Wilhelm Karpenstein
Wilhelm Karpenstein | |
---|---|
Gauleiter of Gau Pomerania | |
In office 1 April 1931 – 21 July 1934 | |
Appointed by | Adolf Hitler |
Preceded by | Walther von Corswant |
Succeeded by | Franz Schwede-Coburg |
Personal details | |
Born | 24 May 1903 NSDAP |
Alma mater | University of Greifswald |
Profession | Lawyer |
Wilhelm Karpenstein (24 May 1903 – 2 May 1968) was a German Nazi Party politician. He served as Gauleiter of Pomerania from 1931 to 1934.
Early years
Wilhelm Karpenstein was born the son of a train inspector in
Karpenstein joined the Nazi Party as early as 1921 and started working to build-up the party in the province. In 1923, with the Nazi Party banned, Karpenstein joined the German Völkisch Freedom Party. In 1924 Karpenstein became the editor of the Norddeutscher Beobachter (North German Observer) the first National Socialist newspaper in Pomerania. In 1925 Karpenstein returned to Hesse (Darmstadt) for four years, working as a law clerk.[1]
Nazi career
On 31 August 1925 Karpenstein joined the re-founded Nazi Party (membership number 17,333). He served as the Party Ortsgruppenleiter (Local Group Leader) for Darmstadt for the next four years. In 1929, after passing the bar exam, Karpenstein returned to Greifswald where he worked as a lawyer. He was also appointed Nazi Kreisleiter (County Leader) for Greifswald.[2] On 9 September 1930 he was elected to the Reichstag for electoral constituency 6, Pomerania.[3] The following year, he became the editor of the Pommerschen Zeitung, a National Socialist newspaper.
On 1 April 1931, Karpenstein was appointed
In addition to his party post, Karpenstein also occupied many governmental positions. In March 1933, he was named a member of the Pomeranian Provincial Landtag, and he also served on the Pomeranian Provincial Council. He also was one of the Prussian representatives to the Reichsrat until its abolition on 14 February 1934. In September 1933 he became a member of the Prussian State Council .[6] However, unlike many other Gauleiters, Karpenstein did not succeed in obtaining the office of Provincial Oberpräsident, after the removal of Carl von Halfern on 1 October 1933.
Karpenstein's career ended abruptly in July 1934. Charges of involvement in the
Later years
Karpenstein was arrested by the
After the war, Karpenstein was interned by the Allied authorities until 1947, then categorized by a German Denazification Court as a “lesser offender.” He then worked in commercial enterprises until 1954 when he was again admitted to the bar. He died on 2 May 1968.[10]
References
- ISBN 978-1-932970-32-6.
- ^ Miller & Schulz 2017, p. 47.
- ^ Details of Reichstag membership
- ^ Dietrich Orlow, The History of the Nazi Party, Volume 2 1933-1945, David & Charles, 1973, p. 41
- ^ Orlow, The History of the Nazi Party Volume 2, p. 54
- ^ a b Miller & Schulz 2017, p. 49.
- ^ Orlow, The History of the Nazi Party Volume 2, p. 123
- ^ Anthony McElligott, Tim Kirk, Ian Kershaw, Working towards the Führer: essays in honour of Sir Ian Kershaw, Manchester University Press, 2003, p. 125
- ^ Miller & Schulz 2017, pp. 49–50.
- ^ Miller & Schulz 2017, p. 50.