Wilhelm Ohnesorge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Ohnesorge
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| Reich Postal Minister | |
| In office 2 February 1937 – 30 April 1945 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karl Wilhelm Ohnesorge
8 June 1872 Gräfenhainichen, Province of Saxony, German Empire |
| Died | 1 February 1962 (aged 89) Munich, Bavaria, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | National Socialist German Worker's Party |
| Occupation | Postal Manager |
Wilhelm Ohnesorge (born June 8, 1872 – died February 1, 1962) was a German politician during the time of Nazi Germany. He was part of Adolf Hitler's government. From 1937 to 1945, he served as the Reichsminister (a top government minister) for the Reich Postal Ministry. This was Germany's main postal service. He took over this role from Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rübenach. Besides his work with the postal service, Ohnesorge was very interested in using radio to spread the ideas of the Nazi Party. He also worked on ideas for a German atomic bomb.
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Wilhelm Ohnesorge: Early Life and Career
Wilhelm Ohnesorge was born in Gräfenhainichen, a town in the Province of Saxony, which was part of Prussia at the time. He started working for the Imperial Post, Germany's postal service, in 1890.
Later, he studied physics in the cities of Kiel and Berlin. During World War I, he became the head of the postal service at the Imperial Headquarters. After the war, he became involved in right-wing politics. He joined the Deutschvölkischer Schutz- und Trutzbund. This was a large group that was against Jewish people in Germany during the Weimar Republic.
Ohnesorge's Role in the Nazi Government
Ohnesorge first met Hitler around 1920, and they became good friends. Soon after, he joined the Nazi Party. He even started the first local branch of the Nazi Party outside of Bavaria, in a city called Dortmund.
By 1929, he was in charge of the main office of the Reichspost, which was Germany's central postal service. When the Nazis took power in 1933, Ohnesorge became a State Secretary. This meant he was in charge of the Reichspost. He worked hard to use the postal service to spread the Nazi Party's ideas and goals. In 1937, he became the Reichsminister of the Postal Ministry.
Interest in Technology and Later Life
Ohnesorge was also very interested in using radio and other signals to spread the party's messages. He was known as a skilled technician because of his work to make radio technology better. He also put a lot of effort into research for a German atomic bomb. He did this even though his main job was running the postal service, which took up a lot of his time. He showed many of his ideas and drawings to Hitler himself, as they had become close friends.
After World War II, Ohnesorge's role with the Nazi Party was reviewed. However, for reasons that are not known, he was not punished for his involvement with the Nazis. Not much is known about his life after the war.
Wilhelm Ohnesorge passed away on February 1, 1962, in Munich. He was 89 years old.
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