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Wilhelm Niklas
Minister of Food, Agriculture and Forestry
In office
20 September 1949 – 20 October 1953
Prime Minister Konrad Adenauer
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded by Heinrich Lübke
Personal details
Born24 September 1887
Traunstein, German Empire
Died12 April 1957(1957-04-12) (aged 69)
Munich, West Germany
Nationality German
Political party

Wilhelm Niklas (24 September 1887 – 12 April 1957) was a German academic and politician, who was the first minister of food, agriculture and forestry in Konrad Adenauer's first cabinet. [1]

Early life and education

Niklas was born in Traunstein, southern Bavaria, on 24 September 1887. [2] [3] He studied law and political science for two semesters and then he studied agriculture and veterinary medicine. [2] [3] He graduated from Technical University of Munich with a degree in veterinary medicine. [3] In 1914, he received a PhD in veterinary science with the thesis "The development of the Bavarian cattle insurance office in the first 15 years of its existence". [3]

Career

Niklas began his career at his alma mater as a research assistant and worked there until 1912. [3] Then he moved to state veterinary service. [3] He was the department chief for livestock breeding and animal products in the Bavarian ministry of agriculture from 1925 until 1935 when he was fired by the Nazis. [2] Then he dealt with the management of large estates, and bought and ran a farm in southern Bavaria. [2] He was a member of the Bavarian People's Party before 1933. [2] From 1945 to 1947 he was the state secretary at the Bavarian ministry of food, agriculture and forestry. [4] He was a member of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) which he joined in 1946. [2] [5] From 1947 to 1949 he served as the deputy director of the department for food, agriculture and forestry at the united economic area. [4] He was also an academic [6] and became professor at the Veterinary Faculty of Munich University in 1947. [2]

From 1948 to 1949 he was the deputy director of the Bizonal food and agriculture administration. [2] He served as the minister of food, agriculture and forestry in the cabinet led by Konrad Adenauer. [5] [7] Niklas was in office from 20 September 1949 to 20 October 1953. [8] He was replaced by Heinrich Lübke in the post. [8] In a May 1951 by-election in Bavaria he was elected to the Bundestag. [2]

Personal life and death

Niklas was a Catholic. [3] He died in Munich on 12 April 1957 due to complications following a car accident. [3]

Legacy

The federal ministry of agriculture has been awarding "Professor-Niklas-Medal” for his memory. [1] [4] It is the highest award given by the ministry. [4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Michael Windfuhr was awarded for his fight against hunger". University of Hohenheim. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Niklas, Wilhelm". Elections and Political Parties in Germany, 1945–1952. Salisbury, NC: Documentary Publications. 1952. p. 25. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Karl-Ulrich Gelberg (1998). "Niklas, Wilhelm". Neue Deutsche Biographie 19 (in German). p. 260.
  4. ^ a b c d "Professor-Niklas-Medaille" (in German). BMELV. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b Hans-Peter Schwarz (1995). Konrad Adenauer: A German Politician and Statesman in a Period of War, Revolution and Reconstruction: The Statesman: 1952–1967. Vol. 2. Providence; Oxford: Berghahn Books. p. 19. ISBN  978-1-57181-960-4.
  6. ^ "Egg, meat prices down". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 January 1950. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Composition of the first government of Konrad Adenauer (Bonn, 20 September 1949)". CVCE. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  8. ^ a b "Angaben zur Regierungszeit" (in German). BMELV. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

External links