Philippe Rühl
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Philippe Rühl | |
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National Convention | |
In office 21 September 1792 – 26 October 1795 | |
Constituency | Bas-Rhin |
Personal details | |
Born | First French Republic | 3 May 1737
Cause of death | Suicide |
Political party | The Mountain |
Signature | |
Philippe Jacques Rühl (3 May 1737 – 29/30 May 1795) was a
Biography
Born in Strasbourg, a son of a Lutheran minister. He studied theology at the University of Strasbourg. He later served as director of gymnasium at Dürkheim, Germany, then as a tutor at the princely court of Leiningen-Dachsburg (Linange-Hartenbourg). As court counselor, he participated in settling succession dispute with the Italian branch of the family.
French Revolution
With the advent of French Revolution, he returned to his native Alsace, where he became an administrator of the Département of Bas-Rhin under the new regime created by the National Assembly.
He was elected (31 August 1791) as a representative of Bas-Rhin to the Legislative Assembly (1791–1792). He sat with the extreme left wing of the deputies and served as a deputy member of the Extraordinary Commission of Twelve (18 June 1792 – 21 September 1792).
Elected (4 September 1792) to the
Rühl served as a member of the
Along with
Thermidor
Rühl was designated for yet another mission, this time to Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, 24 July 1794, but did not depart until 1 August 1794, and so he was in Paris to witness the fall of Robespierre. He returned 25 August 1794.
He participated in the Revolt of 1 Prairial Year III (20 May 1795), addressing the insurgents with the words "Du pain et la Constitution de 1793!" ("Bread and Constitution of 1793!"). This action threatened the new conservative order, and he was threatened with indictment, but in the end was sentenced only to house arrest "in view of his advanced age" (he was 58). He was called before the military commission on 28 May 1795 and committed suicide by stabbing himself with a dagger, a precursor of the "Martyrs of Prairial" (Romme, Goujon, Duquesnoy, Soubrany, Duroy, and Bourbotte).