Hermann Liebmann

Hermann Liebmann
Interior Minister of Saxony
In office 1923–1925
Prime Minister	Erich Zeigner
City Council Member of Leipzig
Personal details
Born	(1882-08-18)August 18, 1882 Paunsdorf, Saxony, Germany
Died	(1935-09-06)September 6, 1935 Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Political party	SPD (xxx-xxx) (xxx-xxx)
Other political affiliations	USPD (xxx-xxx)

Hermann Liebmann (August 18, 1882 - September 6, 1935) was a German politician from the SPD. He died shortly after his release from a Nazi concentration camp as a result of abuse received while imprisoned.

Early Life (1882 – 1935)

Hermann Liebmann was born on August 18, 1882 in Paunsdorf (now part of Leipzig), Saxony, Germany. [BIOSOP][LESE] Liebmann learned the trade of mold maker (German - former) and worked as a metalworker. [BIOSOP] He had studied mold maker as an apprentice. [LIZ] He served in the military from 1903 to 1905. [BIOSOP] He worked as a metal worker. [LIZ]

Leipzig Politics (1905 – 1919)

After his two years of military service, Hermann joined the SPD in 1905. [LESE] [LIZ] Liebmann was always at the focal point of developments within the SPD in Leipzig. [LIZ] From 1909 to 1912, Liebmann was a reporter for the Leipziger Volkszeitung, a workers newspaper in Leipzig. [BIOSOP] Starting in 1913 Liebmann served as editor of the Leipziger Volkszeitung, a post which he had until 1933. The post had been previously held by Franz Mehring who followed the revolutionary teaching of Marx and Engels. Liebmann advocated a peaceful civil approach. [LESE] [BIOSOP]

From 1914-1916 Liebmann served as a soldier during World War I. He resigned in 1917 to protest the pro-war policies of the SPD. [BIOSOP] [LIZ] In 1917, along with a greater part of the Social Democratic Party, he joined in protest against the civil peace policy of the Berlin party executive of the SPD, the USPD. On November 8, 1918, Liebmann became a member of the select committee of the Leipzig workers’ and soldiers’ Council (Leipziger Arbeiter- und Soldatenrats). [LESE]

In 1918, Liebmann became a city councilor (Stadtverordneter) in Leipzig. He served in this capacity until 1923. [LESE] [BIOSOP][LIZ] In 1919, as part of the city council, the street-cars, gas, water, electricity, the zoo, nusuries, and swimming pools came under the direction of the city. The housing authority also came under closer control of the city government. [LIZ] One of the projects Liebmann worked on was getting streetcar week passes for workers. [LIZ]

Imprisonment and Death (1933 - 1935)

In 1933, the SPD stood as the only party not wanting to abolish the Weimar Republic. [LESE] The right wing was against Liebmann due to his action against non-democratic activities. [LIZ] Upon Hitler becoming Germany’s Chancelor, the working partys future was uncertain. 25,000 protesters gathered in Leipzig. Hermann Liebmann addressed the crowd. This was the last time he appeared in public. [LESE] Inspite of the impeding dictatorship, Liebmann led the SPD to 30.3% of the Leipzig vote for the March 5, 1933 parlimentary elections. This was higher than any other party. [LESE]

In April 1933, Liebmann was arreseted and put under protective custody in Dresden. [LESE] He was then brought to the concentration camp in Hohnstein. [LESE][1] As a socialist, he was viewed as an enemy to the state. [LESE] His imprisonment was admintered directly by Martin Mutschmann, the Nazi regional leader (Gauleiter) of Saxony. [LESE] It was during this time that he was continually abused. [1] On May 20, 1933, Mutschmann made Liebmann read his parlimenterry speeches while being beaten and tortured. Other turture included putting inmates in a sewer so that they were covered with human feces. The conditions in Hohnstein were so bad that the State court in Dresden sentenced the camp leader and 24 guards to 6 years in prison in May 1935. Hitler pardoned the leader and guards. [LESE]

In 1934, Liebmann went to the Concentration camp at Colditz. [LESE]

Hermann Liebmann was released after more than two years of imprisonment on May 1935. [LESE] He was seriously ill suffering from the effects of torture and heart disease. [LESE][1] Liebmann died in Leipzig in September 1935. [BIOSOP] his death in was announced in the Leipziger Volkszeitung, which at that time was published in Karlsbad, Czechloslovakia and smugged into Germany. [LESE]

Liebmann is buried at the Sellerhausen Cemetery in Leipzig (Friedhof Leipzig – Sellerhausen). [LESE]

Tributes

• Liebmann Hermann High School in Leipzig (closed in 1992)
• Hermann Liebmann Bridge in Leipzig. Dedicated on 29 June 2004 by Leipzig mayor Wolfgang Tiefensee. [2][LESE] The old bridge had to be demolished it in 2002.
• Hermann Liebmann Strasse: a 1,283 meter long street Leipzig, running through the city districts of Neustadt-Neuschönefeld, Volkmarsdorf, and Schönefeld-Abtnaundorf. The street was formally known as Hauptstraße (Neuschönefeld) and Kirchweg (Neustadt) to 1888, Kirchstraße from 1888 to 1933, Alfred-Kindler-Straße from 1933 to 1945. [Y][LESE]
• 20 January 2009: Hermann Liebmann and five other SPD deputies honered in a picture Gallary. [LESE]

References

[LIZ] http://www.l-iz.de/Bildung/Zeitreise/2007/08/Leipziger-Zeitreise-SPD-ehrt--200708140015.html

[LESE] http://www.leipzig-lese.de/index.php?article_id=304

[BIOSOP] http://biosop.zhsf.uni-koeln.de/biosop_db/biosop_db.php

[Y] http://www.leipzig-lexikon.de/STRASSEN/02162.htm

[X] German social democracy and the rise of Nazism, Donna Harsch, Univ of North Carolina Press, 1993. pp 70-71. retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=Z2hnMMXzgkgC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=%22hermann+liebmann%22+%2Bspd&source=bl&ots=ss1qyaLlnG&sig=1pc6iUdmy0IDxpTt9TRSj6Ho2qo&hl=en&ei=xUjkTv_qFuOSiQLpq7W9Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22hermann%20liebmann%22%20%2Bspd&f=false

[1] den Nekrolog im Exilorgan Neuer Vorwärts - Karlsbad vom 15. September 1935 [1] Link geprüft 11. Februar 2010

External links

• example.com