Max Julius Friedrich Brauer (3 September 1887 – 2 February 1973) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the first elected First Mayor of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Life

In 1923, Brauer was mayor of the independent city of Altona, Prussia, incorporated into Hamburg after 1937. Brauer fled the Nazi regime to the United States in 1933 with a passport of a friend. In 1934 Brauer's German citizenship was revoked. In July 1946 he came back to Hamburg working for the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

. In October 1946 after the election of the

Hamburg Parliament The Hamburg Parliament (; literally “Hamburgish Citizenry” or, more poetically, “Hamburgish Burgess (title), Burgessry”) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of the German state of Hamburg according to the constitution of Hamburg. ...

, Brauer was elected as the First Mayor of Hamburg. After Brauer complained in a letter to the British forces about the supply shortfall in Hamburg, the British Governor Vaughan Berry stopped the heating in the officers' mess until there were a solution. On 16 October 1949, the took place where Brauer's party, the SPD, received 65 of the 120 seats. His new Hamburg government ("") started February 1950. In October 1953, the next election took place. The SPD received only 58 of the 120 seats; an alliance including the CDU received the other 62 seats. Kurt Sieveking (CDU) became Brauer's successor; the started in December 1953. On , the SPD received 69 of the 120 seats. Brauer and his started working. Brauer had promised to Paul Nevermann (born 1902) that he would transfer power to him before the end of the term. The 'era Brauer' ended 20 December 1960 with extensive ceremonies. By the West German federal election in September 1961, Brauer was elected as member of the German

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the Germany, German Federalism in Germany, federal parliament. It is the only constitutional body of the federation directly elected by the German people. The Bundestag wa ...

in (later transformed, see

Hamburg-Nord Hamburg-Nord (meaning ''Hamburg North'') is one of the seven Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, boroughs of the Hamburg, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, in northern Germany. In 2020, according to the residents registration office, the ...

). He was not a candidate for the next federal election in 1965; his successor in his electoral ward Hans Apel (1932–2011) became an important SPD politician and minister (finance, defence). Brauer is buried in

Altona Main Cemetery Altona Main Cemetery ( or ''Friedhof Altona'') is located at Stadiongasse 5, Bahrenfeld, Altona, Hamburg, Altona, in north-western Hamburg, Germany and, with an area of 63 hectares, is the fourth largest burial ground in the city and surroundin ...

Honours

In 1960, Brauer was given the honorary citizen award of Hamburg. The street ''Max-Brauer-Allee'' in the Altona borough is named after him.

Works

* Brauer, Max. 1952. ''Consecration of the memorial for the Hamburg air raid victims:'' peech at the inauguration on 16 August 1952 at Hamburg air raid victims.">Ohlsdorf Cemetery of the memorial for the Bombing of Hamburg in World War II">Hamburg air raid victims.

References

External links

* * http://www.hans-bredow-institut.de/nwdr/zz/Schwermer/artikel.htm * http://library.fes.de/fulltext/afs/htmrez/80705.htm * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brauer, Max 1887 births 1973 deaths Mayors of Hamburg Exiles from Nazi Germany Members of the Bundestag for Hamburg Members of the Bundestag 1961–1965 Members of the Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party of Germany