Bernhard Gehweiler
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Bernhard Gehweiler (born August 19, 1879 in Altlußheim ; † August 7, 1932 there ) was a member of the Baden state parliament in Karlsruhe , district councilor of the Schwetzingen district , mayor of Altlußheim, founder of the SPD local association and the cooperative consumer association Altlußheim. Due to his social commitment, he is known as the “Baden Raiffeisen ” because he conformed to his ideas.
Life
Bernhard Gehweiler was born in Altlußheim in 1879 as the son of a day laborer from Wiesental (today: City of Waghäusel ) . After attending the Altlußheim elementary school, he found work in the local tobacco industry. There he experienced the social problems and the sometimes inhuman work situations. This prompted him to get involved in society. In 1899 he founded the SPD local association Altlußheim.
In 1900 he was elected chairman of the SPD Altlußheim during his military service, which he served in Alsace , which was then still German . In 1901 he returned from his military service and found work in the Rhine shipping industry in Mannheim . Two years later, in 1903, he married Maria Kuppinger. In 1907 he became a member of the citizens' committee .
Bernhard Gehweiler was committed to improving the supply of food and everyday items. Due to the feeling that many consumers were being exploited by the then suppliers of food and beverages, Gehweiler decided to co-found a consumer cooperative and also took over the management. In 1911 he was elected to the town council of Altlußheim .
First World War and Weimar Republic
At the beginning of the First World War , Gehweiler fell into French captivity and was held in Corsica . Not until 1919 was he able to return to his home town of Altlußheim, in poor health . In spite of his long war captivity and his severe stomach ailment, he immediately took on social responsibility after his election to the local council: He was also a district councilor in the district of Schwetzingen and mayor of Altlußheim for nine years. He was involved in the expansion of the Altlußheim consumer cooperative . This self-help association ultimately had ten branches, including shops in Hockenheim , Neulußheim and Reilingen .
In 1921 he was elected to the Baden state parliament in Karlsruhe with an overwhelming majority . Gehweiler got involved for his fellow citizens, for example in the complaints committee . Due to his commitment, he was re-elected to the state parliament of the Republic of Baden in 1925. In 1928, however, he lost his office as mayor of Altlußheim when he was elected ; a bourgeois-communist agreement made a KPD member head of the community.
In 1929 he was re-elected to the state parliament of the Republic of Baden . He was very much appreciated by the representatives of the democratic parties. In 1931 Gehweiler had to undergo a serious operation due to a war suffering that had not been cured. But this did not bring any improvement or relief and he died in his birthplace in 1932. His funeral became a widely noticed event in Baden.
Newspaper people from all over Baden came to report, so that the funeral of the member of the state parliament not only became one of the largest funeral ceremonies in the region, but also a signal from the labor movement and a protest against the impending takeover of power by the National Socialists .
Historical meaning
Along with Emil Frommel and Heinz Hoppe, Bernhard Gehweiler is one of the personalities of the Rhine community of Altlußheim . Today he is a role model for social engagement. The state parliament member Gehweiler enjoyed great recognition in the state parliament of the Republic of Baden. As the founder of the SPD local association Altlußheim and the Altlußheim consumer cooperative, he recognized the needs of the time.
proof
- Portrait in Schwetzinger Zeitung from April 28, 2006 ( also to be read on the pages of the SPD local association Altlußheim )
Web links
- Speeches by Bernhard Gehweiler in the Baden State Parliament in the digital collections of the Baden State Library
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gehweiler, Bernhard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 19, 1879 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Altlussheim |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 7, 1932 |
| Place of death | Altlussheim |