Bill Drews
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Arnold Drews known as Bill Drews, was a German
lawyer
and administrator. Bill Drews was the creator of the Prussian
1931 police administrative law, which became the model for all German police regulations.
Drews studied law at Göttingen
where he was a member of the Corps Bremensia fraternity. From 1902 to 1905 he was commissioner of the county of Oschersleben before joining the Kingdom of Prussia's Ministry of Interior.
He was Prussian Minister of the Interior from 1917 to 1918. In 1919 he was responsible for the overhaul of public administration in the then-new Free State of Prussia, and urged the creation of a rigidly organized state police
force to supplement uncoordinated local police
forces.
Drews became president of the Prussian Superior Administrative Court in 1921. In 1927 he published Preußisches Polizeirecht, a text book on police administration. Under his presidency, the court generally upheld the principle of the Rule of Law
after the takeover of German government by the Nazi party, though it also allowed a substantial extension of police rights. Until his death in 1938, Drews was the repeated target of attacks by Nazi lawyers promoting the introduction of the Führer principle
into public administration.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and administrator. Bill Drews was the creator of the Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
1931 police administrative law, which became the model for all German police regulations.
Drews studied law at Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
where he was a member of the Corps Bremensia fraternity. From 1902 to 1905 he was commissioner of the county of Oschersleben before joining the Kingdom of Prussia's Ministry of Interior.
He was Prussian Minister of the Interior from 1917 to 1918. In 1919 he was responsible for the overhaul of public administration in the then-new Free State of Prussia, and urged the creation of a rigidly organized state police
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
force to supplement uncoordinated local police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
forces.
Drews became president of the Prussian Superior Administrative Court in 1921. In 1927 he published Preußisches Polizeirecht, a text book on police administration. Under his presidency, the court generally upheld the principle of the Rule of Law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
after the takeover of German government by the Nazi party, though it also allowed a substantial extension of police rights. Until his death in 1938, Drews was the repeated target of attacks by Nazi lawyers promoting the introduction of the Führer principle
Führerprinzip
The Führerprinzip , German for "leader principle", prescribes the fundamental basis of political authority in the governmental structures of the Third Reich...
into public administration.