Erich Koch-Weser(bornErich Koch;26 February 1875 – 19 October 1944) was a German lawyer and liberal politician. One of the founders (1918) and later chairman (1924–1930) of the liberalGerman Democratic Party,he served asminister of the Interior(1919–1921),vice-chancellor of Germany(1920) andminister of Justice(1928–1929).
Erich Koch-Weser | |
|---|---|
 Koch-Weser circa 1920 | |
| Vice-Chancellor of Germany | |
| In office 27 March 1920 – 21 June 1920 | |
| Chancellor | Hermann Müller |
| Preceded by | Eugen Schiffer |
| Succeeded by | Rudolf Heinze |
| Reich Minister of Justice | |
| In office 28 June 1928 – 13 April 1929 | |
| Chancellor | Hermann Müller |
| Preceded by | Oskar Hergt |
| Succeeded by | Theodor von Guérard |
| Reich Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 3 October 1919 – 10 May 1921 | |
| Chancellor | Constantin Fehrenbach Hermann Müller Gustav Bauer |
| Preceded by | Eduard David |
| Succeeded by | Georg Gradnauer |
| Member of the Reichstag (Weimar Republic) | |
| In office 1920–1930 | |
| Constituency | National list (1930) Berlin(1924–1930) Weser-Ems(1920–1924) |
| Member of theWeimar National Assembly | |
| In office 6 February 1919 – 21 May 1920 | |
| Constituency | Hesse-Nassau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Erich Koch 26 February 1875 Bremerhaven,Bremen,German Empire |
| Died | 19 October 1944(aged 69) Rolândia,Paraná,Brazil |
| Political party | German State Party |
| Other political affiliations | German Democratic Party(1918–1930) |
Early life
editErich Koch was born on 26 February 1875 inBremerhavenas the son of Dr. Anton Koch (1838–76), a Protestant headmaster of a higher girls' school, and his wife Minna (1841–1930, née Lewenstein), the daughter of aJewishmerchant from Burhave.[1]
Erich Koch studied law and economics at Lausanne, Bonn, Berlin and at theLudwig Maximilian Universityin Munich from 1893 to 1897 where he finished with aDr.jur.[1]
Erich Koch was married twice. In 1903, he married Bertha (1880–1923, née Fortmann). In 1925, he married Irma (1897–1970, née von Blanquet). He had four sons and one daughters from his first marriage and two sons from his second marriage.[1]
Political career
editIn 1901, he became Mayor ofDelmenhorst,in 1909Stadtdirektorin Bremerhaven and from 1913 to 1919 was Mayor ofKassel.He belonged to the left wing of theNational Liberal Party,was an admirer ofFriedrich Naumannand an advocate of abolishing the PrussianDreiklassenwahlrecht.He also served as a member of theUpper chamber of the Prussian diet.[1][2]
In November 1918, Koch was a founder-member of theGerman Democratic Party(DDP). In January 1919, he was elected to theWeimar National Assemblyfor the DDP and achieved a powerful position within the party's parliamentary group.[1]
When the DDP rejoined thegovernmentofGustav Bauer(SPD) in October 1919, Koch became Minister of the Interior (Reichsinnenminister). He kept that office under ChancellorsHermann Müller(SPD) andConstantin Fehrenbach(Zentrum). Under Müller, Koch was also Vice-Chancellor. He left the government on 4 May 1921 and worked as an attorney in Berlin.[1]
Koch was a member of theReichstagfrom 1920 to 1930.[2]In early 1924, Koch was elected as the successor ofCarl Wilhelm Petersenas chairman of the DDP. Although a member of the DDP's right wing on many issues, in the fall of 1924, Koch refused to enter into a coalition with the nationalisticDNVPand, after the first government of ChancellorHans Luthercollapsed in 1925, tried to set up a "Grand Coalition" between DDP and SPD (it was rejected by the Social Democrats).[1]
He changed his name to Koch-Weser (after the riverWeser) in 1927, to distinguish himself from another member of parliament whose name was also Erich Koch.[1]
In 1928, Koch-Weser became Minister of Justice in thenew governmentof Hermann Müller. He attempted a fundamental reform of criminal law, but as the Zentrum demanded the Justice department, Koch-Weser lost his position in April 1929.[1]
In the summer of 1930, Koch-Weser merged the DDP withArtur Mahraun'sYoung German Orderinto theDeutsche Staatspartei,trying to gather what remained of the pro-republican, Protestant middle-class in a single political party. After the poor performance of his new party in theSeptember 1930 election,Koch-Weser resigned from the Reichstag and from the leadership of the party.[1]
Later life
editKoch-Weser then left politics and worked as a lawyer in Berlin. After theNazisseized power, they banned him from practicing law in the fall of 1933. He emigrated toBrazilwhere he bought a large coffee plantation calledFazenda JanetanearRolândiain the state ofParaná.Koch-Weser died at Fazenda Janeta on 19 (or 20) October 1944.[1][2]
Erich Koch-Weser was the grandfather of formerWorld Bankexecutive and German politicianCaio Koch-Weser.He became the first ever honorary citizen of Delmenhorst in 1928.
References
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- Die Umgestaltung der beiden Häuser des Landtags,1918
- Einheitsstaat und Selbstverwaltung,1928
- Deutschlands Außenpolitik in der Nachkriegszeit 1919–29,1929 (Engl.:Germany in the Post-War World,1930)
- Und dennoch aufwärts!,1933
- Hitler and beyond, A German Testament,1945.