Leuschner, Wilhelm |
| POLITICIAN (GERMANY) |
|
BORN 15 Jun 1890, Bayreuth, Bayern - DIED 29 Sep 1944, Berlin-Plötzensee CAUSE OF DEATH executed GRAVE LOCATION Darmstadt, Hessen: Waldfriedhof (L-03c-007d (memorial only)) |
|
Wilhelm Leuschner was educated as a woodcarver and worked in Darmstadt in 1908 as a furniture maker. He married Elisabeth Batz and they had two children. He joined the freemasons and in 1919 he became the president of the labour union in Darmstadt. In 1928 he became Minister of the Interior of Hessen and he defended the democratic constitution. He collaborared closely with Carlo Mierendoff. After the nazis came to power in 1933 he stepped down. He was put in a concentration camp for a year and from 1939 he had contacts with resistance groups. He was supposed to become a member of the new cabinet after the attempt to murder Hitler in July, 1944. The plan failed and his wife was taken hostage to force him to surrender. He surrendered and was sentenced to death by a court presided by Roland Freisler. He was exuted at the Plötzensee prison on 29 Sep 1944. His name was put on the grave of Carlo Mierendorff at the Waldfriedhof in Darmstadt. Related persons • has a connection with Freisler, Roland • cooperated with Mierendorff, Carlo Events |
| 14/12/1946 | Premiere of Zuckmayer's "Des Teufels General" in Zürich. It was directed by Heinz Hilpert and the main character was based on Ernst Udet. The performance took place at the Schauspielhaus in Zürich. Gustav Knuth played the main part General Harris and Robert Bichler was Lieutenant Hartmann. Zuckmayer had finished the play in July 1945 in Barnard and dedicated it to his friends Theodor Haubach, Wilhelm Leuschner and Helmuth von Moltke who were all executed by the nazis. [Hilpert, Heinz][Udet, Ernst] |
| Images | |
 The grave of Carlo Mierendorff and memorial to Wilhelm Leuschner at the Waldfriedhof, Darmstadt. Picture by Androom (29 Apr 2013) |
 The grave of Carlo Mierendorff and memorial to Wilhelm Leuschner at the Waldfriedhof, Darmstadt. Picture by Androom (29 Apr 2013) |
