Fehrenbach, Constantin (1852-1926)

Fehrenbach, Constantin

POLITICIAN (GERMANY)

BORN 11 Jan 1852, Wellendingen, Baden - DIED 26 Mar 1926, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg
GRAVE LOCATION Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg: Hauptfriedhof, Friedhofstraße (Feld 54)

Constantin Fehrenbach was the son of a school teacher. He was intended to become a priest and studied catholic theology in Freiburg. But he didn't like celibacy and switched to studying law. In 1879 he married Marie Hossner (1855-1921), the daughter of a lawyer. After working as a clerk he set up as a lawyer in Freiburg in 1882, mostly defending criminals. He was politically active and joined the city council of Freiburg in 1884. From 1885 to 1887 and after 1901 he was also politically active at the level of the state of Baden.

In 1903 he was elected into the German Reichstag and in 1907 he was elected president of the Second Chambter in Baden, supported by the conservatives and the liberals. He held that position until 1908. In 1913 his speach against a military state within the state ade him famous. During the First World War he supported the chancellor Bethmann's castle peace policy ('Burgfriedenspolitik'),

In June 1918 he was elected president of the Reichstag. After the fall of the monarchy he became the president of the the National Assembly in Weimar. After the elections of 1920 he accepted the chancellorship after some hesitation. After the negotiations about the reparation payments by German divided his cabinet he resigned on 4 May 1921. He remained politically active until his death in 1926.

Images

The grave of Konstantin Fehrenbach at the Hauptfriedhof, Freiburg im Breisgau.
Picture by Androom (04 Sep 2008)