Friedrich Middelhauve
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Middelhauve was a German publisher and politician of the Free Democratic Party
(FDP). From 1947 until 1956 he served as State chairman for North Rhine-Westphalia
and from 27 July 1954 until 1956, he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia.
in engineering. However he first became an independent bookseller in Leverkusen
and opted for a career as a publisher in 1922.
Middelhauve was the founder and owner of the Opladen
company in 1922 who first published the works of Heinrich Böll
. Westdeutschen Verlag which Middelhauve also founded became one of the leading social science publishers in Germany.
He was married to Bertha Middelhauve and had three children: Dr. Friedrich Middelhauve, Jr., Gertraud Middelhauve (who also became a publisher) and Mechthild Ruf.
, Middelhauve was in the member of German State Party
. During the Nazism
era he was not politically active.
In 1945 he became affiliated with the FDP and an associate of Franz Blücher
, Hermann Hopker-Aschoff
and Erich Mende
, notable leadership figures in the Rhineland
. In 1946/47 he was a city councilor in Leverkusen
. From 1947 until 1956 he worked as a successor to Gustav Altenhain
as State chairman for North Rhine-Westphalia. From 1952 to 1956 he served as the Deputy and from 27 July 1954 until 1956 was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. From 1946 to 1958 he was a member of the diet of North Rhine-Westphalia and from 1949 until 17 October 1950 and 1953 until the 10th September 1954, Middelhauve also belonged to the national Bundestag
.
Middelhauve had close contact with ex-Nazi Ernst Achenbach
and with several former Nazis he designed the "German program", with the state associations of Hamburg
, Bremen
and Baden-Württemberg
in the early 1950s.
After the coup of the so-called "Young Turks", involving Wolfgang Döring, Erich Mende
, Walter Scheel
, Willi Weyer and Hans Wolfgang Rubin in 1956, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany Prime Minister Karl Arnold with a constructive vote of no confidence, and Socialist Party of Germany politician Fritz Steinhoff found Middelhauve guilty of acting as a "mentor" for the group and he was demoted from his position in the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, two years before his term was due to finish. He did however remain a party member of the FDP until his death in 1966.
He died in Bad Mergentheim
on July 14, 1966 and was buried at the Birch Mountain Cemetery.
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
(FDP). From 1947 until 1956 he served as State chairman for North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
and from 27 July 1954 until 1956, he was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Early life and publishing career
In 1921 he obtained a Doctorate at the University of CologneUniversity of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
in engineering. However he first became an independent bookseller in Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
and opted for a career as a publisher in 1922.
Middelhauve was the founder and owner of the Opladen
Opladen
Opladen, now a suburb of Leverkusen, used to be the capital of the Rhein-Wupper-Kreis up to 1975. Opladen station is located 10 m. N.E. from Cologne on the railway to Wuppertal. Its is also on the Autobahn A3. Pop. 6338, 42,000. It has an Evangelical and several Roman Catholic churches...
company in 1922 who first published the works of Heinrich Böll
Heinrich Böll
Heinrich Theodor Böll was one of Germany's foremost post-World War II writers. Böll was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize in 1967 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972.- Biography :...
. Westdeutschen Verlag which Middelhauve also founded became one of the leading social science publishers in Germany.
He was married to Bertha Middelhauve and had three children: Dr. Friedrich Middelhauve, Jr., Gertraud Middelhauve (who also became a publisher) and Mechthild Ruf.
Political activity
During the Weimar RepublicWeimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, Middelhauve was in the member of German State Party
German State Party
The German State Party was a short-lived German political party of the Weimar Republic, formed by the merger of the German Democratic Party with the People's National Reich Association in July 1930...
. During the Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
era he was not politically active.
In 1945 he became affiliated with the FDP and an associate of Franz Blücher
Franz Blücher
Franz Blücher was a German politician and member of the German Parliament .Blücher was born in Essen, Rhine Province, German Empire....
, Hermann Hopker-Aschoff
Hermann Höpker-Aschoff
Hermann Höpker-Aschoff was a German politician and jurist. He was the first President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany....
and Erich Mende
Erich Mende
Dr. Erich Mende was a German politician of the FDP and CDU. He was the leader of FDP 1960 - 1968.-Early life:Mende was born in Gross-Strehlitz, Upper Silesia,...
, notable leadership figures in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. In 1946/47 he was a city councilor in Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
. From 1947 until 1956 he worked as a successor to Gustav Altenhain
Gustav Altenhain
Gustav Altenhain was a German publisher and politician of the Free Democratic Party ....
as State chairman for North Rhine-Westphalia. From 1952 to 1956 he served as the Deputy and from 27 July 1954 until 1956 was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. From 1946 to 1958 he was a member of the diet of North Rhine-Westphalia and from 1949 until 17 October 1950 and 1953 until the 10th September 1954, Middelhauve also belonged to the national Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
.
Middelhauve had close contact with ex-Nazi Ernst Achenbach
Ernst Achenbach
Ernst Achenbach was a German lawyer and politician of the Nazi Party, and after World War II, the Free Democratic Party.-Life and work:...
and with several former Nazis he designed the "German program", with the state associations of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
and Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
in the early 1950s.
After the coup of the so-called "Young Turks", involving Wolfgang Döring, Erich Mende
Erich Mende
Dr. Erich Mende was a German politician of the FDP and CDU. He was the leader of FDP 1960 - 1968.-Early life:Mende was born in Gross-Strehlitz, Upper Silesia,...
, Walter Scheel
Walter Scheel
Walter Scheel is a German politician . He served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966, Foreign Minister of Germany and Vice Chancellor from 1969 to 1974, acting Chancellor of Germany from 7 May to 16 May 1974 , and finally as President of the Federal...
, Willi Weyer and Hans Wolfgang Rubin in 1956, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany Prime Minister Karl Arnold with a constructive vote of no confidence, and Socialist Party of Germany politician Fritz Steinhoff found Middelhauve guilty of acting as a "mentor" for the group and he was demoted from his position in the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, two years before his term was due to finish. He did however remain a party member of the FDP until his death in 1966.
He died in Bad Mergentheim
Bad Mergentheim
Bad Mergentheim is a town in the Main-Tauber district in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.-History:Mergentheim is mentioned in chronicles as early as 1058, as the residence of the family of the counts of Hohenlohe, who early in the 13th century assigned the greater part of their estates in...
on July 14, 1966 and was buried at the Birch Mountain Cemetery.