Wilhelm Kaiser (politician)

Wilhelm Kaiser (born February 20, 1877 in Medebach , † August 24, 1961 in Dortmund ) was a Prussian politician . From 1919 to 1936 he was treasurer of the city of Dortmund.

Live and act

Wilhelm Kaiser was born on February 20, 1877 in Medebach in the Sauerland region as the son of a couple who owned a court and brewery. He attended elementary school in Medebach up to the age of 13, after which he attended the rectorate school in Fredeburg for a year . His parents prepared him for attending a high school by means of private lessons. From 1892 he attended the upper secondary school at Petrinum Brilon , where he passed the Abitur in 1897. He initially studied mathematics for two semesters in Marburg , but then switched to natural sciences in Münster . There he passed the state examination for teaching in 1901 and worked for nine months at the Physics Institute, where he also received his doctorate in 1903. From 1897 he was a member of the Catholic student association VKDSt. Rhenania Marburg .

At Easter 1902 he began the preparatory service for the higher school service at the Reformrealgymnasium Iserlohn . The following year he passed the philological state examination in mathematics and physics. For the probationary year he switched to the Altena Realgymnasium . From 1904 he worked as a senior teacher at the secondary school in Bochum . On August 8 of the same year he married Johanna Breme (born August 29, 1879 in Recke; † April 21, 1964). The couple had three children together: Heinrich (born February 5, 1907 in Bochum), Clemens (born August 8, 1908 in Bochum) and Maria (born January 31, 1911 in Dortmund). After successfully applying, he worked as a district school inspector for the Dortmund district from November 1, 1909. On June 1, 1911, he was appointed to the city school council in Dortmund.

During the First World War, the city of Dortmund suffered from supply problems. Due to his agricultural origins, Kaiser was appointed head of department in the town's war economy office and was responsible for supplying the population with basic foodstuffs. In addition, he was briefly responsible for the administration of the city hospitals. Since he had proven himself in administrative tasks, he was appointed city treasurer on October 13, 1919 as a magistrate. When unemployment rose in Dortmund in the second half of the 1920s, Kaiser suggested merging Dortmund with the city and the district of Hörde to relieve the municipal coffers. the incorporations took place in 1928 and 1929 respectively.

Wilhelm Kaiser was also politically active. He was a member of the Center Party and temporarily took over the chairmanship of the Dortmund city association. In 1919 and 1920 he was a member of the Dortmund city council. In 1921 he was elected to the Westphalian Provincial Parliament and from there delegated to the Prussian State Council .

With the National Socialist " seizure of power " he lost his political offices, but remained treasurer of the city of Dortmund. Although there were political reservations from the new rulers, they themselves could not find a suitable candidate for the office. In 1936 Kaiser himself asked for early release into retirement and was transferred to this on April 1 of the same year. He now primarily took care of church-charitable institutions such as the St. Johannes Hospital , the Christinenstift, the St. Vincenz Home and the Elisabeth Orphanage. In 1944 he moved to Herdecke .

Immediately after the Second World War, he was appointed city treasurer by the acting mayor Hermann Ostrop . On October 1, 1947, he was given final retirement, but took over the office again from August 30, 1948 to April 30, 1949, after his successor became seriously ill.

Wilhelm Kaiser died on August 24, 1961 at the age of 84 in Dortmund. Four days later he was buried in the south west cemetery in Dortmund .

Honors

On February 20, 1957, Kaiser was granted honorary citizenship and the ring of honor of the city of Dortmund .

literature

• Dieter Knippschild: Kaiser, Wilhelm . In: Hans Bohrmann (Ed.): Biographies of important Dortmunders. People in, from and for Dortmund . tape 3 . Klartext, Essen 2001, ISBN 3-88474-954-4 , p. 101 ff .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Dieter Knippschild: Kaiser, Wilhelm . In: Hans Bohrmann (Ed.): Biographies of important Dortmunders. People in, from and for Dortmund . tape 3 . Klartext, Essen 2001, ISBN 3-88474-954-4 , p. 101 ff .