Herbert Weichmann
Herbert Weichmann (right) with Gustav Heinemann
First Mayor of Hamburg
In office 1965–1971
Preceded by	Paul Nevermann
Succeeded by	Peter Schulz
President of the Bundesrat
In office 1968–1969
President	Heinrich Lübke Gustav Heinemann
Chancellor	Kurt Georg Kiesinger Willy Brandt
Preceded by	Klaus Schütz
Succeeded by	Franz-Josef Röder
Personal details
Born	23 February 1896 Landsberg
Died	9 October 1983, age 87 Hamburg
Nationality	German
Political party	Social Democratic Party of Germany
Spouse(s)	Elsbet, nee Griesinger (1928) (b. 1910, d. 1988)
Alma mater	Silesian Friedrich Wilhelm University
Religion	Jewish

Herbert Weichmann (23 February 1896 – 9 October 1983) was a German lawyer and politician (Social Democratic Party SPD) and First Mayor of Hamburg (1965–1971). In his position as mayor of Hamburg, he served as President of the Bundesrat (1968–1969).

Life[link]

Weichmann was born in Landsberg, Upper Silesia, then part of the German Reich, to a Jewish^[1] family of physicians. In 1914 he began to study medicine, but volunteered at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. After the war Weichmann studied law at the Silesian Friedrich Wilhelm University, Breslau, and graduated (Dr. iur.) in 1922. In 1928 he married Elsbeth Greisinger and was appointed as liaison officer to Prime Minister of Prussia Otto Braun. After the takeover of power (1933) by the Nazi Party Weichmann fled first to Czechoslovakia, then to France—with a short term of imprisonment (1939–1940)—Spain, Portugal and later the United States. In 1948 he returned to Germany at the invitation of the mayor of Hamburg, Max Brauer, and started his political career there. In 1956 he became a member of the faculty of the University of Hamburg.^[2] Weichmann died in Hamburg^[2] and is buried at Ohlsdorf Cemetery.^[3] Weichmann's son lives in Canada.^[4]

Political career[link]

Weichmann started his political career on a soldiers' council (German: Soldatenrat) in 1918. In 1920, he became a member of the SPD. From 1948 until 1957, he was President of the Hamburg Court of Auditors. In 1957, he was appointed as Senator of Finance, a position he held until his election as First Mayor of Hamburg on 16 June 1965. Weichmann resigned in 1971. He was considered a potential candidate to be the next President of Germany, but he did not put himself forward.^[2]

Honours[link]

In 1964 Weichmann was appointed as an honorary professor at the University of Hamburg.^[2] He was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Hamburg in 1971.^[5] In 1989 the non-profit organization Herbert und Elsbeth Weichmann-Stiftung was founded; its goal is to remember and commemorate the activities of the democratic opposition in exile against Hitler, and to promote academic works about political exile.^[4] In Uhlenhorst quarter a street was named Herbert-Weichmann-Straße. In 2007 the Herbert Weichmann medallion was granted for the first time by the city of Hamburg,^[6] honoring "those—both Jewish and non-Jewish—who have contributed to Jewish life in Germany".^[7]

Works[link]

• Der Gesellschaft und dem Staat verpflichtet: einfache und schwierige Wahrheiten. (1980) Hamburg: A. Knaus. ISBN 3-8135-1443-9 (German)
• Miterlebtes: Berichte aus 5 Jahrzehnten hamburg. Geschichte. (1979) Hamburg: Christians. ISBN 3-7672-0667-6 (German)
• Gefährdete Freiheit: Aufruf zur streitbaren Demokratie. (1974) Hamburg: Hoffmann und Campe. ISBN 3-455-08120-7 (German)

Literature[link]

• Bahnsen, Uwe. (2001) Die Weichmanns in Hamburg: ein Glücksfall für Deutschland. Hamburg: Christians. ISBN 3-7672-1360-5 (German)

References[link]

External links[link]

Hamburg portal

• Herbert Weichmann in the German National Library catalogue (German)
• Herbert und Elsbeth Weichmann-Stiftung

v t e Presidents of the Bundesrat (Federal Council) Karl Arnold • Hans Ehard • Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf • Reinhold Maier • Georg August Zinn • Peter Altmeier • Kai-Uwe von Hassel • Kurt Sieveking • Willy Brandt • Wilhelm Kaisen • Franz-Josef Röder • Franz Meyers • Kurt Georg Kiesinger • Georg Diederichs • Helmut Lemke • Klaus Schütz • Herbert Weichmann • Franz-Josef Röder • Hans Koschnick • Heinz Kühn • Alfons Goppel • Hans Filbinger • Alfred Kubel • Albert Osswald • Bernhard Vogel • Gerhard Stoltenberg • Dietrich Stobbe • Hans-Ulrich Klose • Werner Zeyer • Johannes Rau • Franz Josef Strauss • Lothar Späth • Ernst Albrecht • Holger Börner • Walter Wallmann • Björn Engholm • Walter Momper • Henning Voscherau • Alfred Gomolka • Berndt Seite • Oskar Lafontaine • Klaus Wedemeier • Edmund Stoiber • Erwin Teufel • Gerhard Schröder • Hans Eichel • Roland Koch • Kurt Biedenkopf • Kurt Beck • Klaus Wowereit • Wolfgang Böhmer • Dieter Althaus • Matthias Platzeck • Peter Harry Carstensen • Harald Ringstorff • Ole von Beust • Peter Müller • Jens Böhrnsen

v t e First Mayors of Hamburg since 1919 Weimar period (1919-1933) Werner von Melle Gustav Friedrich Sthamer Arnold Diestel Carl Petersen Rudolf Ross Carl Petersen Nazi period (1933-1945) Carl Vincent Krogmann Modern Hamburg (since 1945) Rudolf Petersen Max Brauer Kurt Sieveking Max Brauer Paul Nevermann Herbert Weichmann Peter Schulz Hans-Ulrich Klose Klaus von Dohnanyi Henning Voscherau Ortwin Runde Ole von Beust Christoph Ahlhaus Olaf Scholz