Robert von Puttkamer

Robert von Puttkamer
Robert von Puttkamer in 1879
Born	Robert Viktor von Puttkamer 5 May 1828 Frankfurt (Oder),Brandenburg
Died	15 March 1900 (aged 71) Karzin,Pomerania
Nationality	Prussian
Parent(s)	Heinrich von Puttkamer Luitgarde Agnes von Glasenapp

Robert Viktor von Puttkamer(5 May 1828 – 15 March 1900) was aPrussianstatesman,most prominent in his roles as Prussian minister of public education and worship in 1879 and as interior minister in 1881, under his brother-in-lawOtto von Bismarck.He also introduced reforms inGerman orthography.

Early career

Puttkamer was born atFrankfurt (Oder)in theProvince of Brandenburg.His father,Heinrich von Puttkamer,Oberpräsidentof theProvince of Posen,belonged to the widely extended noblePuttkamerfamily, of whichBismarck's wifeJohanna von Puttkamerand Puttkamer's own wife were also members. Robert von Puttkamer, after a short course of law, began his official career in 1850 asAuskultatorin the courts atDanzig,but in 1852 he entered the civil service, and after his promotion to the rank ofAssessorin 1854 he was given a post in the railway department of the ministry for trade and industry. In 1859 he became a member of the presidial council (German:Oberpräsidialrat) atCoblenz,capital of the PrussianRhine Province,and from 1860 to 1866 wasLandratatDemmininPomerania.

During theAustro-Prussian War,Puttkamer acted as civil commissary inMoravia.From 1867 to 1871 he was a councillor in the chancery of theNorth German Confederation.In 1871 he was appointed president of the government region ofGumbinneninEast Prussia,in 1875 department president (German:Bezirkspräsident/French:président du département) of theDepartment of Lorraine,and in 1877OberpräsidentofSilesia.From 1874 onward he was frequently elected to theReichstagand thePrussian Chamber of Deputies,in which he attached himself to theGerman Conservative Party.

Ministerial work

In 1879 Puttkamer was appointed Prussian minister of education and public worship, the chosen instrument of theClerical Conservativepolicy initiated by Bismarck when the Socialist peril made it expedient to conciliate the Catholic Centre. AsOberpräsidentof Silesia he had already done much to mitigate the rigour of the application of theMay Laws,and as minister of education and public worship, he continued this policy. He took measures against the undenominational schools, and made concessions to the orthodoxEvangelicals.

In 1881 Puttkamer was appointed Prussian minister of the interior. Hisreactionaryconservativetemper was in complete harmony with the views of Bismarck and theEmperor William,and with their powerful support he attempted, in defiance of modern democratic principles and even of the spirit of the constitution, to re-establish the old Prussian system of rigid discipline from above.

He was above all concerned to nip in the bud any tendencies in the civil service to revolt, and it was on his initiative that on 4 January 1882 a royal ordinance laid it down as the duty of all officials to give the government their unconditional support at political elections. In a vain effort to combatsocial democracy,he seriously interfered with the freedom to hold public meetings and attempted the forcible suppression of strike movements. However, he did carry out many useful administrative reforms.

Puttkamer's administration was intensely unpopular: it was attacked in theReichstag,not only by Radicals likeRichterandRickert,but also byNational LiberalslikeBennigsen.When the newEmperor Frederick III,whose liberal tendencies were notorious, succeeded to the throne, it was clear that it could not last. In spite of Bismarck's support, Puttkamer was forced to resign on 8 June 1888.

Late career

The reign of Frederick III lasted barely three months, and he was succeeded by his sonWilliam II,whose principles were those of his grandfather, and Puttkamer was largely rehabilitated. On 1 January 1889 he received theOrder of the Black Eagle.He was appointed asecular canon(German:Domherr) ofMerseburg,and in 1891 becameOberpräsidentof theProvince of Pomerania.In this office, which he held till 1899, he did useful work in collaboration with the provincial estates.

He died in 1900 on his estate atKarzinin Pomerania.

Reformer of German orthography

Puttkamer is also remembered as the author of the ordinance of the 21 January 1880 on the simplification ofGerman orthography.This was at first vigorously opposed, not least by Bismarck, himself; but its convenience soon became evident, it was increasingly put into practice, and was so well based that later reformers needed only to follow the lines laid down by Puttkamer.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Justus Hashagen (1911). "Puttkammer, Robert von".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 22 (11th ed.).
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Gilman, D. C.;Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905)."Puttkamer, Robert Viktor von".New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.