Introduction
Adam Stegerwald (14 December 1874, Greußenheim, Lower Franconia– 3 December 1945) was a German Catholic politician and a leader of the left wing of the Centre Party.
Early years
Under the Empire
The son of a farmer attended from 1881 to 1888 the primary school in Greußenheim. In Würzburg he learned the profession of a carpenter. In 1893, he entered the Catholic Gesellenverein in Günzburg (Swabia).
From 1900 to 1902 he was a private listener of Lujo Brentano for two semesters for economics and special economics at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. From 1903 to 1905 he attended lectures at the Graduate School of Cologne. He was from 1916 to 1919 a member of the board of the Reichsernähungsamt. From 1917 to 1918 he belonged to the Prussian House of Lords.
During the Weimar Republic
As a representative of the Christian trade unions he signed on November 15, 1918 the "Arbeitsgemeinschaftsabkommen" between the employer's association and the trade unions. From 1919 to 1929 he became the head of the Christian German Union Federation (DGB). He was from 1919 to 1920 a member of the National Assembly. He belonged to the 'Committee for the preliminary discussion of the draft constitution for the German Empire' of the National Assembly. From March 1919 to November 1921 he was Prussian Minister for People's Welfare. From April to November 1921 he held both the office of the Prussian Minister-president, from April 1929 to March 1930 that of the Minister for Transports, from March 1930 to May 1932, the Minister for employment.
Period of Nazism
As Minister of Labour in the cabinet of his former personal assistant Heinrich Brüning he tried to save under the conditions of the Great Depression at least the basics of the Weimar welfare state. He failed therein because of the resistance of the Heavy industry. On February 21, 1933, he was attacked at an election rally in Krefeld by Nazis.In March 1933, he led together with Ludwig Kaas and Albert Hackelsberger negotiations with Adolf Hitler. Afterwards the Centre party agreed to the Enabling Act. From 1933 to 1934 he was indicted along with Wilhelm Marx and Heinrich Brauns in the trial of the Cologne Volksverein Verlag in his capacity as board member of the National Association for Catholic Germany, but the process was set in 1934. On July 30, 1934, he submerged temporarily.
After the 20 July plot, he was temporarily arrested under the Aktion Gitter. From August 24, October 19, 1944 he was detained by the Gestapo in Würzburg prison.
During the time of Nazi Germany he had no influence.
After the war
In 1945, he was appointed at the behest of the American occupation forces for District President of the district of Lower Franconia. Stegerwald became the leading head of the Würzburg group that was instrumental in the founding of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria in the summer and autumn of 1945, in addition to the Munich group around Josef Müller. Adam Stegerwald died in December 1945 from pneumonia.
Literature
- Schnorr, Helmut J.: Adam Stegerwald, Gewerkschafter, Politiker der ersten deutschen Republik. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der christlich-sozialen Bewegung in Deutschland. 1966.
- Morsey, Rudolf: Zeitgeschichte in Lebensbildern – Aus dem deutschen Katholizismus des 20. Jahrhunderts. Band 1. 1973, S. 216.
- Rosenberg, Ludwig, Tacke, Bernhard: Der Weg zur Einheits-Gewerkschaft. Hrsg. DGB-Bundesvorstand. Druck: satz + druck, Düsseldorf 1977.
- Forster, Bernhard: Adam Stegerwald (1874–1945). Christlich-nationaler Gewerkschafter, Zentrumspolitiker, Mitbegründer der Unionsparteien. Droste Verlag, Düsseldorf 2003, ISBN 3-7700-1889-3. (scientific biography)
| Preceded by Otto Braun | Prime Minister of Prussia 1921 | Succeeded by Otto Braun |