Goerdeler opposed the national socialist racial ideology. He left the DNVP in 1931 when this party began to cooperate with the Nazi party. After 1933, Goerdeler was one of very few politicians in opposition to the ruling NSDAP. When the Nazis in 1936 ordered the demolition of a monument to the Jewish composer Felix Mendelssohn, Goerdeler tried to achieve its re-erection. After failing that he declined to accept his reelection and resigned from office.
Afterwards, Goerdeler assembled conservative politicians in opposition to Hitler. They developed a future constitution for Germany and even a list of potential ministers. However, Goerdeler was heavily criticised by other members of the German resistance (for example by some members the Kreisau Circle) for objecting to killing Hitler, for his sympathy for reintroducing monarchy, and for his extremely anti-communist ideology.
On July 17, 1944, a warrant for Goerdeler's arrest was issued. Goerdeler managed to escape but he was apprehended on August 12 of the same year after being denunciated by an innkeeper. On September 9 he was sentenced to death. He was tortured for months by the Gestapo, which hoped to find out the names of other conspirators. He was finally executed on February 2, 1945 by decapitation.
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (July 31, 1884 – February 2, 1945) was a conservative German politician and opponent of the Nazi regime.
Goerdeler was born in Schneidemühl, Germany (modern Piła, Poland) in what was then the Prussian Province of Posen, to a family of Prussian officials.
However, Goerdeler was heavily criticised by other members of the German resistance (for example by some members the Kreisau Circle) for objecting to killing Hitler (who Goerdeler wanted to see tried; Goerdeler had no objection to Hitler being executed after his conviction), for his sympathy for reintroducing monarchy, and for his extremely anti-communist ideology.
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