Franz Knapp (politician)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Franz-Wilhelm Knapp (born February 21, 1880 in Griesheim, today the city of Offenburg , † June 28, 1973 in Konstanz ) was a German administrative lawyer and politician ( Zentrum / BCSV / CDU ). He was Lord Mayor of Konstanz from 1946 to 1957 .

Life

After graduating from high school in Offenburg, Franz Knapp studied law in Freiburg, Munich, Heidelberg and Strasbourg. In 1904 he passed the first and in 1908 the second state examination. He joined the Baden judicial service. From 1908 he was a local judge and public prosecutor in Constance.

On May 13, 1927, he was elected first public prosecutor in Konstanz as the first mayor as deputy to the mayor Otto Moericke . With the beginning of National Socialist rule in 1933, Moericke, Knapp (center) and also the 2nd mayor Fritz Arnold were retired. When he was reappointed to the city council in 1933, he only obeyed on the condition that his ideological convictions were not affected. He was never a member of the NSDAP.

After the SS destroyed the Synagogue in Constance during the Night of the Reichspogrom , he, in his role as the city's legal advisor, asked the Jewish community to make payments for the removal of the rubble using civilian means.

As part of his function as municipal legal advisor, Knapp and the then mayor Mager advocated a Franco-German prisoner exchange. In 1941, around 23,000 people were able to enter Switzerland with a visa and thus were rescued from sometimes life-threatening situations in Germany, including many women and children.

He achieved great merits at the end of World War II, when he and other officials managed to save the city of Constance from destruction by the advancing French allies through courageous and prudent trade.

On May 12, 1945, the National Socialist city administration was relieved of its offices. Student councilor Josef Benz was appointed mayor and lawyer Franz Knapp was appointed mayor, plus five city councilors as advisory committee. Franz Knapp was classified as “unencumbered” by the Allies. In 1945/1946 five different mayors (Josef Benz, Vinzenz Kerle, Hans Schneider, Fritz Arnold, Franz Knapp) were appointed in Constance. The Advisory Committee unanimously elected Knapp Mayor of the city on May 2, 1946. On December 9, 1948, he was re-elected. At the age of 77 he resigned on December 10, 1957.

In 1946/1947 he was a member of the Advisory State Assembly of the State of Baden in Freiburg for the Baden Christian Social People's Party (BCSV) , which constituted the Baden state parliament . His grave is in the main cemetery in Konstanz .

The city of Konstanz withdrew his honorary citizenship in a symbolic act at the meeting of the city council on September 26, 2019.

Awards

Fonts

  • Margrit. A home story. Oberbadische Verlags-Anstalt Merk, Konstanz, 1941. 2nd edition 1948.

literature

  • Werner Häusler: Lord Mayor i. R. Dr. Franz almost 90 years old. In: Hegau. 27/28, 1970/71, pp. 384-385.
  • Werner Schenkendorf: Lord Mayor Franz Knapp. In: Konstanzer Almanach. Volume I. Stadler, Konstanz 1955, pp. 46-47.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Werner Breunig: Data Handbook Land Parliamentarians, 1945-1953 , P. Lang 1985, page 111
  2. ↑ Lake Constance books. Volume 2, issues 1–4, 1951, p. 56: “Lord Mayor Knapp for his 70th birthday”.
  3. ^ Paul Feuchte: Sources for the development of the constitution of the state of Baden from 1947. Volume 1. W. Kohlhammer, 1999, p. 61.
  4. ↑ Tobias Engelsing : Franz Knapp: Nazi desk offender and honorary citizen. In: Seemoz. June 25, 2015. (archive version)
  5. ↑ Handbook of Baden-Württemberg History, Volume 4 , p. 216.
  6. ↑ [1]
  7. ↑ [2]
  8. ↑ Meinrad Schaab , Hansmartin Schwarzmaier (ed.) U. a .: Handbook of Baden-Württemberg History . Volume 5: Economic and social history since 1918, overviews and materials, complete index. Edited on behalf of the Commission for Historical Regional Studies in Baden-Württemberg . Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-608-91371-2 , p. 740.
  9. ^ Current local council. In: konstanz.de. September 27, 2019, accessed July 3, 2020 . Stefan Fuchs: Nazi past: Konstanz municipal council recognizes honorary citizenship. In: schwaebische.de. October 2, 2019, accessed July 3, 2020 .
  10. ↑ Citizens' hearing on street renaming. Website of the city of Konstanz, June 23, 2020.

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Fritz Arnold Coat of arms Konstanz.svg Lord Mayor of Konstanz
1946–1957 		Alfred Diesbach
personal data
SURNAME Knapp, Franz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Knapp, Franz-Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German lawyer, politician, Lord Mayor of the City of Konstanz (1946–1957)
DATE OF BIRTH February 21, 1880
PLACE OF BIRTH Griesheim (Offenburg)
DATE OF DEATH June 28, 1973
Place of death Constancy