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Franz Heinrich Köhler (29 September 1878 – 6 February 1949) was a German politician who served as Minister of Finance of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
in 1927/8. He also was the head of state (''Staatspräsident'') of the
Republic of Baden The Republic of Baden () was a German state during the Weimar Republic. It was formed as the successor to the Grand Duchy of Baden during the German revolution of 1918–1919 and formally dissolved in 1945. Today it is part of the federal state ...
in 1923/4 and 1926/7.


Early life

Köhler was born on 29 September 1878 in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
as the son of Karl Joseph Köhler (1847-1907) and Regina Köhler, née Helfrich (1854-1940). After finishing school (''Unterprima'') he started to work for the customs service of the
Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...
. By way of Catholic associations he became a politician of the '' Zentrum''. In 1911, he was made a member of the Karlsruhe city council (''Stadtverordnetenversammlung''). In 1913, he became a member of the 2nd chamber of the Baden ''Landesstände'' (estates or parliament). In 1915-18, during World War I, he was seconded to work as a customs official in German-occupied Belgium.


Political career in the Weimar Republic

Following the
German Revolution German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Köhler, who was a friend of
Joseph Wirth Karl Joseph Wirth (; 6 September 1879 – 3 January 1956) was a German politician of the Centre Party (Germany), Catholic Centre Party who was Chancellor of Germany#First German Republic (Weimar Republic, 1919–1933), chancellor of Germany fr ...
and belonged to the Zentrum's left wing, supported the party's involvement in the revolutionary Baden Provisional People's Government () and initially worked as the government's chief press officer. Following the resignation of the USPD ministers in early 1919, Köhler became a ''Staatsrat'' and head of cabinet for the president of the Republic, Anton Geiss. In 1920 he succeeded Wirth as Baden Minister of Finance, a position he held until 1927. In 1923/4 and 1926/7, he was also the head of state of Baden, or ''Staatspräsident''. In January 1927, Köhler became Reich Minister of Finance in the fourth cabinet of chancellor Wilhelm Marx (January 1927 to June 1928) and had to resign his posts in Baden. From 1928 until the summer of 1932 Köhler was a member of the Reichstag.


Later life

In 1932, Köhler left active politics and worked in the private economy until the start of World War II. After the war, Köhler joined the
Christian Democratic Union of Germany The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ( , CDU ) is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is the major party of the centre-right in German politics. Friedrich Merz has been federal chairman of the CDU since 31 ...
(CDU) and in September 1945 succeeded Karl Holl as head of the civilian administration in U.S.-occupied Baden. Following the merger of Nordbaden and Nord-Württemberg, he became Deputy Minister President of the government at
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
. In spring 1946, Köhler became Minister of the Economy and in December 1946 Minister of Finance. He held that office, as well as that of ''Landespräsident of Nordbaden'', until his death. In addition, Köhler was a member of the ''Länderrat'' of the U.S. occupation zone and (for a short period in 1947) the representative of Württemberg-Baden in the Executive Council of the (American/British) bizone. He left the latter to protest positions taken by
Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman and politician who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of th ...
and
Ludwig Erhard Ludwig Wilhelm Erhard (; 4 February 1897 – 5 May 1977) was a German politician and economist affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Chancellor of Germany (1949–), chancellor of West Ge ...
. Köhler was married twice, to Rosa Hauck (b. 1878, d. 1911) and Elsa Förster (b. 1887, d. 1978). He had two sons from his first marriage, as well as two sons and a daughter from the second. Köhler died in Karlsruhe on 6 February 1949.


Works

* ''Finanzen des Reichs, der Länder und Gemeinden'' (with A. Bund), in: Staatslexikon, II, 1927, pp. 4; * ''Lebenserinnerungen des Politikers und Staatsmannes Heinrich Köhler'', 1878-1949, ed. by J. Becker, 1964.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kohler, Heinrich 1878 births 1949 deaths Finance ministers of Germany German Roman Catholics People from the Grand Duchy of Baden Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic Members of the Reichstag 1928–1930 Members of the Reichstag 1930–1932 Centre Party (Germany) politicians Christian Democratic Union of Germany politicians