Alfons Goppel
Encyclopedia
Alfons Goppel was a German politician of the CSU party and Prime Minister of Bavaria (1962–1978).
Ludwig Goppel and his wife Barbara.
He married Gertrud Wittenbrink in 1935 and together they had six sons.
Goppel studied law in Munich
from 1925 to 1929 and, after graduating, moved back to Regensburg, where he became a lawyer. He joined the state prosecutor
s office in 1934 and was posted to Mainburg
, Kaiserslautern
and finally Aschaffenburg
. He joined the conservative Bavarian People's Party
in 1930 and was a member until the party's self-dissolution in November 1933. He joined the SA
(1933) and the NSDAP (1937) in the following years.
He took part in the campaigns in France and Russia in the German Wehrmacht
during the Second World War and later became an instructor at the Infanterieschule Döberitz, near Berlin, a trainings camp of the German army.
Returning from the war, he became an official at the city of Aschaffenburg, responsible for housing and refugees. He was elected to the Bavarian Landtag
in October 1947 but barred from taking up his seat due to his political past. He, unsuccessfully, campaigned for the Landtag in 1950 again, became second mayor of Aschaffenburg in 1952 and finally, in 1954, was elected to the Landtag and permitted to take up his seat. He remained in the Bavarian parliament until 1978, when he gave it up to become a member of the European Parliament.
He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Würzburg
in 1956 and became an under secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Justice the year after. He was Bavarian Minister of the Interior (1958–1962) and prime minister of Bavaria
from December 11, 1962 to November 7, 1978, serving as President
of the Bundesrat
in 1972/73. In 1974 he gained the highest election victory for the CSU in Bavarian history with 62.1% of the votes.
From 1979 to 1984 he was a member of the European Parliament
, as such being part of the first freely elected group of MPs in 1979.
One of his sons, Thomas Goppel, later served as Minister of Science, Research and the Arts (2003–2008).
The Alfons-Goppel-Stiftung (Alfons Goppel Foundation), formed in 1980 and named after him, supports needy children in third-world countries.
Life
Alfons Goppel was born in 1905 as one of nine children of the bakerBaker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
Ludwig Goppel and his wife Barbara.
He married Gertrud Wittenbrink in 1935 and together they had six sons.
Goppel studied law in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
from 1925 to 1929 and, after graduating, moved back to Regensburg, where he became a lawyer. He joined the 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...
s office in 1934 and was posted to Mainburg
Mainburg
Mainburg is a town in the district of Kelheim, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Abens, 30 km northwest of Landshut and 30 km southeast of Ingolstadt....
, Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
and finally Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
. He joined the conservative Bavarian People's Party
Bavarian People's Party
The Bavarian People's Party was the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party, which broke off from the rest of the party in 1919 to pursue a more conservative, more Catholic, more Bavarian particularist course...
in 1930 and was a member until the party's self-dissolution in November 1933. He joined the SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
(1933) and the NSDAP (1937) in the following years.
He took part in the campaigns in France and Russia in the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during the Second World War and later became an instructor at the Infanterieschule Döberitz, near Berlin, a trainings camp of the German army.
Returning from the war, he became an official at the city of Aschaffenburg, responsible for housing and refugees. He was elected to the Bavarian Landtag
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
in October 1947 but barred from taking up his seat due to his political past. He, unsuccessfully, campaigned for the Landtag in 1950 again, became second mayor of Aschaffenburg in 1952 and finally, in 1954, was elected to the Landtag and permitted to take up his seat. He remained in the Bavarian parliament until 1978, when he gave it up to become a member of the European Parliament.
He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
in 1956 and became an under secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Justice the year after. He was Bavarian Minister of the Interior (1958–1962) and prime minister of Bavaria
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...
from December 11, 1962 to November 7, 1978, serving as President
President of the German Bundesrat
In Germany, the President of the Bundesrat or President of the Federal Council is the chairperson or speaker of the Bundesrat . The presidency of the Bundesrat rotates among the heads of government of each of the states on an annual basis...
of the Bundesrat
Bundesrat of Germany
The German Bundesrat is a legislative body that represents the sixteen Länder of Germany at the federal level...
in 1972/73. In 1974 he gained the highest election victory for the CSU in Bavarian history with 62.1% of the votes.
From 1979 to 1984 he was a member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, as such being part of the first freely elected group of MPs in 1979.
One of his sons, Thomas Goppel, later served as Minister of Science, Research and the Arts (2003–2008).
The Alfons-Goppel-Stiftung (Alfons Goppel Foundation), formed in 1980 and named after him, supports needy children in third-world countries.
Honors
- Honorary doctorate of the University of WürzburgUniversity of WürzburgThe University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
and the St. John's University MinnesotaCollege of Saint Benedict/Saint John's UniversityThe College of Saint Benedict , for women, and Saint John's University , for men, are partnered liberal arts colleges respectively located in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Students attend classes and activities together, and have access to the resources of both campuses...
.
External links
- Alfons-Goppel-Stiftung, official website (in German)