Die Entwicklung der Parteien in Herrenberg 1918 - 1933

Abstract

Die Dissertation untersucht die Auswirkungen der politischen Entwicklungen auf lokaler Ebene. Dabei steht die Stadt Herrenberg im Mittelpunkt, die ein Symbol für eine württembergisch-schwäbische Kleinstadt im protestantisch-agrarischen Milieu ist. Dabei wird zunächst die Parteienentwicklung im Reich und in Württemberg ausführlich dargestellt beschrieben, von den konservativen Parteien bis zu den Sozialdemokraten Kommmunisten. Dann wird die politische Landschaft von Herrenberg und den umliegenden Gemeinden analysiert und herausgearbeitet, dass es eine agrarisch-protestantische Milieupartei gibt, den Württembergischen Bauernbund. Dessen Vorsiztender in Herrenberg ist zugleich der Verleger der wichtigen Tageszeitung Gäubote. Die linken Parteien spielen eine eher untergeordnete Rollle. Anschließend wird die Epoche von 1918 1933 untersucht, vor allem der Aufstieg der NSDAP, der in Württemberg und in Herrenberb bis 1932 gebremst war, dann aber um so rasanter erfolgte. Anschließend werden die Entwicklungen von Herrenberg mit bis zu 17 anderen Städten in Südwestdeutschland verglichen, damit entstand ein vergleichendes Bild über den württembergischen politischen Raum der Epoche.

The thesis "Development of the parties in Herrenberg 1918-33" considers the topic of how the political, economical and social developments from 1918 until 1933 effect a small city in the southwest of Germany. Therefore the main issue is the origin and the development of the parties. However the thesis also contains a portrait of a city and a description of the local history of this era. There a two peculiarities in Herrenberg: First, until 1932 the citizens were quite resistant to the ideology of the national socialist party. The NSDAP had to struggle to convince the people, especially the farmes, who constituted the majority of the inhabitants of Herrenberg and the district. From 1932, the electorate has changed dramatically, the people defected to the movement of Adolf Hitler and became strong supporters. The results of the NSDAP were, from this moment, above-average. Second, the existence of a person called Theodor Körner, who was leader of the "Bauerbund", a special interest party of the farmers. He played an important role in the political system of the German state of Württemberg, he was also a member of the national parliament, the Reichstag. His party was linked to the national-conservative party DNVP in the whole Reich and her partner in Württemberg, the "Bürgerpartei". And Herrenberg was a stronghold of the "Bauernbund", because of Theodor Körner. He was the editor of the local newspaper, the "Gäubote", which was at the same time a propaganda newspaper for his party. In addition to this Körner was president of the parliament of Württemberg for some years. He was a powerful man, also in Herrenberg, where he lived. The "Bauernbund" was until 1932 the dominant party in the political system of Herrenberg. The last chapter considers the takeover of the Hitler-Movement also in Herrenberg. It was not very spectacularly: The Mayor Reinhold Schick stayed in office, because the NSDAP didn’t have enough officials to replace him and the other higher magistrates. Some communists and social democrats were persecuted and imprisoned, the most parties dissolved. For Herrenberg, the takeover by the NSDAP was the end of its independence: After five years, the Oberamt (district) of Herrenberg was dissolved, the city from then on belonged to the district of the neighbouring city of Böblingen. And that was an evolution the political leaders of Herrenberg, who in the 1930s had acclaimed the rise of the Nazi, had not anticipated.