Hermann Kastner (1886–1957) was a German politician and served as the deputy prime minister of East Germany between 1949 and 1950. He cofounded Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD). He defected and obtained political asylum from West Germany shortly before he died in Munich.
Kastner was born in Berlin on 25 October 1886.[1] His father was a teacher.[1] After graduating from a high school in Berlin in 1904 he received a degree in law and economics from the University of Berlin in 1908.[1] Next year he obtained his doctorate degree in law from the University of Jena with a dissertation on the Reich Vaccination Law of 1874.[1] In his thesis Kastner adopted a liberal approach towards the vaccination laws arguing that compulsory vaccination should be removed and that those who did not want to be vaccinated should only be charged an amount of money.[2]
Career and activitiesedit
Kastner worked at different city councils between 1912 and 1917.[1] He joined the Prince Leopold Academy for Administrative and Constitutional Law in Detmold as a professor of law and was the president of the Imperial Cities Association from 1917 to 1919.[1][3] He became a member of the German Democratic Party (DDP) in 1918 and began to work as a lawyer in Dresden from 1920.[1] He was elected to the Saxony State Parliament in 1922 for the DDP, and his tenure lasted until 1930.[1] He continued to serve at the Parliament between 1930 and 1933 during which he represented the German State Party.[1]
Kastner cofounded the Democratic Party of Germany in 1945 which was renamed as the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany in August that year.[1] He was the president of the Saxony Bar and Notary Association from 1945 to 1946 and the chairman of the Saxony State Association of the LDPD from 1945 to 1947.[3] He was a member of the Presidium of the Consultative Assembly of Saxony in 1946 and the member of the Saxon State Parliament for the LDPD between 1946 and 1950.[1] He served as the vice president of the Parliament from 1946 to 1948.[1] He was the minister of justice in the cabinets led first by Rudolf Friedrichs and then by Max Seydewitz between 14 December 1946 and 10 April 1948.[3] He was also the deputy prime minister of Saxony.[1]
Kastner was named as the first deputy chair of LDPD in April 1948 and held the post until 1949.[3] He became its chair along with Karl Hamann in October 1949, and his tenure lasted until July 1950.[3][4] During this period he was also a deputy in the Provisional People's Chamber.[3] He was appointed deputy prime minister of East Germany as part of the cabinet led by Prime MinisterOtto Grotewohl in October 1949 and was in office until July 1950.[4] Kastner was succeeded by Heinrich Rau as deputy prime minister in November 1950.[5]
Kastner was expelled from the LDPD on 25 July 1950.[3] The reason for his removal from both the post of deputy premiership and from the LDPD was the defection of his son to West Germany on 18 April 1950.[6][7] Kastner was rehabilitated in 1951.[3] He was named as the chairman of the Promotion Committee for Intelligence at the East German Council of Ministers with the rank of state secretary in 1951 which he held until 1955.[3] He visited the Soviet Union before Stalin's death and met with Stalin in Crimea which was arranged by Vladimir Semyonov.[7]
Personal life, later years and deathedit
Kastner converted to Catholicism in 1935.[1] His first wife divorced him in 1944.[6] He had a son who defected to West Germany in April 1950 and a daughter from this marriage.[6][7] His second wife was Trude Mirtsching, a stenographer.[6]
Kastner left East Germany with his wife in September 1956, and they received political asylum from West Germany in October 1956.[3][8] He died of heart attack in Munich on 4 September 1957 when he was on a train.[8][9]
Years later it was revealed that Kastner was the leading informer of the Gehlen Organization, an intelligence agency established by the USA following the end of World War II.[7]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghijklmn"Hermann Kastner 1886–1957". Lebendiges Museum Online (in German).
^ abcdefghijKarsten Jedlitschka (21 September 2005). "Hermann Kastner". Sächsische Biografie (in German). Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^ abUrsula Hoffmann-Lange (1971). Die Veränderungen in der Sozialstruktur des Ministerrates der DDR: 1949-1969 (in German). Düsseldorf: Droste Verlag. pp. 60, 75. ISBN978-3-7700-0281-8.
^"The Director of the Berlin Element, HICOG (Page) to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany, at Frankfort". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^ abcd"Foreign News: You'll Hear From Me". Time. 1 May 1950. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^ abcd"East Europe Report. Political, sociological and military affairs" (PDF). FBIS. 18 June 1984. p. 29. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^ ab"Hermann Kastner East German Aide, 70". The New York Times. Bonn. 10 September 1957. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^"Dr. Hermann Kastner". The Times. 10 September 1957. p. 10. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
External linksedit
Media related to Hermann Kastner at Wikimedia Commons
December 20, 2023
hermann, kastner, 1886, 1957, german, politician, served, deputy, prime, minister, east, germany, between, 1949, 1950, cofounded, liberal, democratic, party, germany, ldpd, defected, obtained, political, asylum, from, west, germany, shortly, before, died, muni. Hermann Kastner 1886 1957 was a German politician and served as the deputy prime minister of East Germany between 1949 and 1950 He cofounded Liberal Democratic Party of Germany LDPD He defected and obtained political asylum from West Germany shortly before he died in Munich Hermann KastnerDeputy Prime MinisterIn office 11 October 1949 July 1950Prime MinisterOtto GrotewohlPreceded byOffice establishedSucceeded byHeinrich RauPersonal detailsBorn25 October 1886Berlin German EmpireDied4 September 1957 1957 09 04 aged 70 Munich West GermanyPolitical partyGerman Democratic PartyGerman State PartyLiberal Democratic Party of GermanyAlma materUniversity of BerlinUniversity of Jena Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career and activities 3 Personal life later years and death 4 References 5 External linksEarly life and education editKastner was born in Berlin on 25 October 1886 1 His father was a teacher 1 After graduating from a high school in Berlin in 1904 he received a degree in law and economics from the University of Berlin in 1908 1 Next year he obtained his doctorate degree in law from the University of Jena with a dissertation on the Reich Vaccination Law of 1874 1 In his thesis Kastner adopted a liberal approach towards the vaccination laws arguing that compulsory vaccination should be removed and that those who did not want to be vaccinated should only be charged an amount of money 2 Career and activities editKastner worked at different city councils between 1912 and 1917 1 He joined the Prince Leopold Academy for Administrative and Constitutional Law in Detmold as a professor of law and was the president of the Imperial Cities Association from 1917 to 1919 1 3 He became a member of the German Democratic Party DDP in 1918 and began to work as a lawyer in Dresden from 1920 1 He was elected to the Saxony State Parliament in 1922 for the DDP and his tenure lasted until 1930 1 He continued to serve at the Parliament between 1930 and 1933 during which he represented the German State Party 1 Kastner cofounded the Democratic Party of Germany in 1945 which was renamed as the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany in August that year 1 He was the president of the Saxony Bar and Notary Association from 1945 to 1946 and the chairman of the Saxony State Association of the LDPD from 1945 to 1947 3 He was a member of the Presidium of the Consultative Assembly of Saxony in 1946 and the member of the Saxon State Parliament for the LDPD between 1946 and 1950 1 He served as the vice president of the Parliament from 1946 to 1948 1 He was the minister of justice in the cabinets led first by Rudolf Friedrichs and then by Max Seydewitz between 14 December 1946 and 10 April 1948 3 He was also the deputy prime minister of Saxony 1 Kastner was named as the first deputy chair of LDPD in April 1948 and held the post until 1949 3 He became its chair along with Karl Hamann in October 1949 and his tenure lasted until July 1950 3 4 During this period he was also a deputy in the Provisional People s Chamber 3 He was appointed deputy prime minister of East Germany as part of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Otto Grotewohl in October 1949 and was in office until July 1950 4 Kastner was succeeded by Heinrich Rau as deputy prime minister in November 1950 5 Kastner was expelled from the LDPD on 25 July 1950 3 The reason for his removal from both the post of deputy premiership and from the LDPD was the defection of his son to West Germany on 18 April 1950 6 7 Kastner was rehabilitated in 1951 3 He was named as the chairman of the Promotion Committee for Intelligence at the East German Council of Ministers with the rank of state secretary in 1951 which he held until 1955 3 He visited the Soviet Union before Stalin s death and met with Stalin in Crimea which was arranged by Vladimir Semyonov 7 Personal life later years and death editKastner converted to Catholicism in 1935 1 His first wife divorced him in 1944 6 He had a son who defected to West Germany in April 1950 and a daughter from this marriage 6 7 His second wife was Trude Mirtsching a stenographer 6 Kastner left East Germany with his wife in September 1956 and they received political asylum from West Germany in October 1956 3 8 He died of heart attack in Munich on 4 September 1957 when he was on a train 8 9 Years later it was revealed that Kastner was the leading informer of the Gehlen Organization an intelligence agency established by the USA following the end of World War II 7 References edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hermann Kastner 1886 1957 Lebendiges Museum Online in German Malte Thiessen 2021 Security Society and the State Historical Social Research 46 4 229 JSTOR 27081881 a b c d e f g h i j Karsten Jedlitschka 21 September 2005 Hermann Kastner Sachsische Biografie in German Retrieved 2 August 2023 a b Ursula Hoffmann Lange 1971 Die Veranderungen in der Sozialstruktur des Ministerrates der DDR 1949 1969 in German Dusseldorf Droste Verlag pp 60 75 ISBN 978 3 7700 0281 8 The Director of the Berlin Element HICOG Page to the Office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany at Frankfort Office of the Historian Retrieved 2 August 2023 a b c d Foreign News You ll Hear From Me Time 1 May 1950 Retrieved 2 August 2023 a b c d East Europe Report Political sociological and military affairs PDF FBIS 18 June 1984 p 29 Retrieved 2 August 2023 a b Hermann Kastner East German Aide 70 The New York Times Bonn 10 September 1957 Retrieved 2 August 2023 Dr Hermann Kastner The Times 10 September 1957 p 10 Retrieved 2 August 2023 External links edit nbsp Media related to Hermann Kastner at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hermann Kastner amp oldid 1185902837, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
