Wilhelm Boden
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Wilhelm Boden (5 March 1890 – 18 October 1961) was a German lawyer, civil servant and politician ( Centre Party & CDU). From 1946 to 1947 he was the first
Minister President A minister-president or minister president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments with a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government where they preside over the council of ministers. I ...
of
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
. He contributed substantially to the rebuilding of the administration and to the formation of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where he continued former Prussian administrative traditions. On 1 December 1946, Boden was appointed by the French military government as prime minister of the "Provisional Government" of Rheinland-Pfalz with the mission to prepare a draft constitution and conduct elections. After the election on 18 May 1947 he became minister president of a "transitional Cabinet" but failed to form a government; 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 t ...
denied him the coalition as he was considered controversial even within the party, so the leadership of the affairs of the newly created state passed to Peter Altmeier.


Early life

Boden was born on 5 March 1890 in
Grumbach Grumbach is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ...
in the district Birkenfeld. Wilhelm Boden was the fourth of the seven children of the notary Constantin Boden and his wife Emilie. In 1894 the family moved to the city of
Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
, where William also attended the humanistic Gymnasium. Subsequently, he studied law and political science at the
University of Bonn The Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (german: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn) is a public research university located in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the ( en, Rhine ...
and
University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
.


Career

After earning a doctorate, Boden began his career as a court assessor in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
and subsequently from 1917 he served as an assessor in multiple city administrations including Cologne,
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...
and Essen. He soon garnered praise and became well known for being a " '' ighly qualified and above average jurist. In October 1919, Boden was appointed the district head of
Altenkirchen Altenkirchen () is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, capital of the district of Altenkirchen. It is located approximately 40 km east of Bonn and 50 km north of Koblenz. Altenkirchen is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("co ...
. For several years he was the youngest district head in the Prussian state. Apart from this activity, Borden was very successful in politics as well. Already in 1919 he was in the Rhenish Provincial Parliament. From 1929 to 1933, the dedicated center politician served again to the County Council and 1931/32 the Prussian State Council. Since April 1932 to October 1933, he was also a member of the
Prussian Landtag The Landtag of Prussia (german: Preußischer Landtag) was the representative assembly of the Kingdom of Prussia implemented in 1849, a bicameral legislature consisting of the upper House of Lords (''Herrenhaus'') and the lower House of Represent ...
. With the coming to power of the Nazis, Boden's career was initially ended. He was relieved of his offices and retired. Despite being prosecuted and defamed by the Nazis and bombed twice in 1942 and 1944, the family survived the reign of terror. In April 1945, Boden was reinstated as head of the district Altenkirchen. However, his time in Altenkirchen was quickly over when on 6 June 1945 he was appointed district president of Koblenz. Even when the French took over the occupation zone, Boden was in office. In November 1945, the formation of a province Rhineland-Hesse-Nassau was decided and implemented on 2 January 1946, were Wilhelm Boden served as upper president. The further development that led to the founding of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, now went much more quickly. By Regulation No. 57, the new state was created on 30 August 1946 and the name of Boden from the beginning was proposed for the position of Minister president. After his proposals on the composition of the Cabinet had been accepted by of the French military authorities, Wilhelm Boden was appointed the first Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate on 1 December 1946. In his new role, Borden headed the All Party Cabinet, who led the political affairs during the sessions of the country's Constituent Assembly. Borden was primarily a highly qualified management expert who was but with his appearance—in tailcoat and Stehkragen—particularly by the correctness of his office and his work, a formative personality. He strove to form a government but the attempt was a failure. Not only with the other parties, but even in the CDU itself the difficulties and resistance grew against the new government under Boden. Being an experienced and highly qualified jurist he had brought his knowledge and skills in various political bodies from before the Second World War. In this extensive experience, the occupying powers of Rhineland-Pfalz intervened after the war immediately so that Boden from the outset was instrumental in the reconstruction of the country. As the first appointed Minister president, Boden accompanied the elaboration of the Constitution and its adoption by referendum. On 8 July 1947, he announced his resignation. After Boden resigned as Minister president, Peter Altmeier was unanimously elected as the new Minister president in Rhineland-Palatinate. From 1947 to 1959 Boden served as the president of the in Rheinland-Pfalz.


Death

Boden remained a member of the Rhineland-Palatinate regional parliament until his death in the year 1961.


Honors

In 1953, Boden was decorated with the Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boden, Wilhelm Centre Party (Germany) politicians Members of the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians People from Saarbrücken Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany People from the Rhine Province 1890 births 1961 deaths Jurists from Rhineland-Palatinate Government ministers of Germany University of Bonn alumni Ministers-President of Rhineland Palatinate