Eugen Karl Albrecht Gerstenmaier (born 25 August 1906 in Kirchheim unter Teck; died 13 March 1986 in Bonn) was a German Evangelical theologian, resistance fighter in the Third Reich, and a CDU politician. From 1954 to 1969, he was President of the (West) German Bundestag. August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bonn is a city in Germany (19th largest), in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the north of the Siebengebirge. ... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... Widerstand (German: resistance) is the name given to the resistance movements in Nazi Germany. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest conservative political party in Germany. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... West Germany was the informal but almost universally used name for the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 until 1990, during which years the Federal Republic did not yet include East Germany. ... The Bundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ...

Life, career, resistance

After training as a salesman, Gerstenmaier did his Abitur and then studied philosophy, German language and literature, and Evangelical theology in Tübingen, Rostock and Zurich. In 1934, he was detained for a short time for being a member of the Confessing Church. In 1935, he became Theodor Heckel's assistant in the German Evangelical Church's office for outside affairs. After the Munich Conference in 1938, Gerstenmaier joined the resistance group about the Kreisau Circle. Salesman is a 1969 cinema verité documentary film which follows four salesmen of expensive Bibles door-to-door in a low-income neighborhood which cannot afford expensive Bibles. ... Abitur is the word commonly used in Germany for the final exams young adults (aged 18 or 19) take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... German literature comprises those literary texts originating within Germany proper and written in the German language. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (German: Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, sometimes quotes as Eberhardina) is a public university located on the Neckar river, in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Rostock (Slavic origin: roztoka) is a city in northern Germany. ... Location within Switzerland   Zürich[?] (German pronunciation IPA: ; usually spelled Zurich in English) is the largest city in Switzerland (population: 366,145 in 2004; population of urban area: 1,091,732) and capital of the canton of Zürich. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Confessing Church (Bekennende Kirche) was a Christian resistance movement in Nazi Germany. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Munich Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938 and concluded on September 29. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kreisau Circle (German: Kreisauer Kreis) was the name the Gestapo gave to a group of Germans centering around the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke in order to envision an alternative to Nazism. ...

On 20 July 1944, the day of Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg's attempt on Adolf Hitler's life at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia, Gerstenmaier was at his assigned place at the Bendlerblock in Berlin to support the attempted assassination and coup d'état against the Nazi régime. Along with many others, he was arrested after the plot failed, and on 11 January 1945, Gerstenmaier was sentenced by the Volksgerichtshof to seven years in labour prison (Zuchthaus). Of course, he spent only a few months there, and was freed by US troops at the end of the war. Along with Hermann Ehlers, a German politician, he was active in the Evangelical Aid organization (Evangelisches Hilfswerk). From 1945 to 1951, he was its leader. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... Claus von Stauffenberg Count Claus Philip Maria Schenk von Stauffenberg (November 15, 1907 — July 20, 1944) was a German aristocrat and army colonel during World War II. He was one of the leading figures of the July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler. ... Claus von Stauffenberg The July 20 Plot was a failed coup détat and attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. ... (help· info) (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 and Führer (Leader) of Germany from 1934 until his death. ... One of larger bunkers in Wolfsschanze complex. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... The Bendlerblock is a building in Berlin, near Tiergarten. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Targeted killing be merged into this article or section. ... A coup détat (pronounced ), or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government against the volonté générale formed by the majority of the citizen, usually done by a smaller supposedly weaker body that just replaces the top power figures. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Nazism. ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Volksgerichtshof (German for Peoples Court) was a court established by Hitler after the Reichstag fire to handle those accused of political criminal offences, such as treason. ... Motto: Official (Latin): E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Translated: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President Federal... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ...

In the Bundestag

From 1949 to 1969, Gerstenmaier was a member of the Bundestag for the CDU. From 1949 to 1953, he was the Acting Chairman of the Foreign Board at the Bundestag, and eventually, until 17 December 1954, the Chairman. 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... The Bundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ... The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest conservative political party in Germany. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Langer Eugen" in Bonn, the former (until 1999} Bundestag members' office building

After Hermann Ehlers's sudden death in 1954, Gerstenmaier became his successor (until 1969) as Bundestag President. With his election on 16 November 1954 arose a unique situation with two factional colleagues running against each other for the Bundestag Presidency. Against the "official" CDU/CSU candidate Gerstenmaier, whom many members, and the governing coalition, saw as being too close to the Church, stood Ernst Lemmer, put forward by FDP member Hans Reif, who lost only on the third ballot by a mere 14 votes. From 1957 until 12 October 1959, Gerstenmaier was Chairman of the Subcommission for managing the Bundestag "household". 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU – ) is a conservative political party in Germany. ... The Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei - FDP) is a free-market liberal (libertarian) party in Germany. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 31 January 1969, Gerstenmaier resigned his post as Bundestag President after public controversy about claims of certain compensation benefits, to which he was legally entitled. However, the sheer amount of these claims was considered scandalous, and the suspicion that political influence was at work could not be allayed. His successor was Kai-Uwe von Hassel. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... A scandal is a widely publicized incident involving allegations of wrong-doing, disgrace, or moral outrage. ...

The 29-floor highrise in Bonn, in whose building Gerstenmaier had played such a significant rôle, and in which each member of the Bundestag had an office, is nicknamed "Langer Eugen" ("Long Eugen") after Eugen Gerstenmaier. It has, however, been described as "Bonn's ugliest building". Bonn is a city in Germany (19th largest), in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the north of the Siebengebirge. ...

Political Leanings

Eugen Gerstenmaier belonged to a CDU faction who internally criticized Konrad Adenauer's policy of engaging the West because that brought along with it a tendency to turn away from the goal of reuniting Germany. Even in social policy, Gerstenmaier was rather critical of Adenauer and supported Ludwig Erhard's position instead, with pointedly Christian-Protestant arguments against the "total welfare state". From 1956 to 1966, he was acting CDU Federal Chairman. Election Poster showing Adenauer Konrad Adenauer (January 5, 1876 – April 19, 1967) was a conservative German statesman. ... Social policy is the study of the welfare state, and the range of responses to social need. ... Ludwig Erhard (February 4, 1897–May 5, 1977) was a German politician (CDU) and Chancellor of Germany from 1963 until 1966. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

Gerstenmaier belonged to the select committee of both "Union" parties (the CDU and CSU) which on 24 February 1959 put forward Ludwig Erhard as a candidate for Federal President (Bundespräsident), although Erhard declined the honour. February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Federal President (German: Bundespräsident, formerly Reichspräsident) is Germanys head of state. ...

Honours

In 1980, Gerstenmaier was the CDU's delegate alongside Hermann Kunst (Chairman), Alex Möller (for the SPD), Rudolf Hanauer (for the CSU) and Bernhard Leverenz (for the FDP) on the Arbitration Committee for Overseeing Compliance with the Election Campaigning Agreement in the Bundestag election campaign. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... SPD redirects here. ... The Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei - FDP) is a free-market liberal (libertarian) party in Germany. ...

From 1977 until his death, Gerstenmaier was Chairman of the Association of Former Members of the German Bundestag (or as of 1984, the Association of Former Members of the German Bundestag and the European Parliament). For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The European Parliament is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...

Publications

• Der dritte Bundestag. Zum Wahlgesetz und zur Gestalt des künftigen Parlaments, in: Der Wähler, Jg. 1955, Heft 11, Seiten 495-497
• Brauchen wir einen besseren Bundestag?, in: DER SPIEGEL, Jg. 1964, Heft 38 vom 16. September 1964
• Öffentliche Meinung und Parlamentarische Entscheidung, in: Karl Dietrich Bracher u.a., Die moderne Demokratie und ihr Recht. Festschrift für Gerhard Leibholz zum 65. Geburtstag, Tübingen 1966, Seiten 123-134
• Zukunftserwartungen der Demokratie, in: Bitburger Gespräche, Jahrbuch 1972/73, Trier 1974, Seiten 41-50
• Gewissensentscheidung im Parlament, in: Deutsches Ärzteblatt, Jg. 1980, Heft 30, Seiten 1855-1858
• Streit und Friede hat seine Zeit. Ein Lebensbericht, Frankfurt am Main 1981

Karl Dietrich Bracher (March 13, 1922-) is a German historian of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. ...

Literature

• Bruno Heck (Hrsg.): Widerstand - Kirche - Staat. Eugen Gerstenmaier zum 70. Geburtstag. Stuttgart 1976

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Eugen Gerstenmaier

• Bundestag President Eugen Gerstenmaier's eyewitness report about 20 July 1944