Wilhelm Marx

Wilhelm Marx (15 January 1863 – 5 August 1946) was a German judge, politician and member of the Catholic Centre Party. During the Weimar Republic he was the chancellor of Germany twice, from 1923–1925 and 1926–1928, and served briefly as the minister president of Prussia in 1925. With a total of 3 years and 73 days, he was the longest-serving chancellor during the Weimar Republic.

Quick facts: Wilhelm Marx, Chancellor of Germany .mw-parse... ▼

Wilhelm Marx
Marx in 1923
Chancellor of Germany (Weimar Republic)
In office 17 May 1926 – 28 June 1928
President	Paul von Hindenburg
Deputy	Oskar Hergt
Preceded by	Hans Luther
Succeeded by	Hermann Müller
In office 30 November 1923 – 15 January 1925
President	Friedrich Ebert
Deputy	Karl Jarres
Preceded by	Gustav Stresemann
Succeeded by	Hans Luther
Reich Minister of Justice
In office 10 January 1926 – 12 May 1926
Chancellor	Hans Luther
Preceded by	Hans Luther (acting)
Succeeded by	Johannes Bell
Reich Minister for the Occupied Territories
In office 10 January 1926 – 12 May 1926
Chancellor	Hans Luther
Preceded by	Hans Luther
Succeeded by	Johannes Bell
Minister President of Prussia
In office 18 February 1925 – 6 April 1925
Preceded by	Otto Braun
Succeeded by	Otto Braun
Chairman of the Centre Party
In office 17 January 1922 – 8 December 1928
Preceded by	Karl Trimborn [de]
Succeeded by	Ludwig Kaas
Member of the Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
In office 1920–1932
Constituency	Thüringen (1928–1932) Düsseldorf-Ost (1920–1928)
(German Empire)
In office 1910–1918
Constituency	Köln 6
Member of the Weimar National Assembly
In office 6 February 1919 – 21 May 1920
Constituency	Düsseldorf-Ost
Personal details
Born	Wilhelm Marx (1863-01-15)15 January 1863 Cologne, Prussia
Died	5 August 1946(1946-08-05) (aged 83) Bonn, Allied-occupied Germany
Political party	Centre
Spouse	Johanna Verkoyen ​ (m. 1891)​
Children	4
Education	University of Bonn
Profession	Lawyer

After being a member of the Reichstag of the German Empire for ten years, Marx was elected in 1919 to the Weimar National Assembly that drafted Germany's new constitution and then in 1920 to the Republic's Reichstag where he served until not long before the Nazi takeover. As chancellor he helped steer Germany through the crisis year of 1923 with its hyperinflation and rebellious state governments. The following year his government worked to end the immediate crisis over Germany's war reparations and then in 1927 successfully brought Germany into the League of Nations. His terms in office saw a number of progressive pieces of legislation pass, including family allowances for state employees and comprehensive unemployment insurance.

After resigning from the Reichstag in 1932, Marx worked with various civic organizations. He remained in Germany through the Nazi era and died in Bonn in 1946.