Wilhelm Hoegner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Hoegner
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Wilhelm Hoegner (1947)
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| Minister President of Bavaria | |
| In office 14 December 1954 – 8 October 1957 |
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| Preceded by | Hans Ehard |
| Succeeded by | Hanns Seidel |
| In office 28 September 1945 – 16 December 1946 |
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| Preceded by | Fritz Schäffer |
| Succeeded by | Hans Ehard |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office 1945–1947 |
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| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 1950–1954 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 September 1887 Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 5 March 1980 (aged 92) Munich, Bavaria, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | SPD |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Wilhelm Hoegner (born September 23, 1887, in Munich – died March 5, 1980, in Munich) was an important German politician. He served as the prime minister of Bavaria twice after World War II. He was a member of the SPD. Hoegner is also known as the "father" of the Bavarian constitution, which is like the rulebook for the state. He was the only Social Democrat to be prime minister of Bavaria since 1920.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wilhelm Hoegner was born in Munich in 1887. His parents were Michael Georg Hoegner and Therese Engelhardt. He grew up in a town called Burghausen.
He went on to study law in several cities, including Munich, Berlin, and Erlangen. After finishing his studies, he first worked as a Lawyer. Later, he became a state prosecutor, which is a lawyer who works for the government. In 1919, he joined the SPD political party. He married Anna Woock in 1918, and they had two children together.
Politics Before World War II
From 1924 to 1930, Hoegner was a member of the Bavarian parliament, called the Landtag of Bavaria. He played a role in investigating Adolf Hitler's attempted takeover, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, in 1923. This made him an opponent of the Nazis.
He secretly published a report about the investigation. This report is very important because the Nazis destroyed all official records after 1933. Hoegner continued to speak out against Hitler as a member of the German parliament, the Reichstag, from 1930 to 1933.
Escape from Nazi Germany
Because of his opposition to the Nazis, Wilhelm Hoegner lost his government job when the Nazis took power in 1933. He had to leave Germany for his safety. He first went to Austria, and then in 1934, he moved to Switzerland.
In Switzerland, he worked as a writer. He also connected with other Germans who had fled the Nazis. They worked together in a group called Demokratisches Deutschland (Democratic Germany), which aimed to oppose the Nazi regime.
Post-War Political Career
Wilhelm Hoegner returned to Bavaria in June 1945, after World War II ended. He started working at a court in Munich. Soon after, he became the prime minister of Bavaria for the first time, from 1945 to 1946. He also served as the Minister of Justice until 1947.
During this time, he was instrumental in creating the new constitution for Bavaria. This is why he is known as the "father" of the Bavarian constitution. After his party lost the election in December 1946, he was replaced as prime minister by Hans Ehard. However, he remained the Minister of Justice for a while.
Later Roles and Challenges
From 1946 to 1970, Hoegner was again a member of the Bavarian parliament. He led the SPD group in the parliament from 1958 to 1962. He also served as the Minister of the Interior from 1950 to 1954. During this period, Bavaria was governed by a coalition of the CSU and SPD parties.
Hoegner worked hard to reunite the Palatinate region with the rest of Bavaria. However, this effort was not successful.
Second Term as Prime Minister
In 1954, Wilhelm Hoegner became prime minister of Bavaria for a second time. He led a government made up of four different political parties. This government lasted until 1957. After the 1957 federal elections, the coalition government broke apart. As of 2018, Wilhelm Hoegner remains the last prime minister of Bavaria who was not from the CSU party.
He was also a member of the German national parliament, the Bundestag, from 1961 to 1962.
Wilhelm Hoegner was a Social Democrat, but he was not extreme in his views. He believed in practical solutions for politics and the economy. He felt that being a Social Democrat fit well with Christian values. This was important in Bavaria, which is a traditionally conservative and Catholic region.
Hoegner passed away on March 5, 1980, in Munich. He was 92 years old. Even though he was almost blind, his mind was still very sharp.
Views on the Communist Party
In his book Die verratene Republik (The Betrayed Republic), published in 1979, Hoegner wrote about the role of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) before Hitler came to power. He believed that the Communists played a significant part in Hitler's rise.
Hoegner stated that the Communists saw the SPD (Social Democrats) as their main enemy, calling them "social fascists". He claimed that the Communists hoped Hitler would come to power, believing it would lead to a Communist revolution and dictatorship in Germany. He even mentioned that some Communists voted for Hitler in the 1932 presidential election.
Awards and Recognition
Wilhelm Hoegner received several important awards for his service:
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1953)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1956)
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (1957)
- He also received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Munich.
Publications
Wilhelm Hoegner wrote several books, mostly in German:
- Die verratene Republik (The Betrayed Republic), Munich, 1979.
- Der Volksbetrug der Nationalsozialisten (The Fraud of the National Socialists).
- Der Schwierige Außenseiter: Erinnerungen eines Abgeordneten, Emigranten und Ministerpräsidenten (The Difficult Outsider: Memories of a Member of Parliament, Emigrant, and Prime Minister), Munich, Isar Verlag, 1959.
See also
In Spanish: Wilhelm Hoegner para niños
