Otto Geßler
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Otto Karl Gessler (or Geßler) (6 February 1875 – 24 March 1955) was a liberal German politician during 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 ...
. From 1910 until 1914, he was mayor of
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
and from 1913 to 1919 mayor of Nuremberg. He served in numerous Weimar cabinets, most notably as ''Reichswehrminister'' (Minister of Defence) from 1920 to 1928.


Early life

Otto Karl Gessler was born on 6 February 1875 in
Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a Cities of Germany, city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg (district), Lu ...
in the
Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...
as the son of the non-commissioned officer Otto Gessler and his wife Karoline (née Späth). He finished school in 1894 with the
Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
at the ''Humanistisches Gymnasium'' in
Dillingen an der Donau Dillingen an der Donau (; officially Dillingen a.d.Donau; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Swabia (Bavaria), Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative center of the district of Dillingen (district), Dillingen. Besides the town of Dillingen ...
. He studied law in
Erlangen Erlangen (; , ) is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 119,810 inhabitants (as of 30 September 2024), it is the smalle ...
,
Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...
and
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
and received his doctorate there in 1900. Initially, he worked for the judicial service of Leipzig. He then moved to
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
and served in various positions in the Bavarian justiciary (1903 clerk in the Bavarian Ministry of Justice, 1904 prosecutor in
Straubing Straubing (; Central Bavarian: ''Strauwing'') is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the Districts of Germany, district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Ba ...
, 1905 ''Gewerberichter'' in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
) before moving into public administration. In 1903, Gessler married Maria Helmschrott (died 1954).


Political career


Empire and Weimar Republic

Gessler was mayor of
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
from 1910 to 1914 and lord mayor of
Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
from 1913 to 1919. Because of reduced mobility due to a handicap he did not serve during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. He successfully headed the town administration of Nuremberg in the war years and contributed to the fact that there were no leftist takeovers in Nuremberg and
Franconia Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
the immediate aftermath of the war during the
German Revolution of 1918-19 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 Ger ...
. Gessler was close to
Friedrich Naumann Friedrich Naumann (25 March 1860 – 24 August 1919) was a German Liberalism in Germany, liberal politician and Protestant parish pastor. In 1896, he founded the National-Social Association that sought to combine liberalism, nationalism and ...
and became one of the founders of the DDP in November 1918. In October 1919, he was appointed as ''Reichsminister für Wiederaufbau'' ( Minister for Reconstruction) in the cabinet of
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. Prior to that, he was minister of labour in the last cabinet of the German Empi ...
. Gessler was not a staunch supporter of the new republic, describing himself as a "republican by reason" only. After the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch in March 1920 he assumed the office of ''Reichswehrminister'' (Minister of Defence) from
Gustav Noske Gustav Noske (9 July 1868 – 30 November 1946) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as the first Minister of Defence (''Reichswehrminister'') of the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1920. Noske was known for u ...
who was forced to resign as a result of the putsch. Gessler kept that position for the next eight years, despite numerous changes of government. As '' Reichswehrminister'' he worked closely with ''Chef der Heeresleitung''
Hans von Seeckt Johannes "Hans" Friedrich Leopold von Seeckt (22 April 1866 – 27 December 1936) was a German military officer who served as Chief of Staff to August von Mackensen and was a central figure in planning the victories Mackensen achieved for German ...
in setting up the ''
Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
'' and turning it into a modern army. Gessler did not see his role as controlling the military, but rather in cooperating with the military command staff, which for its part viewed the Reichswehr's position as an independent and autonomous "state within the state". From 1920 to 1924, Gessler was also a member of the Reichstag. Gessler played a key role in the 1923
German October The German October () was a plan of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (ECCI) to attempt a communist revolution in the Weimar Republic in October 1923, amidst acute political and economic crises in the country. The Communist P ...
. He and left-wing SPD premier of Saxony Erich Zeigner, an outspoken critic of the Wehrmacht, shared a mutual antipathy. Gessler and conservative elements considered the Saxon and Thuringian governments suspect due to their reliance on the Communist Party for a parliamentary majority. Tensions grew throughout August and September as public clashes increased and Gessler cut contact with Zeigner. In early October, he called for the federal government to exercise its emergency powers, granted in response to the ongoing economic crisis and
occupation of the Ruhr The occupation of the Ruhr () was the period from 11 January 1923 to 25 August 1925 when French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region of Weimar Republic Germany. The occupation of the heavily industrialized Ruhr district came in respons ...
, to depose the state government. In the interim, he handed executive power to the Wehrmacht commanders in the two states, who banned public gatherings and took control of the state police. At the same time, Gessler sought to avoid confrontation with the ultraconservative Bavarian government, who established a quasi-dictatorship in the latter months of the year and were known to be plotting a putsch against Berlin. The KPD were in fact planning a national uprising, and as preparation entered into coalition government in both Saxony and Thuringia alongside the SPD. However, after a joint conference in Chemnitz on 21 October indicated no desire for even a
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
among the left, plans were called off. Nonetheless, Chancellor
Gustav Stresemann Gustav Ernst Stresemann (; 10 May 1878 – 3 October 1929) was a German statesman during the Weimar Republic who served as Chancellor of Germany#First German Republic (Weimar Republic, 1919–1933), chancellor of Germany from August to November 1 ...
and the cabinet were swayed to Gessler's side and approved action; the state was occupied by the Wehrmacht on 22 October. Five days later, they demanded the formation of new governments in both Saxony and Thuringia without the Communists or else they would be deposed and Reich commissars installed to govern the states. While Thuringian premier August Frölich agreed to resign, Zeigner refused, stating that only the state parliament had the authority to force a change in government. The federal cabinet requested and received approval from President
Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as the first President of Germany (1919–1945), president of Germany from 1919 until ...
on 29 October to depose him. This intervention, combined with the lack of action against the rebellious Bavarian government, led the SPD to threaten to quit cabinet. Gessler encouraged their departure, stating that their continued presence further incited the Bavarians to action; a "negotiated solution" could only be reached with them out of the picture. Historian Heinrich August Winkler described his stance as "nothing less than a partial capitulation" to the Bavarian regime. The SPD parliamentary group voted to withdraw from cabinet, and the rump minority government fell less than a month later, ending Stresemann's tenure as Chancellor. From October to December 1925, Gessler also served as provisional Minister of the Interior and in May 1926 was Vice-Chancellor of Germany for a few days. In January 1927, the DDP voted against working with the coalition of the cabinet of
Wilhelm Marx Wilhelm Marx (15 January 1863 – 5 August 1946) was a German judge, lawyer, and politician who twice served as chancellor of Germany during the Weimar Republic, from 1923 to 1925 and again from 1926 to 1928. He also briefly held the position of ...
. To retain his position as Minister of Defence, Gessler left the party. After the accusation of financial anomalies in his ministry associated with the secret re-armament of the Reichswehr (also known as The Lohmann Affair) Gessler was forced to resign in January 1928. From 1928 to 1933, he was president of the ''Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge'' (''
German War Graves Commission The German War Graves Commission (, ) is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves in Europe and North Africa. Its objectives are acquisition, maintenance and care of German war graves; tending to next of kin; youth and ed ...
'') and of the ''Bund für die Erneuerung des Reiches''. From 1931 to 1933, Gessler was president of the ''Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland'' (VDA, today '' Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland'').


After 1933

After the ''
Machtergreifung The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...
'' of the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
in 1933, he retired from politics, in part due to ill health, and at first lived in seclusion at
Lindenberg im Allgäu Lindenberg im Allgäu ( Low Alemannic: ''Lindaberg'') is the second largest town of the district of Lindau in Bavaria, Germany. It is an acknowledged air health resort. History The town was first mentioned in 857, when two nobles donated in "Lint ...
. Later in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, however, he became a member of the resistance group around Franz Sperr, had contacts with the
Kreisau Circle The Kreisau Circle (German: ''Kreisauer Kreis'', ) (1940–1944) was a group of about twenty-five German dissidents in Nazi Germany led by Helmuth James von Moltke, who met at his estate in the rural town of Kreisau, Silesia. The circle was co ...
,“Otto Geßler”
“in Parliamentary Data Bank of the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte in the Bavariathek.
was included the resistance’s 1944 plans, and, in the event that the coup succeeded, was slated to be political commissioner in Military District VII (
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
) in the shadow cabinet of General
Ludwig Beck Ludwig August Theodor Beck (; 29 June 1880 – 20 July 1944) was a German general who served as Chief of the German General Staff from 1933 to 1938. Beck was one of the main conspirators of the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. ...
and
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (; 31 July 1884 – 2 February 1945) was a German conservative politician, monarchist, executive, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime. He opposed anti-Jewish policies while he held office and was op ...
. He was named in documents of
Claus von Stauffenberg Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Op ...
and was arrested two days after the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler of 20 July 1944. He was detained and tortured at
Ravensbrück concentration camp Ravensbrück () was a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945, located in northern Germany, north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück (part of Fürstenberg/Havel). The camp memorial's estimated figure of 1 ...
and then held at various Berlin prisons until his release in February 1945. After the end of World War II, Gessler became involved in humanitarian organizations. In 1949, he became president of the Bavaria Red Cross (a post he retained until his death) and in 1950 president of the
German Red Cross The German Red Cross (GRC) ( ; DRK) is the national Red Cross Society in Germany. During the Nazi era, the German Red Cross was under the control of the Nazi Party and played a role in supporting the regime's policies, including the exclusion ...
. He was instrumental in the post-war reconstruction of the organization, serving as president until 1952. From 1950 to 1955, Gessler was member of the Bavarian senate.


Death and legacy

Gessler died on 24 March 1955 in Lindenberg im Allgäu. In 1958, his memoirs ''Reichswehrpolitik in der Weimarer Zeit'' were published posthumously. The hospital in Lindenberg is named for Gessler.


Further reading

* Möllers, Heiner: ''Reichswehrminister Otto Geßler. Eine Studie zu "unpolitischer" Militärpolitik in der Weimarer Republik'' (= ''Europäische Hochschulschriften''. Reihe 3. ''Geschichte und ihre Hilfswissenschaften''. Bd. 794). Lang, Frankfurt am Main u.a. 1998, . *


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gessler, Otto 1875 births 1955 deaths People from Ludwigsburg German Democratic Party politicians Members of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic Ministers of the Reichswehr Mayors of Regensburg German War Graves Commission People from the Kingdom of Württemberg Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Ravensbrück concentration camp survivors German Red Cross personnel