Julius Dorpmüller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julius Dorpmüller
Dorpmüller in 1939
Reich Minister for Transport
In office 2 February 1937 – 5 May 1945
President	Adolf Hitler (as Führer)
Chancellor	Adolf Hitler Joseph Goebbels
Preceded by	Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach
Succeeded by	Himself
Reich Minister of Transport, Communications and Posts
In office 5 May 1945 – 23 May 1945
President	Karl Dönitz
Chancellor	Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1869-07-24)24 July 1869 Elberfeld, Rhine Province, North German Confederation
Died	5 July 1945(1945-07-05) (aged 75) Malente, Schleswig-Holstein, Allied-occupied Germany
Nationality	German
Political party	Nazi Party (from 1 February 1941)
Known for	Leading the Deutsche Reichsbahn during World War II

Julius Heinrich Dorpmüller (born July 24, 1869 – died July 5, 1945) was a very important person in German railways. He was the general manager of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, which was the German national railway company, from 1926 to 1945. He also served as the Reich Minister for Transport from 1937 to 1945.

Early Life and Railway Career

Julius Dorpmüller was born in Elberfeld, Germany. His father was a railway engineer, which probably inspired Julius. From 1889 to 1893, he studied how to build railways and roads. After finishing his studies in 1898, he started working for the Prussian state railway system.

In 1907, Dorpmüller moved to China to work for the Schantung railway in Tsingtao. The next year, he became the chief engineer for the German part of the new Chinese Imperial state railway, called the Tianjin-Pukou railway.

When China declared war on Germany in 1918, Dorpmüller had to return home. He traveled a long way through Manchuria, Siberia, and Russia to get back to Germany. After returning, he continued to work in railway management. He worked for the Transcaucasian SFSR railways.

In 1919, he became a department head for the German Reich Railways in the Stettin area. Later, he became president of different railway districts, first in Oppeln (1922-1924) and then in the Ruhr district (1924-1925). Because of his wide experience, he was asked for advice on the Dawes Plan, which was about Germany's economy after World War I.

Becoming General Manager

In 1925, the German Reich Railway (Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft) created a new role for Dorpmüller. He became the "Permanent Representative of the general manager." This happened because the general manager, Rudolf Oeser, was very ill.

In December 1925, RWTH Aachen University gave him an honorary doctorate degree in engineering. This was to recognize his great contributions to railways. On June 3, 1926, after Rudolf Oeser passed away, Dorpmüller was chosen to be the new general manager of the German railway. This decision was officially confirmed by the President of Germany in October 1926.

Role During the Nazi Era

After the Nazi party came to power in Germany, Dorpmüller continued his work. He became the Reich Transport Minister on February 2, 1937. This happened after the previous minister, Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach, resigned.

In April 1938, Dorpmüller traveled by train to Passau, where he was welcomed. He then continued his journey by boat on the Danube River to Linz and Vienna.

On July 11, 1939, a new law about the Deutsche Reichsbahn was passed. This law confirmed Dorpmüller's position as both the transport minister and the general manager of the German railway.

Even though he was a minister, Dorpmüller did not join the Nazi Party right away. He was given a special award, the Golden Party Badge, on December 7, 1940. He officially joined the Nazi Party on February 1, 1941. He remained in his position as minister until the end of World War II. After the war ended, he was briefly named Minister for Transport, Communications, and Posts in the new government formed on May 5, 1945.

After World War II

After the war ended, the British asked Dorpmüller to help rebuild the German railways. The United States even flew him to Paris for meetings about how to reorganize German transport. An American general, Carl R. Gray Jr., recommended Dorpmüller to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He said that Dorpmüller was not a strong supporter or active member of the Nazi party.

Dorpmüller was suffering from cancer, but he returned to Malente, Germany, on June 13, 1945. From there, he continued to give advice on rebuilding the railways. He had another operation on June 23, 1945, but his health quickly got worse. Even so, he kept having important discussions until just two days before he passed away.

Julius Dorpmüller died on July 5, 1945, and was buried in Malente.

Legacy and Recognition

After his death, Julius Dorpmüller's actions during the Nazi era were reviewed. In 1949, a committee decided that he had received "relief" under a certain classification, meaning his involvement was seen in a specific way.

For many years, there were busts (sculptures of his head and shoulders) of Dorpmüller in the Nuremberg transport museum and in a hall at the main station in Hanover. However, these were removed in 1985. This happened during preparations for celebrating 150 years of railways in Germany. A room named after him in Essen was also renamed in 1985, and the bust there disappeared. Roads in the cities of Wuppertal, Minden, and Hameln that were named after him have also been renamed.

In 1994, someone complained that Dorpmüller's grave was not being well-maintained. The German railways explained that they had stopped maintaining it in 1991. In 1995, someone from Hamburg took over the care of the grave at their own expense.

Awards and Honors

Julius Dorpmüller received many awards and honors throughout his career:

• 1913: Order of the Red Eagle, 4th class
• 1925: Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Aachen
• 1934: Gold Medal of the Prussian Academy for Construction
• 1936: Grashof Commemorative Medal from the Association of German Engineers
• 1936: Member of the Reich Chamber of Labour
• 1936: Member of the Academy for German Law
• 1936: Grand Cross Royal Swedish Order of the Pole Star
• 1937: Member of the Prussian State Council
• November 12, 1938: Karmarsch Medal
• July 24, 1939: Eagle Shield of the German Reich
• 1939: Honorary Senator of the Technical University of Aachen
• December 7, 1940: Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP
• Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross (twice: one with Swords on July 24, 1944; and one without Swords on September 18, 1943)

See also

In Spanish: Julius Dorpmüller para niños