Matthias Joseph Mehs

Matthias Joseph Mehs (born October 12, 1893 in Wittlich ; † April 7, 1976 ), called "Mehse Matti", was a German politician ( center , later CDU ), mayor of Wittlich, innkeeper and local writer .

Life

Mehs was a member of the Center Party in the Weimar Republic and represented it in Wittlich's city parliament from 1929 to 1933. He was also group leader of his party during this time. As such, Mehs prevented Adolf Hitler from becoming an honorary citizen of Wittlich in 1933 through his cunning delaying tactics . When the NSDAP applied for honorary citizenship to the city council , Mehs suggested setting up a committee to examine Adolf Hitler's merits for the city. Since the members of the NSDAP elected to the new committee did not attend the meetings, no proposal was made to the city council. The application to make Hitler an honorary citizen of Wittlich was never dealt with conclusively.

An interesting source for life in Wittlich during the Third Reich are his diaries, in which he recorded precise observations.

In 1945 Mehs founded the CDU in the city and district of Wittlich, from 1946 to 1953 he was honorary mayor of the city and a member of the district council. From 1953 to 1957 he was an alderman for the city of Wittlich.

Mehs belonged to the German Bundestag in its first legislative period . He represented the constituency of Bitburg in parliament.

In 1950, during his tenure as mayor, he established the Wittlich Säubrennerkirmes . In 1966 he was given honorary citizenship of the city of Wittlich. MJ Mehs owned an extensive library with some very rare literature on Wittlich and the region, which he bequeathed to the city and which is still available there today.

Works

• Wittlicher reading book. Collected Writings. Wittlich: City Administration, 1993
• Diaries. November 1929 to September 1946. Ed. Günter Wein and Franziska Wein, Trier 2011 ( Kliomedia ).

literature

• Rudolf Vierhaus , Ludolf Herbst (eds.), Bruno Jahn (collaborators): Biographical manual of the members of the German Bundestag. 1949-2002. Vol. 1: A-M. KG Saur, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-598-23782-0 , p. 548.
• Gregor Brand: Children of the Eifel - from another time II (edited by Prof. Dr. Dr. hc mult. Hermann Simon (manager) ). ISBN 9783752830842 , pp. 297-298.