14 Facts About Werner Hilpert

Werner Johannes Hilpert was a German politician of the Centre Party and CDU, and is largely considered one of the founding fathers of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Werner Hilpert was born in Leipzig on 17 January 1897 as the first son of Johann Baptist und Martha Hilpert.

Werner Hilpert decided against a career in academia and began to work instead for the Statebank of Saxony.

Werner Hilpert began working in politics in 1927 as a member of the Leipzig city council.

In 1932, with his election as President of the Centre Party in Saxony, Werner Hilpert began investing himself more deeply in the political realm.

Werner Hilpert lost his position in the city council and was forced by the Nazis to give up his position in the Centre Party in the summer of 1933.

Werner Hilpert began working as a self-employed business consultant and, through this work, became intertwined with numerous Jewish businessmen and women.

In spite of the anti-Jewish laws of the Nazis, Werner Hilpert continued to try to provide Jewish business owners with the best working conditions he could secure.

Werner Hilpert spent the next five and a half years in Buchenwald concentration camp as a political prisoner.

Werner Hilpert was a member of the Buchenwald Resistance and came to know Eugen Kogon through their mutual work in the camp's tailor shop.

Werner Hilpert took part in founding the CDU party in the federal state of Hesse in July 1945 and was elected President of the CDU Hesse in November of the same year.

Werner Hilpert served as governor of Hesse until 1947, when he became Minister of Finance.

Werner Hilpert was a member of the Bundestag throughout the first legislative session until his resignation on 10 October 1949.

Werner Hilpert served as President and Finance Director of the Deutsche Bundesbahn from 1952 until his death in Oberursel on 24 February 1957.