Gebhard Müller

Gebhard Müller
2nd Minister President of Baden-Württemberg
In office September 30, 1953 – December 9, 1958
Preceded by	Reinhold Maier
Succeeded by	Kurt Georg Kiesinger
3rd President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
In office January 8, 1959 – December 8, 1971
Preceded by	Josef Wintrich
Succeeded by	Ernst Benda
Personal details
Born	(1900-04-17)17 April 1900 Füramoos, Kingdom of Württemberg
Died	7 August 1990(1990-08-07) (aged 90) Stuttgart, West Germany
Nationality	Germany
Political party	CDU
Alma mater	University of Tübingen

Gebhard Müller (17 April 1900 – 7 August 1990) was a German lawyer and politician (CDU). He was President of Württemberg-Hohenzollern (1948–1952), Minister President of Baden-Württemberg (1953–1958) and President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany (1959-1971).
He was born in Füramoos and died in Stuttgart.

Educational career

Gebhard Müller was the fifth child of a teacher from Oberschwaben and lived in his birthplace Füramoos until 1906, from then in his father's new place of work Ludwigsburg. He attended the Catholic elementary school in Ludwigsburg and later the Gymnasium in Rottweil. In the last year of World War One he was drafted and served in the Ludwigsburg barracks without having to march out. In 1919 Müller started studying theology, history and philosophy at the University of Tübingen. He later switched to law and political science and passed his doctoral degree exam in the latter. Müller served as a legal clerk at the local district court in Ludwigsburg, the regional court and the Office of Public Prosecutor in Stuttgart, at the Oberamt Ludwigsburg and at a law firm.

Legal and military service

In June 1929 he served as deputy judge of local court in Stuttgart and Tübingen, prior to an intermittent leave of absence from civil service, which allowed him, from 1930 to 1933, to work as a tax consultant to the administration of the diocese of Rottenburg. In 1933 Müller returned to the civil service and served as judge of local courts in different Württemberg towns. Although he never became a member of the Nazi Party, he joined a number of Nazi organizations, such as the Association of German National Socialist legal Professionals. When on November 9, 1938 in the so-called Reichspogromnacht Müller filed charges against a Landrat (district chief executive), who had refused fire brigade operation at the burning Göppingen synagoge, he was transferred to the Stuttgart district court.
Shortly before the start of World War Two Gebhard Müller was drafted and took part in the campaign in France as a camp office clerk.