Only evil extortionist methods achieved the seemingly impossible: For seven years Adolf Hitler tried to gain the German citizenship - he always failed because of the resistance of democratic institutions. A technicality could have almost prevented his political career.
Joseph Goebbels announced at the evening of 22 February 1932 that Hitler was going to run in the 13th presidential elections. And he will win! The Berlin Sports Palace was raging, and the Reich propaganda leader enjoyed the thunderous applause.
The fact that Hitler was not even allowed to candidate, was deliberately concealed. According to the Weimar Constitution, the right was only reserved for German citizens. Hitler was stateless, after he had renounced his Austrian citizenship in 1925. Six times he had tried since then to come into the possession of a German passport. Each time he couldn't come past the resistance of democratic institutions - most recently three weeks ago before Goebbels speech.
Meanwhile the press got wind of the desperate attempts of Hitler to get naturalization and duly made fun of it. The Nazi party leadership was slowly becoming desperate.
The bad press was one thing, bur one other thing weighed much heavier: This constitutional formality could mean the end for Hitlers political ambitions - and that just before his final breakthrough. Goebbels' performance was therefore a clear message that he was going ahead and that everything is under control.
Hitlers first attempt to become a German citizen, was launched in July 1925. He applied for citizenship in the usual way in Thuringia. In the Weimar Republic people were citizens of the states, so nobody sought the all-German citizenship, but one of the Federal State Citizenships. Thuringia refused Hitler's request because Prussias significant concerns about the naturalization of traitor. A law allowed every state to veto in naturalization matters. Hitler's abortive coup attempt in 1923 certainly were far from being forgotten.
Four years later, Hitler sent one of his henchmen, this time in Bavaria, to ask for his naturalization.. He probably hoped that the memory of the coup had slowly faded. The Nazi party leader in the Reichstag, Wilhelm Frick, got the job, to ask the Bavarian Interior Minister Karl Stützel.
Stützel conferred with Prime Minister Heinrich Held. I was absolutely clear to him that the cause was hopeless. Prussia would prevent Hitler's citizenship forever.
There was no way for Hitler to to obtain German citizenship in a normal way. So a another way was sought in the the Nazi party headquarters in Munich.
In the Reichs laws about citizenship there was indeed another path to citizenship without prussias approval. Under Section 14, paragraph 1, getting hired for the a public post was seen as naturalization. So Hitler had to get into an official posts, at best one that only existed on paper and had no competition whatsoever.
In the "Mustergau" Thüringen a coalition government with Nazi involvement had come to power. Frick was interior minister and now received the order to give Hitler inconspicuously a place as an Thuringian official.
He was playing all his contacts in order to make Hitler a professor at the Weimar art school. But the coalition partners didn't play along. Finance Minister Erwin Baum substantiated and referred to the recently approved hiring freeze in public service. The government followed through on 15 April with a statement making it clear they weren't supporting Hitler in any way.
But Frick did not give up. Less than three months later he took the opportunity, that Baum was on vacation. He appointed Hitler as police commissioner of a ten-person department in the small Thuringian town Hildburghausen and intimidated all his accomplices into silence
Hitler didn't share Fricks enthusiasm about his successful little trick. He probably felt the office of a fourth-ranking police chief anywhere in the province was beneath his person and tore up the document.
That was enough for Frick, as far as he was concerned Hitler could remain stateless forever.
Only the beginning of 1932 turned the subject back on the Nazi agenda. Inspired by the electoral successes of the past two years, Hitler was now seriously contemplating to run for presidency in March 1932. Time was short. He had to be German as quickly as possible. This time he moved to Braunschweig where the Nazi Party was also involved as a coalition partner in government. On 2 February 1932 Klagges Dietrich, NSDAP-man of the first hour and interior ministers of the Free State received , the task to quickly and quietly obtain an official post for Hitler
Klagges Hitler planned for it to get an academic position. He wanted to make a professor of Organic Sociology and Politics at the University of Braunschweig. Although the project was subject to the highest level of secrecy, it flew in a budget debate on the Braunschweig Diet. The Social Democratic opposition leader Heinrich Jasper demanded a response to the rumors of the university professorship for Hitler. Only in this way the University became aware of Klagges' machinations. It refused to give a job to Hitler immediately: As they put it: “He lacks any academic qualifications.”
At the same time Frick attempts to get Hitler the German citizenship in Hildburghausen became public. Very thankful the media picked up Hitler hunt for German citizenship, and covered him with scorn and derision. He was mocked as the "Captain of Hildburghausen" - in allusion to the legendary Captain of Köpenick, who had been posing as an prussian officer, but in reality was shoemaker. The magazine "Germania" prophesied in February 1932 that the "Köpenickiade" of "Hildburghausen," as one of the best constitutional comedies will find their way eventually to the stage. "Since yesterday Europe is laughing at Adolf Hitler," wrote the newspaper "Tempo". The "Berliner Tageblatt" etched "The joke around the world sheets are supplied for some time with substance."
Hitler was now fairly under pressure. Even in the Reichstag made already fun of him. The SPD Group Chairman Rudolph noted the candidacy of Hitler on 24 February in allusion to the events of the previous weeks with a cynical tone: "He's not a German citizen." For him, the case was clear. Not for Hitler. He upped the pressure. Braunschweigs Minister Werner Küchenthal suggested to make the political agitator the acting mayor of the town Oldendorf, but failed at the refusal of the parliamentary parties.
Once, the sixth naturalization attempt failed miserably, the Nazi party leadership pulled their last ace up their sleeve: they threatened their government partners, to leave the coalition in the state of Braunschweig consisting of DVP, DNVP, Zentrum and Landbun, if they weren't cooperating. Their partners feared nothing more than new elections at this point, which would have catapulted them into the political no man's land. So they buckled and agreed to Hitler on 26 February 1932 getting appointed as a liaison to the Imperial Parliament. All this happened three weeks before the election, Hitler was now working for the state and and thus was a citizens of the German Reich citizens. (translated article from Der Spiegel, written by Johanna Lutteroth)
So what would happen if this political farce continued until the bitter end and he doesn't get the citizenship and so isn't on the ballot for the election?
I think at that point even the most conservative right wing politician and industry bosses might have their doubts about supporting this clown any longer. The SPD wouldn't need to be afraid of a Reichspresidency of Hitler and probably as a result wouldn't vote for Hindenburg. Maybe Brechts play about “Arturo Ui” becomes a lightharded comedy?
Joseph Goebbels announced at the evening of 22 February 1932 that Hitler was going to run in the 13th presidential elections. And he will win! The Berlin Sports Palace was raging, and the Reich propaganda leader enjoyed the thunderous applause.
The fact that Hitler was not even allowed to candidate, was deliberately concealed. According to the Weimar Constitution, the right was only reserved for German citizens. Hitler was stateless, after he had renounced his Austrian citizenship in 1925. Six times he had tried since then to come into the possession of a German passport. Each time he couldn't come past the resistance of democratic institutions - most recently three weeks ago before Goebbels speech.
Meanwhile the press got wind of the desperate attempts of Hitler to get naturalization and duly made fun of it. The Nazi party leadership was slowly becoming desperate.
The bad press was one thing, bur one other thing weighed much heavier: This constitutional formality could mean the end for Hitlers political ambitions - and that just before his final breakthrough. Goebbels' performance was therefore a clear message that he was going ahead and that everything is under control.
Hitlers first attempt to become a German citizen, was launched in July 1925. He applied for citizenship in the usual way in Thuringia. In the Weimar Republic people were citizens of the states, so nobody sought the all-German citizenship, but one of the Federal State Citizenships. Thuringia refused Hitler's request because Prussias significant concerns about the naturalization of traitor. A law allowed every state to veto in naturalization matters. Hitler's abortive coup attempt in 1923 certainly were far from being forgotten.
Four years later, Hitler sent one of his henchmen, this time in Bavaria, to ask for his naturalization.. He probably hoped that the memory of the coup had slowly faded. The Nazi party leader in the Reichstag, Wilhelm Frick, got the job, to ask the Bavarian Interior Minister Karl Stützel.
Stützel conferred with Prime Minister Heinrich Held. I was absolutely clear to him that the cause was hopeless. Prussia would prevent Hitler's citizenship forever.
There was no way for Hitler to to obtain German citizenship in a normal way. So a another way was sought in the the Nazi party headquarters in Munich.
In the Reichs laws about citizenship there was indeed another path to citizenship without prussias approval. Under Section 14, paragraph 1, getting hired for the a public post was seen as naturalization. So Hitler had to get into an official posts, at best one that only existed on paper and had no competition whatsoever.
In the "Mustergau" Thüringen a coalition government with Nazi involvement had come to power. Frick was interior minister and now received the order to give Hitler inconspicuously a place as an Thuringian official.
He was playing all his contacts in order to make Hitler a professor at the Weimar art school. But the coalition partners didn't play along. Finance Minister Erwin Baum substantiated and referred to the recently approved hiring freeze in public service. The government followed through on 15 April with a statement making it clear they weren't supporting Hitler in any way.
But Frick did not give up. Less than three months later he took the opportunity, that Baum was on vacation. He appointed Hitler as police commissioner of a ten-person department in the small Thuringian town Hildburghausen and intimidated all his accomplices into silence
Hitler didn't share Fricks enthusiasm about his successful little trick. He probably felt the office of a fourth-ranking police chief anywhere in the province was beneath his person and tore up the document.
That was enough for Frick, as far as he was concerned Hitler could remain stateless forever.
Only the beginning of 1932 turned the subject back on the Nazi agenda. Inspired by the electoral successes of the past two years, Hitler was now seriously contemplating to run for presidency in March 1932. Time was short. He had to be German as quickly as possible. This time he moved to Braunschweig where the Nazi Party was also involved as a coalition partner in government. On 2 February 1932 Klagges Dietrich, NSDAP-man of the first hour and interior ministers of the Free State received , the task to quickly and quietly obtain an official post for Hitler
Klagges Hitler planned for it to get an academic position. He wanted to make a professor of Organic Sociology and Politics at the University of Braunschweig. Although the project was subject to the highest level of secrecy, it flew in a budget debate on the Braunschweig Diet. The Social Democratic opposition leader Heinrich Jasper demanded a response to the rumors of the university professorship for Hitler. Only in this way the University became aware of Klagges' machinations. It refused to give a job to Hitler immediately: As they put it: “He lacks any academic qualifications.”
At the same time Frick attempts to get Hitler the German citizenship in Hildburghausen became public. Very thankful the media picked up Hitler hunt for German citizenship, and covered him with scorn and derision. He was mocked as the "Captain of Hildburghausen" - in allusion to the legendary Captain of Köpenick, who had been posing as an prussian officer, but in reality was shoemaker. The magazine "Germania" prophesied in February 1932 that the "Köpenickiade" of "Hildburghausen," as one of the best constitutional comedies will find their way eventually to the stage. "Since yesterday Europe is laughing at Adolf Hitler," wrote the newspaper "Tempo". The "Berliner Tageblatt" etched "The joke around the world sheets are supplied for some time with substance."
Hitler was now fairly under pressure. Even in the Reichstag made already fun of him. The SPD Group Chairman Rudolph noted the candidacy of Hitler on 24 February in allusion to the events of the previous weeks with a cynical tone: "He's not a German citizen." For him, the case was clear. Not for Hitler. He upped the pressure. Braunschweigs Minister Werner Küchenthal suggested to make the political agitator the acting mayor of the town Oldendorf, but failed at the refusal of the parliamentary parties.
Once, the sixth naturalization attempt failed miserably, the Nazi party leadership pulled their last ace up their sleeve: they threatened their government partners, to leave the coalition in the state of Braunschweig consisting of DVP, DNVP, Zentrum and Landbun, if they weren't cooperating. Their partners feared nothing more than new elections at this point, which would have catapulted them into the political no man's land. So they buckled and agreed to Hitler on 26 February 1932 getting appointed as a liaison to the Imperial Parliament. All this happened three weeks before the election, Hitler was now working for the state and and thus was a citizens of the German Reich citizens. (translated article from Der Spiegel, written by Johanna Lutteroth)
So what would happen if this political farce continued until the bitter end and he doesn't get the citizenship and so isn't on the ballot for the election?
I think at that point even the most conservative right wing politician and industry bosses might have their doubts about supporting this clown any longer. The SPD wouldn't need to be afraid of a Reichspresidency of Hitler and probably as a result wouldn't vote for Hindenburg. Maybe Brechts play about “Arturo Ui” becomes a lightharded comedy?