- Wilhelm Külz
Wilhelm Külz (born
18 February 1875 inBorna ; died10 April 1948 inBerlin ) was a Germanpolitician (DDP, LDPD). In 1926 he was interior minister of theWeimar Republic . After 1945 he took actively part in establishing the LDPD. He founded the Berlin branch of LDPD in summer, 1945 and acted as the LDPD chairman after the initial leaderWaldemar Koch was deposed by Soviet orders.In
March 17 ,1947 in a conference inRothenburg ob der Tauber Külz andTheodor Heuss were elected co-chairmen of the planned "German Democratic Party" aimed at uniting liberals of both Soviet and West occupation zones.These plans never realized, though, as Wilhelm Külz, unlike East German CDU leader
Jakob Kaiser , participated in SED-dominated "German People's Congress for Unity and True Peace" that took place inDecember 6 ,1947 . This brought about internal fights both within the LDPD as well as between East and West German partners of "DPD". Although the LDPD leadership criticized that participation, it was unable to take any further steps demanded by the West German liberals.On a session of the united leadership of "DPD" that took place in
January 18 ,1948 and which Külz refused to attend,Theodor Heuss argued that Liberal Democrats' unwillingness to take any measures against Külz proved their commitment to 'the Russian conception of German unity'. Upon in,Arthur Lieutenant , the spokesman of LDPD on the matter, declared that under those circumstances and considering reproaches laid against East German liberals, no further co-operation was possible. This was in fact the end of "DPD".Together with
Otto Nuschke (CDU) and Wilhelm Pieck (SED), Wilhelm Külz led the German People's Council ("Deutscher Volksrat"), forerunner ofVolkskammer ofGDR . From 1945 on, Külz was the publisher of LDPD daily "Der Morgen"."Wilhelm-Külz-Stiftung", a foundation close to FDP is named after him.
Works by and on Wilhelm Külz
*Wilhelm Külz: Ein Liberaler zwischen Ost und West: Aufzeichnungen 1947 - 1948. Hrsg. von Hergard Robel, Oldenbourg, München 1989, ISBN 3-486-54101-3
*Werner Schneider: Die Deutsche Demokratische Partei in der Weimarer Republik: 1924 - 1930. Fink, München 1978, ISBN 3-7705-1549-8External links
* [http://www.wilhelm-kuelz-stiftung.de/ "Wilhelm Külz Stiftung"]
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