Georg Gothein
German politician (1857–1940)
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Georg Gothein (15 August 1857 – 22 March 1940) was a left-liberal German politician of Jewish origin. He was a member of the liberal political parties, including Progressive People's Party and German Democratic Party and served as the minister of the treasury between February and June 1919.
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15 August 1857
Georg Gothein | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minister of Treasury | |
| In office 13 February 1919 – 20 June 1919 | |
| Prime Minister | Philipp Scheidemann |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Otto Fürchtegott Georg Gothein 15 August 1857 |
| Died | 22 March 1940 (aged 82) Berlin, Nazi Germany |
| Resting place | Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery |
| Party | |
Early life
Gothein was born in Neumarkt in Schlesien, Silesia, on 15 August 1857.[1] He hailed from a Jewish family.[2] He received a degree in engineering.[3]
Career
Gothein had various waterway related business activities in Silesia.[4] He was a liberal politician and first became a member of the Progressive People's Party.[5]
From 1889 to 1892, Gothein was a city councilor in Waldenburg (today, Wałbrzych) and, from 1894 to 1906, he held the same position in Breslau (today, Wrocław). From 1904 to 1910, he was a member of the provincial parliament of Silesia and, from 1893 to 1903, a member of the Prussian House of Representatives. Between May 1901 and the collapse of the empire in November 1918, he was a member of the Reichstag, elected for the Greifswald-Grimmen constituency.[6]
Gothein was among the founders of the German Committee for the Promotion of Jewish Settlement in Palestine which was established in April 1918.[5] He was also a member of its central board, and the committee was dissolved in 1919.[5]
Gothein was a cofounder of the German Democratic Party, a liberal political party.[3][7] He served as minister of the treasury in the cabinet led by Philipp Scheidemann from February to June 1919.[8] He was a member of the Weimar National Assembly (1919–1920) and was elected to the first Reichstag of the Weimar Republic, serving from 1920 to 1924.[9] He was one of the leaders of the Mitteleuropäischer Wirtschaftstagung (German: Central European Economic Union) which had been established in 1928 to promote the economic development in Central Europe.[4] He was active in the organization until 1931 when Tilo von Wilmowsky replaced him in the post.[4]
Later years, personal life and death
After retiring from politics Gothein worked as a journalist.[10] He was a follower of the Protestant church.[5]
Gothein was married and had four daughters.[1] He died in Berlin on 22 March 1940 and was buried at the Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery.[1]
