Eduard Johannes Popitz ( German: Eduard Johannes Popitz ; December 2, 1884 , Leipzig - February 2, 1945 , Berlin ) - German statesman, participant in the July 20 plot against Adolf Hitler .
| Johannes Popitz | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
| A country | |
| Occupation | , , |
| Awards and prizes | |
Family and Education
Born in the family of a pharmacist. Wife (since 1918 ) - Cornelia, nee Slot, three children were born in the family. He studied political science and law at the universities of Lausanne , Leipzig , Berlin and Halle , received a doctorate in public law.
Public servant and scientist
In 1906 he entered the civil service, from 1907 - a government assistant in Cologne , in 1914 - 1919 he served in the Prussian Ministry of the Interior. In March 1919 he became a member of the Privy Council and was appointed manager of the Reich ministry of finance. Since 1921 - Minister of the Reich of the Ministry of Finance. Since 1925 - State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Finance. Simultaneously with the civil service, he was engaged in teaching at the University of Berlin and the State Academy, since 1922 he was an honorary professor of tax law and financial sciences.
In 1932, he entered the government of General Kurt von Schleicher as minister without a portfolio and the Reich Commissioner in the Prussian Ministry of Finance.
A conservative administrator critical of the Weimar Republic, Popitz supported the rise of the National Socialists in power in 1933 and was therefore appointed Prussian Minister of Finance in April 1933. He joined the NSDAP and was awarded the golden party badge. He supported the conservative lawyer and geopolitician Karl Schmitt .
He was negative about federalism, including in the tax sphere (he called the federal form of government "fiction"). He formulated the economic “Popits law”, which states that over time there should be a tendency to centralize revenue collection (in political science, it corresponds to the so-called “Bruce law” - “federalism is just a transitional stage on the path to government unity”).
Anti-Nazi Opposition Member
Gradually, Popits’ relations with the Nazi regime deteriorated significantly. He reacted sharply to Kristallnacht (the Jewish pogrom on November 9, 1938 ), protested against the mass persecution of Jews, and resigned, which was not accepted.
A supporter of the restoration of the Hohenzollern monarchy, he considered Crown Prince Wilhelm as a candidate for the throne and joined the conspiracy against Hitler, adjacent to his right wing. He worked closely with the former burgomaster of Leipzig, Karl Friedrich Goerdeler , and participated in the discussion society Sreda, which included representatives of the conservative opposition to Hitler. He prepared a draft provisional constitution, which was to come into force after the overthrow of Hitler, which reflected authoritarian tendencies. Participants in the conspiracy considered Popits as one of the possible candidates for the post of Minister of Finance in the post-Nazi government of Germany.
In 1943 he met with the SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler , inviting him to support the conspirators and conclude a separate peace in the West. The mediator in the contacts between Himmler and Popitz was lawyer Karl Langben . Himmler did not give a positive answer, but did not arrest Popits, but only ordered him to be monitored. By that time, the Nazi leadership no longer trusted Popitz, although he remained the Minister of Finance of Prussia. In 1943, Joseph Goebbels wrote in his diary: “Hitler is absolutely sure that Popits is our enemy. He is already following him to have, if necessary, incriminating materials; as soon as Popits betrays himself, the trap closes. "
Arrest, court, death
The day after the failure of the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944 and the failure of the military, Popits was arrested. On October 3, 1944, the People's Court of Justice sentenced him to death. However, Popitz, like Goerdeler, was not immediately executed. He was detained and prepared analytical documents on economic issues. On February 2, 1945, he was hanged in the Plotzensee prison .
Compositions
- Finanzausgleichsprobleme. Berlin, 1927
- Der künftige Finanzausgleich zwischen Reich, Ländern und Gemeinden. Kiel, 1955 (reprint edition).
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 German National Library , Berlin State Library , Bavarian State Library , etc. Record # 118741497 // General regulatory control (GND) - 2012—2016.
Links
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Johannes Popitz
- Biography
- About the "Law of Popits"