Ludwig Siebert (politician)
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Siebert was a Nazi politician and Bavaria
n prime minister
from 1933 to 1942.
. He served as a prosecutor
in Neustadt an der Weinstraße
, and later in Fürth
.
Siebert was mayor of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
from 1908 to 1919. He afterwards, in 1919, became the mayor of Lindau
and while serving in this position in 1931, joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party from the Bavarian People's Party
.
He became prime minister of Bavaria in 1933 with the Nazi takeover of power
in Germany
. Bavaria however, did not exist any more in its previous fashion as a Free State
. Instead it was subdivided in Reichsgau
e. As the prime minister of Bavaria, Siebert did not have the power and authority his predecessors had in the Weimar Republic
. In this position, he was engaged in a power struggle with the Reichstatthalter of Bavaria, Franz Ritter von Epp, which he won.
He also held the posts of Minister of Finances (1933-1942) and for Economy (1933-1934/1936-1942).
He initiated the so called "Siebert Program" to fight unemployment in Bavaria. The program turned out to be insufficient to create new employment due to lack of funds within the Bavarian government and support from the German government.
Siebert also had personal orders from Hitler to look after the restoration of all castles in Germany and was especially interested in the restoration of the historical town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
from 1937 to 1941.
From 1933 until his death, he was chairman of the board of the Bayerische Berg-, Hütten- und Salzwerke AG (BHS), a large Bavarian mining company. He also served from 1939 to 1942 as the head of the Deutsche Akademie
, a predecessor of the Goethe Institut.
His brother was a highly decorated officer in the Wehrmacht
, Generalmajor Friedrich Siebert
(1888–1950).
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 1933 to 1942.
Life
Siebert was born in Ludwigshafen, in the then Bavarian region of Palatinate, in 1874. He studied law, and after this became a civil servant in the Kingdom of BavariaKingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
. He served as a 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...
in Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Neustadt an der Weinstraße is a town located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 53,892 inhabitants as of 2002, it is the largest town called Neustadt.-Etymology:...
, and later in Fürth
Fürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
.
Siebert was mayor of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
from 1908 to 1919. He afterwards, in 1919, became the mayor of Lindau
Lindau
Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau was...
and while serving in this position in 1931, joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party from 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...
.
He became prime minister of Bavaria in 1933 with the Nazi takeover of power
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
in Germany
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...
. Bavaria however, did not exist any more in its previous fashion as a Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
. Instead it was subdivided in Reichsgau
Reichsgau
A Reichsgau was an administrative subdivision created in a number of the areas annexed to Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945...
e. As the prime minister of Bavaria, Siebert did not have the power and authority his predecessors had in the Weimar Republic
Weimar 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...
. In this position, he was engaged in a power struggle with the Reichstatthalter of Bavaria, Franz Ritter von Epp, which he won.
He also held the posts of Minister of Finances (1933-1942) and for Economy (1933-1934/1936-1942).
He initiated the so called "Siebert Program" to fight unemployment in Bavaria. The program turned out to be insufficient to create new employment due to lack of funds within the Bavarian government and support from the German government.
Siebert also had personal orders from Hitler to look after the restoration of all castles in Germany and was especially interested in the restoration of the historical town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
from 1937 to 1941.
From 1933 until his death, he was chairman of the board of the Bayerische Berg-, Hütten- und Salzwerke AG (BHS), a large Bavarian mining company. He also served from 1939 to 1942 as the head of the Deutsche Akademie
Deutsche Akademie
The Deutsche Akademie was a German cultural institute founded in 1925 at Munich, under the Weimar Republic. The controversial geopolitician Karl Haushofer was among the academics associated with it in its initial phases....
, a predecessor of the Goethe Institut.
His brother was a highly decorated officer in the 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:...
, Generalmajor Friedrich Siebert
Friedrich Siebert
Friedrich Maximilian Siebert was a German general who commanded the XIII Corps during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(1888–1950).
Honors
- Honorary citizen of Rothenburg ob der TauberRothenburg ob der TauberRothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken , the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City...
, alongside with Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Julius StreicherJulius StreicherJulius Streicher was a prominent Nazi prior to World War II. He was the founder and publisher of Der Stürmer newspaper, which became a central element of the Nazi propaganda machine...
(revoked after the 2nd world war) - Honorary citizen of SpeyerSpeyerSpeyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
and AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, both revoked after the war.
External links
- Picture of Ludwig Siebert in Nazi uniform, dated 12 March 1936 Bavarian State LibraryBavarian State LibraryThe Bavarian State Library in Munich is the central "Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria and one of Europe's most important universal libraries. With its collections currently comprising around 9.39 million books, it ranks among the best research libraries...
, Bildarchiv Hoffmann (Heinrich Hoffmann-Verlag)
Sources
- Bayrische Staats Bibliothek Datenbank der Reichstagsabgeordneten (in German)
- Universitätsbibliothek Regensburg - Boisls bayrische Biography - Ludwig Siebert (in German), page 726-727