Otto Graepel

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Otto Friedrich Graepel (born October 1, 1857 in Ovelgönne , † October 7, 1924 in Eutin ) was a German lawyer and politician .

Life and work

Otto Graepel was born in Ovelgönne on October 1, 1857, the son of Friedrich Graepel . He attended high school in Jever and studied law at the universities of Tübingen , Leipzig and Munich . After passing the two state examinations in law, he entered the Oldenburg state service in 1883 and was assigned to the Oldenburg Ministry of Justice in 1885 as an unskilled worker and secretary . In July 1887 he was appointed magistrate in Brake and in 1890 transferred to the Oldenburg regional court . Apparently he was not a judge and so in June 1895 he accepted the position of an administrative member of the management of the Grand Ducal Oldenburg State Railways . The job apparently corresponded to his desire for independence and practical organizational work. In the following years Graepel tried successfully to revive the port of Nordenham , which threatened to become deserted by the relocation of the operations of the North German Lloyd to Bremerhaven . He was involved in the negotiations on the settlement of new companies - the Deutsche Dampffischereigesellschaft Nordsee and the Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke - which brought about the renewed upswing of the port. His negotiating skills and organizational skills also made him a candidate for leadership roles in the state administration, especially since he had useful connections through his marriage. When the President of the Mühlenfels Railway Directorate resigned from office in 1899 due to serious conflicts with the state parliament , Graepel was his successor. Initially only appointed as railway director, in 1907 he was awarded the title of railway directorate. Favored by external circumstances, Graepel succeeded in resolving the differences with parliament and increasing the railroad's income to such an extent that it became an important factor in the state's finances.

Public offices

On January 3, 1916, due to his successful work, he was appointed Minister of Finance of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. Politically conservative , he turned against the parliamentarization of the government in October 1918, but then quickly submitted to the pressure of the situation and accepted the necessary constitutional changes, even if, according to his own statements, approval was difficult. In order to maintain continuity, he joined the state directorate of the Free State of Oldenburg on November 11, 1918 as a non-party specialist minister , which acted as the provisional government after the abdication of the Grand Duke. From June 21, 1919 until his voluntary retirement on September 9, 1921, he officiated in the state government led by Prime Minister Theodor Tantzen as Minister for Justice, Churches and Schools. On October 1, 1921, at his own request, he was appointed district court advisor in Eutin , the capital of the exclave of Lübeck in the Free State of Oldenburg . He died there of a heart condition three years later.

He was an honorary member of the Normannia Leipzig fraternity .

family

Graepel married Alida Sophie Elisabeth born on May 29, 1888. Tappenbeck (1864–1953), the daughter of the Oldenburg Minister of Justice Friedrich Tappenbeck (1820–1893). The couple had three sons.

See also

literature

personal data
SURNAME Graepel, Otto
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Graepel, Otto Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH October 1, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH Ovelgönne
DATE OF DEATH October 7, 1924
Place of death Eutin