Heinrich Bruning, Chancellor Of Germany Before Hitler, Dies (Published 1970) (2024)

NORWICH, Vt., March 31 (AP)—HeinrichBriining, Chan cellor of Germany in the last months before Hitler took pow er, died yesterday in this com munity where he had spent his last years. He was 84 years old.

Mr. Bruning will be buried in the. Westphalian city of Min ster, where he was born and Nighere his sister, his only sur vivor, lives.

Trod Middle Ground

Mr. Bruning became Chan cellor on March 30, 1930, large ly through the efforts of Kurt von Schleicher, a desk general seasoned in political intrigue who was a close adviser of President Paul von Hindenburg.

The problem in Germany then was to keep the rapidly rising nationalist movement of Adolf Hitler as a threat to curb the left without permitting Hitler to assume power himself. Mr. Bruning had what General von Schleicher wanted.

His war record was excellent —he had won the Iron Cross, first class, while commanding a machine‐gun company in World War I. He was parliamentary leader of the influential Catholic Center party and stood well with most of the political mod erates and the wealthy indus trialists. At 44, he was a dis tinguished scholar and linguist.

Mr. Briining moved with en ergy to steal Hitler's thunder by seeking revisions of the Ver sailles Treaty and of the Wei mar Constitution.

But since Germany's econom ic position was deteriorating rapidly, it was necessary for the Chancellor to obtain under standing with France, Britain and the United States. However, leaders in these countries found themselves lost in the maze of German politics and like many German political leaders, com pletely underestimated Hitler. Mr. Brilnina's negotiations were not successful.

Sought to Curb Inflation

Chancellor Bruning instituted stern measures to try to curb inflation. Since his position was weak in the Reichstag, he was forced to govern by emer gency decrees, the legality of which were open to question.

As unemployment in the ear ly months of 1932 passed the six million mark, the prospects of a presidential election, when Hindenburg's term of office expired, began to appear alarming Mr. Brilning sought by agreement to prolong the President's term.

Thanks to the opposition of Hitler and Alfred Hugenberg of the National Socialists, this proposal was rejected and on March 13 elections for the presi dency were held. Hitler and three others ran against Hin denburg, who at the age of 84, polled 18.6 million votes to Hit ler's 13.4 million.

A second election a month later, made necessary by Hin denburg's failure to secure an absolute majority, raised his vote to 19.3 million.

Mr. Briinino sought to offset the unsuccessful record of his government at home with suc cesses abroad. He tried to secure the abandonrnent of reparation payments in view of Germany's desperate economic situation and the recognition of Ger many's right to equality of ar maments. But his hopes were dashed when a proposed con ference was put off.

Meanwhile, political intrigue, in which General von Schleich er played a leading part, led Hindenburg to withdraw his confidence in Mr. Briining, and he resigned.

Mr. Bruning's program had raised powerful enemies among the industrialists and Junker landowners, and General von Schleicher turned against his former nominee when he failed to produce a government of na tional unity. Once Mr. Briining had secured the re‐election of the president, his usefulness in General von Schleicher's eyes had been exhausted.

Franz von Papen, an elegant gentleman rider and political intriguer, succeeded Dr. Bru ning on May 30 at the instance of General von Schleicher and Col. Oskar von Hindenburg, son and confident of the Presi dent.

Mr. Bruning remained a lead er of the Catholic Center party. A year and a half after Hitler became Chancellor on Jan. 30, 1933, Mr. Briining was forced to flee for his life over the back fence of his home during the Nazis' “blood purge” of June 30, 1934. General von Schleicher and his wife were, among the 1,100 murdered.

On Harvard Faculty

After some time in England, Mr. Briining came to the United States and joined the Harvard University faculty as a profes sor of political science. He re mained here for 16 years and wrote and lectured frequently on the subject of government.

In November, 1952, he re turned to Germany, where he became a professor of political science at the, University of Cologne.

On June 8, 1952, Mr. Bruning joined with two other former German Chancellors, Dr. Hans Luther and Dr. Joseph Wirth, to criticize the policy of Chan cellor Konrad Adenauer of West Germany in bringing West Ger many so deeply in the orbit of the United States, France and Britain. Dr. Brilning believed that a policy of neutrality would have been best for Germany at that time.

Heinrich Bruning was born on Nov. 26, 1885. His father was a successful wine mer chant. The son established a brilliant scholastic record at the Universities of Munich, Strassburg and Bonn and stud ied for a time at the London School of Economics. In 1919 he became an official in the Ministry of Welfare of Prussia and in 1924 he was elected to the Reichstag. He succeeded to the leadership of the Catholic Center party in 1929.