Friedrich Wehmer (born
Plate
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), a broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
25 December 1885: died
Schwerin
Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...
7 February 1964) was a regional politician in Germany during the
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
period and a national politician in the
German Democratic Republic
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
after the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
.
Life
Early years
Friedrich Wehmer was born during the closing years of the
Bismarck era, near
Schwerin
Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...
, in the coastal region of central northern Germany. His father worked in forestry and in brick making. Wehmer was schooled locally between 1892 and 1900, and then trained for farm work till 1903. From then on he was employed intermittently by the Buchholz Forestry Office till 1941. In parallel to that, between 1912 and 1955 he worked a small holding on his own account as a tenant farmer.
Military service and politics
From 1905 till 1907 he undertook his military service, and was then called up in 1914 when the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
began, serving in the army till 1918. After the war he began to take an interest in politics. In the
revolutionary year of 1918 he joined a
workers' and soldiers' council. He returned to
Plate
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), a broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
and became chairman of his Forestry Office. In February 1919 he joined the
Social Democratic Party (SPD / ''Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands''). Later that year he also joined the
Agricultural Workers' Union.
[
In October 1919 Wehmer was elected ]mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of Plate
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), a broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
. He would retain that position till 1933. In 1920 he also became a member of the SPD
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been the ...
group in the regional assembly (Landtag) for the Mecklenburg-Schwerin
The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...
district.[ Again, he retained the position till 1933, becoming in 1923 the leader of the SPD group in the chamber. In connection with his political work Wehmer also served as chairman of the regional "Krankenkasse" (state mandated ]health insurance
Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...
provider). He was a member of the Mecklenburg-Schwein region Agriculture Chamber of Commerce and for the Agricultural Tribunal.
Nazi Germany and the aftermath
In January 1933 the NSDAP (Nazi party) seized power and moved fast to create a one-party state. As a member of the SPD
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been the ...
Friedrich Wehmer was, from the government's point of view, a member of the wrong party and he was relieved of all his official functions later in the year.[ He concentrated on forestry work, at least till 1941. After that, now aged 56, he took charge of the "Raifessen" (agricultural produce) cooperative in Plate, remaining in post till 1944. In July 1944 there was a serious (though unsuccessful) ]assassination attempt
This is a list of survivors of assassination attempts, listed chronologically. It does ''not'' include those who were heads of state or government at the time of the assassination attempt. See List of heads of state and government who survived as ...
against Reichs Chancellor Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
. One of the government's responses was "Operation Grill" (''"Aktion Gitter"'') which involved rounding up and interning large numbers of suspected dissidents. Wehmer was taken into "protective custody" (''"Schutzhaft"'') and held, locally. in the prison at Dreibergen (Bützow) till 1945. At the start of 1945 the population of Plate
Plate may refer to:
Cooking
* Plate (dishware), a broad, mainly flat vessel commonly used to serve food
* Plates, tableware, dishes or dishware used for setting a table, serving food and dining
* Plate, the content of such a plate (for example: ...
had stood at around 800. By August 1945 the figure had been swollen to as much as 2,400 by refugees streaming through, as part of the enforced relocation of millions of ethic Germans from parts of what had been Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
that were now controlled by the Soviet army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
and being integrated into Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Many of those passing through were sick and had lost children and parents. There was a desperate shortage of food and shelter.[ In political terms, although the entire region would end up in the ]Soviet occupation zone
The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a c ...
, when the fighting stopped in May 1945 Plate found itself at the meeting point of the American and Soviet forces.[ In the summer of 1945 ]typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
was rife.[ Into all this, on 16 August 1945, Friedrich Wehmer, recently released from prison, was returned by the occupation forces to the position of mayor from which he had been removed by the Nazis twelve years earlier.][ In October 1945 the local school was reopened, with just one classroom for 223 pupils and hardly any books: teaching took place in shifts.][
]
Postwar local politics
As soon as it became legal to do so, Wehmer had also rejoined the SPD
The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.
Saskia Esken has been the ...
, re-establishing a party committee in the village of Plate and becoming its chairman.[ He remained mayor, this time, only till April 1946. It was probably on account of his extensive experience with agriculture and the politics of land holding, and also because of his work as a regional deputy during the Weimar years that in September 1945 he was called upon to join the newly formed national Land Commission for the roll-out of ]land reform
Land reform is a form of agrarian reform involving the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution, generally of agricultural ...
across the Soviet occupation zone
The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a c ...
, which was now in the process of mutating into the German Democratic Republic
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, under Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ernst Paul Ulbricht (; 30 June 18931 August 1973) was a German communist politician. Ulbricht played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and later (after spending the years of Nazi rule in ...
with the backing of the Soviet military. At the same time, now no longer being the local mayor, he involved himself in the newly formed Peasants Mutual Aid Association (VdgB / ''Vereinigung der gegenseitigen Bauernhilfe''). In April 1946, following the forced merger in East Germany of the SPD (party) with the old KPD (Communist party), Wehmer became a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED / ''Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands'').[
Wehmer acted as the regional secretary of the VdgB from May 1946. In October 1946 he was ]elected Elected may refer to:
* "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973
* ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008
*The Elected, an American indie rock band
See also
*Election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...
to the regional assembly (Landtag) as a member of the VdgB. The VdgB was not, and never became, a conventional political party, but under the political system unfolding in the Soviet occupation zone
The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a c ...
it was one of the mass movements entitled to have members elected (or, later, nominated) to sit in regional and national assemblies. By this time he was already an executive committee member of the Landtag's Advisory Assembly. He continued as a member of the regional assembly till 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
. The Assembly itself limped on for only another two years before being abolished under a sweeping downgrade of local government institutions in 1952.
From 1947 till 1950, along with his work in the regional assembly, he was the chairman of the regional Ececutive of the VdgB in Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
. In November 1947 he was also voted on to the VdgB
The Peasants Mutual Aid Association (german: Vereinigung der gegenseitigen Bauernhilfe, VdgB) was an East German mass organization for peasants and farmers, later also gardeners. It was founded in the 1945–1946 period and was a participant in t ...
Central (i.e. national) Committee as a deputy chairman.[
]
National politics
Wehmer was part of the German People's Council ''(Volksrat)'' and the People's Chamber (National Assembly / ''Volkskammer'') which succeeded it in 1949, and from October 1950 till 1963 he was the Section leader of the VdgB group and comrade organisations. The National assembly was controlled (and its membership dominated) by the ruling SED party, but the presence in the National Assembly of members representing officially sanctioned mass organisations, including the VdgB, gave the assembly a greater measure of plurality. Between 1950 and 1958 he was also deputy chairman of the Volkskammer's Clemency Committee (''Gnadenausschuss'').
In November 1950 he was elected to the chairmanship of the VdgB
The Peasants Mutual Aid Association (german: Vereinigung der gegenseitigen Bauernhilfe, VdgB) was an East German mass organization for peasants and farmers, later also gardeners. It was founded in the 1945–1946 period and was a participant in t ...
Central committee, a position he retained till his death in 1964. He was also, between June 1954 and his death, a member of the Central Committee of the ruling SED (party).[
]
Awards and honours
* Master Builder
A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer).
Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...
(1951)
* Patriotic Order of Merit
The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...
in Silver (1954)Neues Deutschland
''Neues Deutschland'' (''nd''; en, New Germany, sometimes stylized in lowercase letters) is a left-wing German daily newspaper, headquartered in Berlin.
For 43 years it was the official party newspaper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany ...
, 7 October 1954, page 4
* Medal for Fighters Against Fascism (1958)
* Order of Karl Marx
The Order of Karl Marx () was the most important order in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The award of the order also included a prize of 20,000 East German marks.
The order was founded on May 5, 1953 on the occasion of Karl Marx's 135t ...
(1960)
A street has been named after him in his birth town.
Reading list
* Martin Broszat
Martin Broszat (14 August 1926 – 14 October 1989) was a German historian specializing in modern German social history. As director of the Institut für Zeitgeschichte (Institute for Contemporary History) in Munich from 1972 until his death ...
and others (edited): ''SBZ-Handbuch: Staatliche Verwaltungen, Parteien, gesellschaftliche Organisationen und ihre Führungskräfte in der Sowjetischen Besatzungszone Deutschlands 1945–1949''. Oldenbourg, Munich 1993, page 1053.
* Klaus Schwabe: ''Zwischen Krone und Hakenkreuz. Die Tätigkeit der sozialdemokratischen Fraktion im Mecklenburg-Schwerinschen Landtag 1919–1932''. Verlag A. Tykve, Böblingen 1994, page 199.
* Martin Schumacher: ''M.d.L. Das Ende der Parlamente 1933 und die Abgeordneten der Landtage und Bürgerschaften der Weimarer Republik in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus. Politische Verfolgung, Emigration und Ausbürgerung 1933–1945''. Droste, Düsseldorf 1995, page 172.
* Friederike Sattler: ''Wirtschaftsordnung im Übergang. Politik, Organisation und Funktion der KPD/SED im Land Brandenburg bei der Etablierung der zentralen Planwirtschaft in der SBZ/DDR 1945–52''. Lit, Münster 2002, page 969.
* Berit Olschewski: ''„Freunde“ im Feindesland. Rote Armee und deutsche Nachkriegsgesellschaft im ehemaligen Großherzogtum Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1945–1953''. BWV Verlag, Berlin 2008, page 528.
* ''Handbuch der Volkskammer der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik'', 3. Wahlperiode, Kongress-Verlag Berlin, 1959
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wehmer, Friedrich
1885 births
1964 deaths
People from Ludwigslust-Parchim
People from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians
Members of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Members of the Provisional Volkskammer
Members of the 1st Volkskammer
Members of the 2nd Volkskammer
Members of the 3rd Volkskammer
Peasants Mutual Aid Association members
Members of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
German Army personnel of World War I
German anti-fascists
Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in silver