Alexander Beyer (politician)

Grave of Alexander Beyer in the old cemetery in Potsdam

Alexander Beyer (born February 25, 1813 ; † February 22, 1878 ) was a Prussian local politician, Lord Mayor of Potsdam and a member of the Prussian mansion .

Life

Beyer, the son of a government official, received his education at the Royal High School in Posen and in private lessons and then studied law at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin , which he graduated in 1834. Beyer entered the civil service and held positions as a councilor in Magdeburg , Düsseldorf , Berlin and Sigmaringen .

In 1851 the Potsdam city council elected him first mayor of the city, a year later he was appointed lord mayor by the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. From March 1852 to June 1854 Beyer took leave of absence and stayed in the Principality of Waldeck , returning to his in 1854 Position back and also received from the king the appointment of a member of the Prussian mansion as a representative of the city of Potsdam for life. In 1863 and 1875 the city council extended Beyer's term of office for a further twelve years.

During Beyer's tenure, the city grew during the industrialization phase. Since the Prussian king had his second residence in Potsdam, the court had an interest in not affecting the noble character of the city as a residence, civil servants and garrison town. Beyer had to balance this with a further development of the infrastructure and economic power for a significantly growing population.

Under Beyer's aegis, Potsdam received a gas station and gas-fired street lighting , central water supply and sewerage and the first observatories on Telegrafenberg in the south of the city from 1856 onwards . In addition, there were the Wilhelmsstift founded in 1865, the Friedrichsstift, the Catholic rescue and orphanage (both founded in 1868) and the St. Josephs Hospital built in 1872.

The city of Potsdam grew from around 34,000 inhabitants in 1861 to 40,000 inhabitants in 1881. New buildings were built in the Berlin suburbs and in the Brandenburg suburbs . The urban area grew through the incorporation of some manor districts.

Beyer died on February 22, 1878, three days before his 65th birthday in the 27th year of his tenure as Lord Mayor. He is buried in the old cemetery in Potsdam.

Honors

Beyer received the

• Red Eagle Order III. Class with a bow
• Cross of Merit 1st Class

The Beyerstrasse in Potsdam was named after him in 1879.

literature

Kristina Hübener: Urban development and administrative policy - Potsdam's Lord Mayor as the designer of a municipal service administration between 1850 and 1918/24; KWI Schriften 5 - The Potsdam City Council through the ages, pp. 75–96; Potsdam 2010 online (pdf; 187 kB)