Bundesarchiv Bild 102-09383, Robert Schmidt

Robert Schmidt (15 May 1864 – 16 September 1943) was a German trade unionist, journalist,

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and member of the

Social Democratic Party of Germany 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 ...

. He served as the minister of ''Reichsernährungsminister'' (Alimentation), ''Reichswirtschaftsminister'' (Economic Affairs) and ''Reichsminister für Wiederaufbau'' (Reconstruction) in a number of cabinets of the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

Life

Robert Schmidt was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

on 15 May 1864. He was apprenticed as a

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

builder, and from 1890 to 1893 served as a member of the board of the association of piano builders of Berlin. From 1893 to 1902, he was

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

for the social-democratic newspaper ''

Vorwärts ''Vorwärts'' (, "Forward") is a newspaper published by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Founded in 1876, it was the central organ of the SPD for many decades. Following the party's Halle Congress (1891), it was published daily as ...

''. From 1893 to 1898 and from 1903 to 1918, Schmidt was a member of the '' Reichstag'' of the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

for the Social Democratic Party of Germany. In 1902, he was a member of the ''Generalkommission'' of German trade unions and from 1903 to 1910 was head of the ''Zentral-Arbeitersekretariat''. In 1918, he became ''Unterstaatssekretär'' of the ''Kriegsernährungsamt''. After the

German Revolution 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 ...

, he was elected to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

of the

(1919–20). He remained a member of the '' Reichstag'' until 1930. In 1919, Schmidt became ''Reichsernährungsminister'' (Minister for Alimentation/Food) in the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

of ''Ministerpräsident''

Philipp Scheidemann Philipp Heinrich Scheidemann (26 July 1865 – 29 November 1939) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the first quarter of the 20th century he played a leading role in both his party and in the young Weimar ...

. He continued to serve in the government as ''Reichswirtschaftsminister'' (minister for Economic Affairs) in the

Gustav Bauer Gustav Adolf Bauer (; 6 January 1870 – 16 September 1944) was a German Social Democratic Party leader and the chancellor of Germany from June 1919 to March 1920. He served as head of government for nine months. Prior to becoming head of gover ...

(1919–20). He retained this position in the cabinets of Hermann Müller, and

Joseph Wirth Karl Joseph Wirth (6 September 1879 – 3 January 1956) was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served for one year and six months as the chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922, as the finance minister from 1920 to 1921, a ...

from March 1920 to November 1922, interrupted only by the

Fehrenbach cabinet The Fehrenbach cabinet (German: ''Kabinett Fehrenbach'') was the fourth democratically elected ''Reichsregierung'' of the German Reich. It was named after ''Reichskanzler'' (chancellor) Constantin Fehrenbach and took office on 25 June 1920 wh ...

(June 1920 - May 1921), which excluded the SPD. In 1923, he was

vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

and minister for Reconstruction in the first cabinet of

Gustav Stresemann Gustav Ernst Stresemann (; 10 May 1878 – 3 October 1929) was a German statesman who served as chancellor in 1923 (for 102 days) and as foreign minister from 1923 to 1929, during the Weimar Republic. His most notable achievement was the reconci ...

. In 1929, he again served briefly as minister for Reconstruction in the second cabinet of Hermann Müller. Schmidt died on 16 September 1943 at Berlin.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Robert 1864 births 1943 deaths Politicians from Berlin People from the Province of Brandenburg Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians Vice-Chancellors of Germany Economy ministers of Germany Government ministers of Germany Members of the 9th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 11th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 12th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the 13th Reichstag of the German Empire Members of the Weimar National Assembly Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic