Ernst Benda (15 January 1925 – 2 March 2009) was a German legal scholar, politician and judge. He served as the fourth president of the

Federal Constitutional Court of Germany The Federal Constitutional Court (german: link=no, Bundesverfassungsgericht ; abbreviated: ) is the supreme constitutional court for the Federal Republic of Germany, established by the constitution or Basic Law () of Germany. Since its in ...

from 1971 to 1983. Benda briefly served as Minister of the Interior of Germany (1968 to 1969). Ernst Benda was born in Berlin, the son of an engineer. Following school, he served in the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

from 1943 to 1945. After the war, he studied law at the

Humboldt University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...

in East Berlin, but in 1948 moved to the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

and then to the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

in West Berlin. 1956 he started to work as a lawyer in Berlin. From 1946 Benda was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He was one of the founders, in 1948, of the Kampfgruppe gegen Unmenschlichkeit (KgU) ("Combat Group against Inhumanity"), an anti-communist organization operating in the GDR and which received financial support from various Western intelligence agencies and the FGR government. From 1954 to 1957 he was a member of the

Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin (House of Deputies) () is the state parliament (''Landtag'') of Berlin, Germany according to the city-state's constitution. In 1993 the parliament moved from Rathaus Schöneberg to its present house on Niederkirchne ...

, the parliament of Berlin. 1957 he was elected to the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Common ...

, the West German parliament. In 1965 he was involved in bringing significant changes to West Germany's statutes of limitations for murder. Without these changes, it would not have been possible to bring charges of murder against erstwhile National Socialists. Since 1967 he was Secretary of State in the German interior ministry and since 1968 Minister of the Interior. 1969 he was appointed as a judge to the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. From 1971 to 1983 he was president of the court. From 1984 Benda was a professor of law at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemb ...

Awards and honours

:1974 Grand Cross of Merit of the Italian Republic :1975 Grand Gold Medal with Ribbon for Services to the Republic of Austria :1983

Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

:1974 Honorary Doctorate from the Faculty of Law, Julius-Maximilians-Universität

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg ...

:1978 Honorary Professor at the

University of Trier The University of Trier (german: Universität Trier), in the German city of Trier, was founded in 1473. Closed in 1798 by order of the then French administration in Trier, the university was re-established in 1970 after a hiatus of some 172 y ...

:1978

Pipe smoker of the year Pipe Smoker of the Year was an award given out annually by the British Pipesmokers' Council, to honour a famous pipe-smoking individual. Initiated in 1965 as Pipeman of the Year by the Briar Pipe Trade Association, it was presented at a lunch in ...

:1987

References

External links

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benda, Ernst 1925 births 2009 deaths Members of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin German Protestants Jurists from Berlin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Free University of Berlin alumni Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria Interior ministers of Germany Justices of the Federal Constitutional Court Members of the Bundestag for Berlin Members of the Bundestag 1969–1972 Members of the Bundestag 1965–1969 Members of the Bundestag 1961–1965 Members of the Bundestag 1957–1961 20th-century German judges Members of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany Kriegsmarine personnel of World War II