minister President of Bavaria, which is like being the leader of a state. He was a Catholic and a member of the Bavarian People's Party. He was forced to leave his job when the Nazis took over Germany in 1933.
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About Heinrich Held
Heinrich Held was born in a town called Erbach, which was then part of Prussia. His father, Johannes Held, was a farmer and also a musician. His mother's name was Susanne Held.
Early Life and Education
Held studied law at several universities, including Strasbourg, Marburg, and Heidelberg. After finishing his studies, he started working as a Journalist in 1896.
In 1899, he moved to Regensburg, a city in Bavaria. There, he became the editor of a newspaper called Regensburger Morgenblatts. The next year, he took on the same role at another newspaper, the Regensburger Anzeiger. By 1906, he became a part-owner of both newspapers. Around this time, he also started his political journey, speaking to groups of conservative Christian workers.
From 1921, Held was also the president of the Deutscher Katholikentag. This was a big meeting and discussion group for Roman Catholics across Germany.
Later Life and Death
In 1933, a sad event happened: Held's son, Philipp, was sent to the Dachau concentration camp. This was one of the first camps set up by the Nazis.
Heinrich Held passed away in Regensburg on August 4, 1938.
Political Journey
Held's political career began when he was elected to the Bavarian parliament in 1907. He represented the Bavarian part of the Centre Party. He stayed in this role until 1933.
Rising in Politics
Held was known for being on the more progressive side of his party. He was very interested in how money was managed by the government. He quickly became a powerful figure in his party. By 1914, he was the leader of his party in the parliament. Soon after, he became the overall leader of the party. In 1917, he was given the special title of Geheimer Hofrat, which meant he was a member of the Bavarian Privy council.
Founding the Bavarian People's Party
After the monarchy in Bavaria ended in 1918, Held helped create a new political group called the Bavarian People's Party (BVP). This party was formed from the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party. It focused on traditional values and the idea of states' rights, meaning states should have more power. Held continued to lead the party in parliament.
Leading Bavaria
In July 1924, Heinrich Held became the prime minister of Bavaria. His government was supported by his own party, the BVP, and other parties like the national-conservative German National People's Party and the national-liberal German People's Party.
As prime minister, Held worked to improve relations between Bavaria and the main German government. He wanted to move away from ideas of Bavaria separating from Germany. In 1924, he also signed an agreement called a Concordat with the Holy See, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.
In 1925, Held ran for president of Germany. He received a small percentage of the votes. In the second round of the election, his party supported Paul von Hindenburg, who was a right-wing candidate.
Later Government Roles
By 1930, Held's government lost its majority in the Bavarian parliament. However, it continued to govern as a minority administration. From 1930 to 1932, Held also held other important jobs. He was the Minister of State for Commerce, Industry and Trade and the Minister of State for Agriculture. These two roles were later combined into the Ministry for the Economy, which he led from 1932 to 1933.
Held always believed that states should have strong rights within Germany. In 1932, he strongly disagreed when the German Chancellor, Franz von Papen, removed the prime minister of Prussia. Held saw this as the federal government unfairly interfering in state matters. Later in 1932, there was an attempt to give special powers to Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, to help stop the growing power of the Nazis. This plan failed because Held's government was hesitant.
Forced Out of Office
On March 9, 1933, the Bavarian government, led by Held, was forcibly removed from power by the Nazis. At first, Held tried to resist the attempts by the SA (the Nazi's private army) to overthrow his government. But the German army did not help him, as they were told by Berlin to stay out of politics. So, Held could not stop the Nazis.
The job of Bavarian prime minister was then ended. It was replaced by a Reichsstatthalter, which was just an administrative role with no real political power. Held then retired from politics. He first went to Lugano, Switzerland, where his son Josef lived. Later, he returned to Regensburg. The Nazis even took away his government pension, which was the money he was supposed to receive as a former prime minister.
Honors
- He received special honorary doctorates from the universities of Munich, Innsbruck, and Würzburg.
Images for kids
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Heinrich Held
See also
In Spanish: Heinrich Held para niños
