ADVERTISING
Death anniversary of the former government president and co-author of the Basic Law
The city of Darmstadt, a center of science and research, commemorates the 65th anniversary of the death of Ludwig Bergsträsser (1883–1960) on March 23, 2025. Bergsträsser was one of the most influential political figures in post-war Hesse. As the first head of government of Starkenburg and president of the Darmstadt administrative district, he played a central role in the democratic reconstruction after 1945.
Mayor Hanno Benz praised him as a "visionary and driving force behind liberal democracy." Benz particularly emphasized Bergsträsser's commitment to the Hessian state constitution and the Basic Law, in whose drafting he played a key role in the Parliamentary Council.
Head of government and pioneer of democracy
Commissioned by the US military government, Bergsträsser established a new administration in Hesse on the right bank of the Rhine, beginning in April 1945. This development led to the founding of the state of Hesse. From 1945 to 1948, he served as Regional President in Darmstadt. With the incorporation of the former provinces of Starkenburg and Upper Hesse, he laid the foundation for today's Darmstadt administrative district.
Resistance against National Socialism
Ludwig Bergsträsser lived on Heinrichstrasse in Darmstadt from 1934 onwards. He was part of the civilian resistance network around Wilhelm Leuschner and wrote memoranda on the political reorganization of Germany. After the failed assassination attempt of July 20, 1944, he narrowly escaped arrest by the Nazi regime.
Political and academic achievements
From 1946 to 1949, Bergsträsser was a member of the Hessian State Parliament, and from 1949 to 1953, a member of the German Bundestag. He was particularly committed to civic education and the establishment of political science as an academic discipline. From 1950 onward, he taught as an honorary professor at the University of Bonn and was a member of the German Academy for Language and Literature in Darmstadt.
Ludwig Bergsträsser was born on February 23, 1883, in Altkirch, Alsace. He died on March 23, 1960, in Darmstadt. His grave is located in the Old Cemetery.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/fre/stip
