Hanns Seidel
Encyclopedia
Hanns Seidel was a German politician
and Bavaria
n prime minister
from 1957 to 1960. He belonged to the conservative Christian Social Union of Bavaria
party.
, one of seven children; his parents were Johann and Christine Seidel. He was originally baptized under the name Franz Wendelin but was soon called simply Hanns. His father died when he was seven and the family had to live in relative poverty from then on. Despite those circumstances, he managed to obtain a good education.
Hanns Seidel studied law in Jena
, Freiburg
and Würzburg
, where he graduated in 1929. He worked as a lawyer in Aschaffenburg
after this and married Ilse Tenter, who he had two sons with. As a strict Catholic, he joined the Bavarian People's Party
in 1932. His outspokenness about the Nazis soon got him into trouble and he had to withdraw his candidacy for the Aschaffenburg town council. He briefly had to escape to Memel
(now Klaipėda) in Eastern Prussia to avoid arrest but returned home soon after.
He served in a tank division in the German Wehrmacht
from October 1940 to 1945, being promoted to Lieutenant
in April 1942. At the end of the war, he was briefly taken prisoner twice but escaped both his Russian and American captors. He returned to his position as a lawyer in August 1945.
He became a founding member of the CSU in 1945 and was elected to the Bavarian Landtag
in 1946. Previous to this, the US occupation authorities had already made him Landrat for Aschaffenburg due to the fact that he had no previous political history. As a liberal-conservative he supported the multi-confessional fraction in his party. He became Minister for Economy in 1947 and held this post until the his parties election defeat in 1954. He was an important force in the reconstruction efforts in post-war Bavaria. He was also highly regarded by the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer
who unsuccessfully tried to convince him to take up a post in the federal government. In 1954, he was made speaker for the opposition, the year after, he became party leader of the CSU, defeating Franz Josef Strauß
in a highly contested party vote. He immediately went to modernize the party and its politics.
After the elections of 1957, he became Bavarian prime minister on 16 October 1957. He had to resign from this post on 21 January 1960 due to health reasons and died the year after, at the age of 59, in Munich
.
The Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (Hanns Seidel Foundation), formed in 1967, an organization closely associated with the CSU, is named after him.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and 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...
n prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
from 1957 to 1960. He belonged to the conservative Christian Social Union of Bavaria
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
party.
Life
Seidel was born in Schweinheim, now part of AschaffenburgAschaffenburg
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"...
, one of seven children; his parents were Johann and Christine Seidel. He was originally baptized under the name Franz Wendelin but was soon called simply Hanns. His father died when he was seven and the family had to live in relative poverty from then on. Despite those circumstances, he managed to obtain a good education.
Hanns Seidel studied law in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
and 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....
, where he graduated in 1929. He worked as a lawyer in 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"...
after this and married Ilse Tenter, who he had two sons with. As a strict Catholic, he joined the 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 1932. His outspokenness about the Nazis soon got him into trouble and he had to withdraw his candidacy for the Aschaffenburg town council. He briefly had to escape to Memel
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
(now Klaipėda) in Eastern Prussia to avoid arrest but returned home soon after.
He served in a tank division 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:...
from October 1940 to 1945, being promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in April 1942. At the end of the war, he was briefly taken prisoner twice but escaped both his Russian and American captors. He returned to his position as a lawyer in August 1945.
He became a founding member of the CSU in 1945 and 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 1946. Previous to this, the US occupation authorities had already made him Landrat for Aschaffenburg due to the fact that he had no previous political history. As a liberal-conservative he supported the multi-confessional fraction in his party. He became Minister for Economy in 1947 and held this post until the his parties election defeat in 1954. He was an important force in the reconstruction efforts in post-war Bavaria. He was also highly regarded by the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
who unsuccessfully tried to convince him to take up a post in the federal government. In 1954, he was made speaker for the opposition, the year after, he became party leader of the CSU, defeating Franz Josef Strauß
Franz Josef Strauß
Franz Josef Strauss was a German politician. He was the leader of the Christian Social Union, member of the federal cabinet in different positions and long-time minister-president of the state of Bavaria....
in a highly contested party vote. He immediately went to modernize the party and its politics.
After the elections of 1957, he became Bavarian prime minister on 16 October 1957. He had to resign from this post on 21 January 1960 due to health reasons and died the year after, at the age of 59, 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...
.
The Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (Hanns Seidel Foundation), formed in 1967, an organization closely associated with the CSU, is named after him.
External links
- Official website of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (in English)
- Official Bavarian government website - Hanns Seidel biography (in German)