Konstantin Fehrenbach
| Constantin Fehrenbach | |
|---|---|
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| Chancellor of Germany | |
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In office 25 June 1920 – 10 May 1921 |
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| Preceded by | Hermann Müller |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Wirth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 January 1852 |
| Died | 26 March 1926 (aged 74) |
| Political party | Centre Party |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
Constantin Fehrenbach, sometimes Konstantin Fehrenbach (11 January 1852 – 26 March 1926), was a German Catholic politician who was one of the major leaders of the Centre Party or Zentrum. He served as President of the Reichstag in 1918, and then as President of the Weimar National Assembly from 1919 to 1920. In June 1920, Fehrenbach became Chancellor of Germany. He resigned in May 1921 over the issue of war reparation payments to the Allies. Fehrenbach headed the Center Party's Reichstag fraction from 1923 until his death in 1926.
Constantin (or Konstantin) Fehrenbach was born on 11 January 1852 in Wellendingen near Bonndorf in what was then the Grand Duchy of Baden as the son of Johann Georg Fehrenbach, a teacher (1826–95), and his wife Rosina (1832-1900), née Gensecke.
From 1871 to 1878, Fehrenbach studied theology, then law at Freiburg im Breisgau and in 1882 began to practice law there, soon becoming a successful criminal lawyer. In 1879, Fehrenbach married Maria (1855-1921), née Hossner at Freiburg. They had one daughter.
In 1884, he started his political career by becoming a member of the Freiburg city council (parliament). The next year, Fehrenbach became a member of the Landtag (diet) of Baden for the Catholic Zentrum. However, in 1887 he resigned his seat after disagreements with the leader of the party in Baden, Theodor Wacker. In 1895, Fehrenbach became Stadtrat in Freiburg (member of the city government) and in 1896 Kreisabgeordneter (district representative). In 1901 he was reelected to the Landtag and remained a member until 1913 (in 1907-09 as president). In 1903, he also became a member of the Reichstag where his oratory skills were widely acclaimed. In particular, his speech on the Saverne Affair in 1913 made him famous nationwide for his defence of the rights of the people of Alsace and all citizens of the German Reich against the powers of the military. In 1917, Fehrenbach became the chairman of the Hauptausschuss of the Reichstag and supported the "peace resolution" in favour of a negotiated peace. In July 1918, Fehrenbach became the last president of the Imperial Reichstag.
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