Franz Blücher
Franz Blücher | |
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Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) | |
In office 20 September 1949 – 29 October 1957 | |
Preceded by |
vacant last office holder: Hermann Göring |
Succeeded by | Ludwig Erhard |
Federal Minister for Matters of the Marshall Plan later renamed Minister for Economic Cooperation | |
In office 20 September 1949 – 29 October 1957 | |
Preceded by | new office |
Succeeded by |
Hermann Lindrath as Minister for Federal Patrimony |
Personal details | |
Born |
24 March 1896 Essen, German Empire |
Died |
26 March 1959 63) Bad Godesberg, West Germany | (aged
Political party |
FDP Free People's Party (FVP) DP |
Franz Blücher (24 March 1896 – 26 March 1959) was a German politician and member of the German Parliament (Bundestag).
Blücher was born in Essen, Rhine Province, German Empire.
After World War II, Blücher was one of the founders of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and served as chairman in the British occupation zone (1946-1949) and as Federal Chairman (1949-1954).
From 1949 to 1957, he was a member of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's cabinet. As representative of the second-largest government party, he was the first Vice-Chancellor of Germany (West Germany) and also held the Ministry for Matters of the Marshall Plan, which in 1953 was renamed Ministry for Economic Cooperation.
In 1956, he - along with other fifteen ministers and parliamentarians - sided with Chancellor Adenauer against his party and formed the Free People's Party (FVP), which early in 1957 merged with the German Party (DP).
Franz Blücher died on 26 March 1959 in Bad Godesberg, North Rhine-Westphalia.
Honours and awards
Blücher was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Berlin (1954) and the University of the Punjab in Lahore (1957). In 1954 he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit and the Grand Cross of the Greek Order of George I. In 1955, he received the Grand Cross of Merit of the Italian Republic.
In 1956, Blücher received the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria.[1]
References
- ↑ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (pdf) (in German). p. 21. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by Franz von Papen |
Vice Chancellor of Germany 1949–1957 |
Succeeded by Ludwig Erhard |