Rudolf Katz
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Katz was a German politician and judge. He was Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
.
(modern Złocieniec, Poland) to Leopold Katz, a teacher and Jewish Kantor, and Hulda Katz. The family moved to Kiel
in 1897, where Katz grew up. He began to study law at the University of Kiel
in 1913 but volunteered for the German Army
in World War I. Katz served as a Lieutenant and was wounded several times, he finished his studies in 1919 and gained his doctorate in 1920.
Katz joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany
in 1920 and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
in 1924. Katz was elected a member of the city council of Altona
in 1929 and became its chairman in 1932. He worked as a lawyer (1924–33) and notary
(1929–33) in Altona. In 1930 he left the Jewish Parish. Katz pleaded for communist defendants in the aftermath of the Altona Bloody Sunday of July 1932.
After Hitler took over power in Germany Katz fled to France in March 1933.
Along with Max Brauer
, a Social Democrat and mayor of Altona, Katz became an envoy for municipal administration of the League of Nations
in Nanjing
in October 1933.
In 1935 he moved to the United States and worked at the Columbia University
’s Institute for Public Administration and as a journalist for the Neue Volkszeitung
, a German-language newspaper of socialdemocrat emigrants. Katz was a director of the Rand School of Social Science
in New York and of The New Leader
newspaper, he was active in the German Labour Delegation
, part of the American Federation of Labor
, and the "German-American Council for the Liberation of Germany from Nazism".
After Katz had lost his German citizenship because of the racialist Nazi laws, he became an United States citizen in 1941.
In July 1946 Katz returned to Germany along with Max Brauer and became Minister of Justice (1947–50) and Education (1948–49) in the State of Schleswig-Holstein
. He regained his German citizenship in November 1947 and represented Schleswig-Holstein in the Parlamentarischer Rat
, (“Parliamentary Council”), the predecessor of the West German Bundestag
. In the negotiations of the German constitution Katz successfully proposed the invention of the Constructive vote of no confidence
, while his suggestion to limit the number of members of the Bundestag to 300 and to implement a minimum threshold of 10 percent of votes failed.
In 1951 Katz became the Chairman of the secondnd Senate and Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
. He was elected a member of the executive board of the
International Commission of Jurists
at the New Delhi Congress
in 1959.
Katz was married to Agnes Kühl in 1933. He died in Baden-Baden
.
Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
.
Biography
Katz was born in Falkenburg, Farther PomeraniaFarther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
(modern Złocieniec, Poland) to Leopold Katz, a teacher and Jewish Kantor, and Hulda Katz. The family moved to Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
in 1897, where Katz grew up. He began to study law at the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
in 1913 but volunteered for the German Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
in World War I. Katz served as a Lieutenant and was wounded several times, he finished his studies in 1919 and gained his doctorate in 1920.
Katz joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
in 1920 and the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold was a Social Democratic paramilitary force formed during the Weimar Republic in 1924....
in 1924. Katz was elected a member of the city council of Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
in 1929 and became its chairman in 1932. He worked as a lawyer (1924–33) and notary
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
(1929–33) in Altona. In 1930 he left the Jewish Parish. Katz pleaded for communist defendants in the aftermath of the Altona Bloody Sunday of July 1932.
After Hitler took over power in Germany Katz fled to France in March 1933.
Along with Max Brauer
Max Brauer
Max Julius Friedrich Brauer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party and First Mayor of Hamburg....
, a Social Democrat and mayor of Altona, Katz became an envoy for municipal administration of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
in October 1933.
In 1935 he moved to the United States and worked at the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
’s Institute for Public Administration and as a journalist for the Neue Volkszeitung
Neue Volkszeitung
Neue Volkszeitung was a German-language weekly newspaper issued from New York City, United States. Neue Volkszeitung was launched in December 1932 as the successor of the New Yorker Volkszeitung...
, a German-language newspaper of socialdemocrat emigrants. Katz was a director of the Rand School of Social Science
Rand School of Social Science
The Rand School of Social Science was formed in New York City by adherents of the Socialist Party of America in 1906. The school aimed to provide a broad education to workers, imparting a politicizing class-consciousness, and additionally served as a research bureau, a publisher, and the operator...
in New York and of The New Leader
The New Leader
The New Leader was a political and cultural magazine begun in 1924 by a group of figures associated with the Socialist Party of America, including Eugene V. Debs and Norman Thomas, and published in New York by the American Labor Conference on International Affairs. Its orientation is liberal and...
newspaper, he was active in the German Labour Delegation
German Labour Delegation
The German Labour Delegation was a social-democratic organisation of German emigrants in the United States during the time of Nazi Germany....
, part of the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
, and the "German-American Council for the Liberation of Germany from Nazism".
After Katz had lost his German citizenship because of the racialist Nazi laws, he became an United States citizen in 1941.
In July 1946 Katz returned to Germany along with Max Brauer and became Minister of Justice (1947–50) and Education (1948–49) in the State of Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
. He regained his German citizenship in November 1947 and represented Schleswig-Holstein in the Parlamentarischer Rat
Parlamentarischer Rat
The Parlamentarischer Rat was the West German constitutional convention that created the current constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany...
, (“Parliamentary Council”), the predecessor of the West German 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...
. In the negotiations of the German constitution Katz successfully proposed the invention of the Constructive vote of no confidence
Constructive vote of no confidence
The constructive vote of no confidence is a variation on the motion of no confidence which allows a parliament to withdraw confidence from a head of government only if there is a positive majority for a prospective successor...
, while his suggestion to limit the number of members of the Bundestag to 300 and to implement a minimum threshold of 10 percent of votes failed.
In 1951 Katz became the Chairman of the secondnd Senate and Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
The Federal Constitutional Court is a special court established by the Grundgesetz, the German basic law...
. He was elected a member of the executive board of the
International Commission of Jurists
International Commission of Jurists
The International Commission of Jurists is an international human rights non-governmental organization. The Commission itself is a standing group of 60 eminent jurists , including members of the senior judiciary in Australia, Canada, and South Africa and the former UN High Commissioner for Human...
at the New Delhi Congress
Declaration of Delhi
The New Delhi Congress or Declaration of Delhi was an international gathering of over 185 judges, lawyers, and law professors from 53 countries all over the world, united as the International Commission of Jurists that took place in New Delhi, India in 1959. The theme of the New Delhi Congress was...
in 1959.
Katz was married to Agnes Kühl in 1933. He died in Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
.