Ernst Christian Thiel

Ernst Christian Thiel (born August 1, 1860 in Gummersbach ; † November 8, 1932 in Merzig ) was mayor of Merzig-Stadt and -Land from 1887 to 1917. In 1910 he was appointed mayor for life.

Life

Ernst Christian Thiel was born in Gummersbach in 1860 as the son of Franz Christian Thiel and Emma. Hoestermann born. There and in Lennep he attended high school and then completed the preparatory service for the mayoral career with the royal Prussian government in Trier . Afterwards he was mayor of Kyllburg in the Eifel from 1884 to 1887 . Soon he had gained a reputation through his work with the royal Prussian administration. In July 1887 he was appointed by the government as mayor of Merzig-Stadt and Merzig-Land.

After his first wife Irene geb. Huland had died at an early age in November 1887, Ernst Christian Thiel married the oldest daughter of the director of the Merzig terracotta factory, Elly Spangenberg, on September 6, 1890. The family lived with their seven sons in a large house that they had built on the outskirts of Merzig at the foot of the Hohe Bergers. His participation in World War I , from which he returned with permanent health problems ( dysentery ), the painful loss of his three eldest sons in the first weeks of the war in 1914, and the early death of his wife Elly in April 1917 made him a broken man . Due to his poor physical and mental health, he resigned from his post on July 1, 1917, upon completing his 30th service anniversary.

In 1920 he was expelled from the French occupation because of his Prussian sentiments as the only Merziger. Only after a year did he return home - not least because of the initiative of the people of Merzig. Ernst Christian Thiel died on November 8, 1932 at the age of 72. He was buried in the Merzig cemetery on Probsteistraße.

Thiel Deuster family

Professional achievements

After Thiel was appointed mayor of Merzig-Stadt and -Land in 1887, he carried out, among other things, a restructuring of the local government. Dirt roads were paved, bridges were built and a slaughterhouse was built to better ensure supplies to the population. Merzig received a central water supply, the club life was strongly promoted. The city park was also laid out during his tenure.

Thiel placed particular emphasis on expanding the education system. He supported the establishment of the secondary school for girls and a teachers' college. Today's Peter-Wust-Gymnasium and the Gymnasium on Stefansberg had their origins here.

Through his efforts to build the Merzig-Waldwiese-Metz railway line and to found the Merzig-Büschfeld Railway, rail connections to Lorraine and the Hochwald were established - a future-oriented economic factor for the up-and-coming city.

Honors

In recognition of his services, Ernst Christian Thiel was elected mayor for life by the city council in 1910.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Exhibition on Ernst Christian Thiel opens at Museum Schloss Fellenberg. In: merzig.de. The mayor of the district town of Merzig, January 30, 2018, accessed on June 15, 2018 .

personal data
SURNAME	Thiel, Ernst Christian
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German politician, mayor of Merzig city and country
DATE OF BIRTH	August 1, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH	Gummersbach
DATE OF DEATH	November 8, 1932
Place of death	Merzig

[merzig-1] Exhibition on Ernst Christian Thiel opens at Museum Schloss Fellenberg. In: merzig.de. The mayor of the district town of Merzig, January 30, 2018, accessed on June 15, 2018 .