German politician
Fritz Schäffer |
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Schäffer on a CDU election poster |
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Minister President of Bavaria |
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In office 28 May 1945 – 28 September 1945 |
Preceded by | Paul Giesler |
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Succeeded by | Wilhelm Hoegner |
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Minister of Finance |
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In office 20 September 1949 – 29 October 1957 |
Chancellor | Konrad Adenauer |
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Preceded by | Position reestablished |
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Succeeded by | Franz Etzel |
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Minister of Justice |
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In office 29 October 1957 – 14 November 1961 |
Chancellor | Konrad Adenauer |
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Preceded by | Hans-Joachim von Merkatz |
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Succeeded by | Wolfgang Stammberger |
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Bavarian Minister of Finance |
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In office 16 September 1931 – 16 March 1933 |
President | Heinrich Held |
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Personal details |
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Born | (1888-05-12)12 May 1888 Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire |
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Died | 29 March 1967(1967-03-29) (aged 78) Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, West Germany |
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Nationality | German |
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Political party | Christian Social Union (from 1945) |
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Other political affiliations | Bavarian People's Party (1918–1933) |
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Military service |
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Allegiance | German Empire |
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Branch/service | German Army |
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Years of service | 1915–1916 |
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Battles/wars | World War I |
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Fritz Schäffer (12 May 1888 – 29 March 1967) was a German politician of the Bavarian People's Party (BVP) and the Christian Social Union (CSU). He was the Bavarian Minister of Finance from 1931 to 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Berlin. In 1945 he became the first Minister President of Bavaria to hold office after the end of the Second World War. From 1949 to 1957, he was the West German federal Minister of Finance and, from 1957 to 1961, federal Minister of Justice.
Biography
Fritz Schäffer was born in 1888 as the son of Gottfried Schäffer and Amalia Mayr. He went to school in Ingolstadt, Munich and Neuburg an der Donau, afterwards studying law in Munich. He joined as a volunteer the Bavarian Infanterie-Leib-Regiment in 1915. After service in Serbia and Tyrol, he was wounded at Verdun in May 1916 and released from army service.
Schäffer started working for the Bavarian state government in 1917. He married Else Dyroff in September 1917.
He was imprisoned from 1933 until 1934, after which he worked as a lawyer. He was imprisoned again in Dachau concentration camp after the 20 July Plot until the end of World War II, from August to October 1944.
Politics
From 1918 to 1933, Schäffer was a member of the BVP. In 1929, he became chairman of this Bavarian regionalist party. From 1920 to 1933, he was a member of the Landtag of Bavaria. In his early political career, he made some anti-Semitic speeches, a fact that would haunt him in his later political life. Nevertheless, he opposed the Nazis' rise to power in Bavaria and took part in the formation of the Bayernwacht in 1931, an organisation aimed at protecting conservative politicians from the SA. He aimed at forming a coalition, which would include the Nazi Party and the Centre Party, arguing that such a step would neutralise the Nazi party to some extent. After this failed, he attempted to elevate the last Bavarian crown prince, Rupprecht, to the dictatorial position of Staatskommissar. The move ultimately failed due to the resistance of Bavarian prime minister, Heinrich Held, who feared that Schäffer would be made prime minister in his stead.
In 1933, he found himself imprisoned for his actions against the Nazis.
In 1945 he was among the founders of the CSU. He was engaged in continuous strife with the party leader, Josef Müller over party politics. Müller wished to make the party multi-confessional, while Schäffer tried to move it towards a revival of the Catholic-dominated BVP. He was made the first postwar prime minister of Bavaria by General George S. Patton in 1945, but was relieved of his post by General Dwight D. Eisenhower after a couple of months, when his anti-Semitic past became known. Eisenhower, unlike Patton, also disliked the fact that Schäffer hired ex-Nazis for his administration.[1] He was barred from politics by the US authorities until 1948, accused of being a Nazi sympathizer. He managed to clear himself of this charge and reentered politics afterwards.
From 1949 to 1961, he was a member of the Bundestag. He became Minister of Finance of the new Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and held this post until 1957. In 1957, after elections, Konrad Adenauer, chancellor of Germany, attempted to remove Schäffer from his cabinet as his tight fiscal policies were felt as a hindrance to Germany's economic growth. After political negotiations, Schäffer was awarded the justice ministry instead.[2]
During his time as German Minister of Finance, he became the second-most powerful man in federal politics. He was known for his tight fiscal policies, aimed at keeping the German currency stable. In this role, he strongly resisted any reparation claims to victims of the Nazi reign.[3] After German rearmament, Schäffer was engaged in many arguments about defense spending, often irritating his NATO partners by his refusals to allocate more money to it.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Power Grabber". Time. 20 February 1956. accessed: 8 May 2008.
- ^ Konrad Adenauer: A German Politician and Statesman in a Period of War google book review, author: Hans-Peter Schwarz, publisher: JHU Press, accessed: 8 May 2008
- ^ Paying for the Past google book review, author: Christian Pross, Belinda Cooper, publisher: JHU Press, accessed: 8 May 2008
Further reading
- Fritz Schäffer 1945-67, (in German), by Christoph Henzler, Munich, Hans Seidel Stiftung
- Fritz Schäffer als Politiker der Bayrischen Volkspartei, (in German), by Otto Altendorfer
External links
- Bavarian government website - Fritz Schäffer (in German)
- Paying for the Past google book review, author: Christian Pross, Belinda Cooper, publisher: JHU Press
- Karl-Ulrich Gelberg (1994). "Schäffer, Fritz". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.). Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL) (in German). Vol. 8. Herzberg: Bautz. cols. 1548–1559. ISBN 3-88309-053-0.
- Newspaper clippings about Fritz Schäffer in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
Links to related articles |
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CDU/CSU | CDU/CSU |
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SPD | |
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FDP | FDP |
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| - Members:
- Atzenroth
- Becker
- Blank
- Blücher
- Dannemann
- Dehler
- Dirscherl
- Eberhard (from 3 October 1952)
- Euler
- Fassbender
- Friedrich (from 5 October 1950 Non-attached, from 16 November 1950 BHE/DG, from 2 April 1952 FDP-Gast)
- Frühwald
- Funcke (from 14 September 1951)
- Gaul
- Golitschek
- Grundmann
- Hammer
- Hasemann
- Henn (from 1 February 1952)
- Heuss (until 15 September 1949)
- Hoffmann (from 15 June 1951)
- Hoffmann
- Höpker-Aschoff (until 9 September 1951)
- Hübner (from 1 February 1952)
- Hütter (from 15 September 1949)
- Ilk (from 3 November 1949)
- Jaeger (from 22 January 1953)
- Juncker
- Kneipp
- Kohl (until 31 January 1952)
- Kühn
- Langer (from 10 June 1952 Non-attached, from 29 March 1953 WAV)
- Leuchtgens (from 21 January 1950 DRP, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 6 December 1950 DP, from 27 July 1953 partei- und Non-attached)
- Leuze (from 21 March 1952)
- Linnert (until 27 October 1949)
- Luchtenberg (from 30 October 1950)
- Margulies
- Mauk (from 7 April 1952)
- Mayer (until 18 December 1952)
- Mende
- Middelhauve (until 17 October 1950)
- Mulert (from 1 February 1952)
- Neumayer
- Nöll
- Nowack (until 30 September 1952)
- Oellers (until 5 June 1951)
- Onnen
- Pfleiderer
- Preiß
- Preusker
- Rademacher
- Rath
- Rechenberg (until 19 January 1953)
- Reif
- Revenstorff
- Rüdiger (until 20 February 1951)
- Schäfer
- Schneider
- Stahl
- Stegner
- Trischler
- Vries (from 5 January 1953)
- Wellhausen
- Wildermuth (until 9 March 1952)
- Will (from 1 February 1952)
- Wirths
- Zawadil (from 26 November 1952 DP)
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DP | DP |
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| - Members:
- Ahrens
- Bahlburg (from 13 September 1951 Non-attached, from 24 January 1952 DP-Gast, from 10 September 1952 Non-attached)
- Campe (from 23 January 1950, until 8 January 1952)
- Eickhoff
- Ewers
- Farke
- Fricke (from 22 March 1952)
- Hedler (from 19 January 1950 Non-attached, from 28 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 16 September 1950 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Hellwege
- Jaffé (from 9 January 1952)
- Kalinke
- Klinge (until 21 December 1949)
- Kuhlemann
- Matthes
- Merkatz
- Mühlenfeld (until 15 May 1953)
- Seebohm
- Tobaben
- Walter
- Wittenburg
- Woltje (from 30 May 1953)
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BP | BP |
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Speaker: Gebhard Seelos until 25 September 1951; Hugo Decker from 25 September 1951 | - Members:
- Aretin (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Aumer (from 8 September 1950 Non-attached)
- Baumgartner (until 1 January 1951)
- Besold (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Decker
- Donhauser (from 8 September 1950 Non-attached, from 17 September 1952 CSU)
- Eichner (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Etzel (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 3 December 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Falkner (until 27 October 1950)
- Fink (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 5 January 1952 CSU)
- Fürstenberg (from 7 November 1950 Non-attached, from 19 January 1951 CSU)
- Lampl (from 10 November 1950, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Maerkl (from 1 September 1952)
- Mayerhofer (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Meitinger (from 26 September 1951, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Oettingen-Wallerstein (from 8 January 1951, from 14 December 1951 FU, until 1 September 1952)
- Parzinger (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Rahn (from 14 January 1950, from 8 September 1950 Non-attached, from 17 October 1950 WAV-Gast, from 14 February 1951 CSU)
- Seelos (until 25 September 1951)
- Volkholz (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Wartner (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Ziegler (until 30 December 1949)
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KPD | KPD |
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| - Members:
- Agatz
- Fisch
- Gundelach
- Harig
- Kohl (from 26 January 1950)
- Leibbrand (until 26 January 1950)
- Müller (from 10 May 1950 Non-attached)
- Müller
- Niebergall
- Niebes (from 10 July 1952)
- Nuding (until 20 April 1951)
- Paul
- Reimann
- Renner
- Rische
- Strohbach (from 16 May 1951)
- Thiele
- Vesper (until 30 June 1952)
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WAV | WAV |
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| - Members:
- Bieganowski (from 21 March 1952, from 23 April 1952 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Fröhlich (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached)
- Goetzendorff (from 29 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Keller (from 24 April 1952, from 6 December 1951 DP, Non-attached)
- Löfflad (from 6 December 1951 DP)
- Loritz (from 6 December 1951 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Paschek (from 29 March 1950 DRP-Gast, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached, from 30 January 1951 WAV, from 6 December 1951 DP, until 22 April 1952)
- Reindl (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached, from 29 April 1953 WAV)
- Schmidt (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Schuster (from 6 December 1951 DP)
- Tichi (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached)
- Wallner (from 6 December 1951 DP/DPB, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Weickert (from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, until 16 March 1952)
- Wittmann (from 6 December 1951 DP, from 9 May 1952 Non-attached, from 5 July 1952 CDU/CSU-Gast)
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ZENTRUM | ZENTRUM |
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| - Members:
- Amelunxen (until 7 October 1949)
- Arnold (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 9 December 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Bertram (from 3 November 1949, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Determann (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Glasmeyer (from 23 November 1951 CDU)
- Hamacher (until 29 July 1951)
- Hoffmann (, from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Krause (until 18 October 1950)
- Pannenbecker (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Reismann (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Ribbeheger (from 14 December 1951 FU)
- Wessel (from 14 December 1951 FU, from 13 November 1952 Non-attached (GVP))
- Willenberg (from 26 October 1950, from 14 December 1951 FU)
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DRP | DRP |
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- Members:
- Dorls (from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, am 23 October 1952 Mandatsaberkennung)
- Frommhold (from 7 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 26 March 1952 DP-Gast, from 11 February 1953 Non-attached)
- Jaeger (from 29 February 1952)
- Miessner (from 5 October 1950 FDP-Gast, from 20 December 1950 FDP)
- Rößler (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 6 September 1950 Non-attached, from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, until 21 February 1952)
- Thadden (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte; 1950 DRP, from 20 April 1950 Non-attached)
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OTHER | OTHER |
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- Members:
- Clausen (from 23 January 1952 FU-Gast, from 3 July 1953 Non-attached)
- Edert (CDU/CSU-Gast)
- Freudenberg (from 5 December 1952 Non-attached)
- Ott (Non-attached, from 4 May 1950 WAV-Gast, from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached, from 26 March 1952 DP/DPB-Gast, from 26 June 1952 Non-attached)
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CDU/CSU | CDU/CSU |
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| - CVP:
- Ruland (from 4 January 1957, from 23 May 1957 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion)
- Schneider (from 4 January 1957, Non-attached, from 23 May 1957 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion)
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SPD | |
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FDP | FDP |
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| - Members:
- Atzenroth
- Becker
- Berg (from 27 June 1955, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Blank (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Blücher (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Bucher
- Dannemann (until 1 July 1955)
- Dehler
- Drechsel
- Eberhard
- Euler (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Fassbender (from 18 November 1955 DP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Friese-Korn
- Frühwald
- Gaul
- Golitschek (from 18 April 1956)
- Graaff (from 4 July 1955)
- Hammer
- Held (from 13 September 1954)
- Henn (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hepp (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hoffmann
- Hübner (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hütter (from 29 September 1955)
- Ilk
- Jentzsch
- Kühn
- Lahr (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Lenz
- Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (from 6 June 1957 Non-attached, from 25 June 1957 DP/FVP)
- Luchtenberg (from 18 September 1954, until 9 April 1956)
- Lüders
- Manteuffel (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Margulies
- Mauk
- Mayer (until 14 May 1956)
- Mende
- Middelhauve (until 10 September 1954)
- Miessner
- Neumayer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Onnen
- Pfleiderer (until 20 September 1955)
- Preiß (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Preusker (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Rademacher
- Reif
- Schäfer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Scheel
- Schloß
- Schneider (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schwann
- Stahl
- Stammberger
- Starke
- Stegner (from 13 January 1954 Non-attached, from 6 February 1957 GB/BHE)
- Weber (from 15 May 1956)
- Wellhausen (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 23 June 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Weyer (until 17 September 1954)
- Will
- Wirths (until 16 June 1955)
- DPS:
- Schneider (from 4 January 1957, Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
- Schwertner (from 4 January 1957, from 8 January 1957 Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
- Wedel (from 4 January 1957, Non-attached, from 8 January 1957 Guest of FDP-Fraktion)
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GB/BHE | GB/BHE |
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Speaker: Horst Haasler until 15 March 1955; Karl Mocker 15 March 1955 till 26 April 1956; Erwin Feller from 26 April 1956]] | - Members:
- Bender (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Czermak (from 14 July 1955 FDP)
- Eckhardt (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Elsner
- Engell
- Feller
- Fiedler (until 13 October 1953)
- Finck (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Finselberger
- Gemein
- Gille
- Haasler (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Keller
- Klötzer
- Körner (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 FDP, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Kraft (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Kunz
- Kutschera
- Meyer-Ronnenberg (from 20 August 1954 CDU/CSU)
- Mocker
- Oberländer (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Petersen
- Reichstein
- Samwer (from 15 October 1953, from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
- Seiboth
- Sornik
- Srock
- Strosche
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DP | DP |
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| - Members:
- Becker (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Brühler (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Eickhoff (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Elbrächter (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Hellwege (until 27 May 1955)
- Kalinke (from 3 June 1955, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Matthes (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Merkatz (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Müller (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schild (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schneider (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Schranz (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Seebohm (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Walter (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Wittenburg (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
- Zimmermann (from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
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OTHER | Independent |
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- Members:
- Böhner (Non-attached, until 8 January 1954)
- Brockmann (Non-attached)
- Heix (from 23 September 1953 CDU/CSU)
- Rösing (from 14 January 1954, Non-attached, from 25 June 1954 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 6 June 1955 CDU/CSU)
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CDU/CSU | |
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SPD | |
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FDP | |
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OTHER | Independent |
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- Members:
- Behrisch
- Kinat
- Matthes
- Schneider
- Schranz
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