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[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2007-0214, Ludwig Windthorst.jpg|thumb|Reichstag MP Windthorst, 1889]]
'''Ludwig Windthorst''' (17 January 1812 – 14 March 1891), was a [[Germans|German]] [[politician]] of the Catholic [[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre Party]], the most notable opponent of Chancellor [[Otto von Bismarck]] during the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]]-led [[unification of Germany]] and the [[Kulturkampf]].
==Biography==
Windthorst was born at Kaldenhof manor in the present-day municipality of [[Ostercappeln]], in the lands of the former [[Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück]], which had been [[German Mediatisation|securalised]] to the [[Electorate of Hanover]] under the Protestant [[House of Welf|Welf]] dynasty in 1803. The growth-restricted boy was raised in a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] family, which for some generations had held important posts in the bishopric's civil service. Windthorst became a half-orphan at the age of ten, when his father died in 1822. He was educated at the [[Gymnasium Carolinum (Osnabrück)|Gymnasium Carolinum]], an endowed school at [[Osnabrück]] which he left with excellent ''[[Abitur]]'' exams, and from 1830 studied law at the universities of [[University of Göttingen|Göttingen]] and [[Heidelberg University|Heidelberg]]. Influenced by the rise of [[Liberalism in Germany|liberalism]] during the ''[[Vormärz]]'' era and the 1832 [[Hambach Festival]] as well as by the Catholic theologian [[Georg Hermes]], Windthorst tried to bring his Catholic confession in accordance with the ideals of liberty, civil rights and national unity.
[[Image:Windthorst-Gedenkstaette.jpg|thumb|upright|Memorial at Kaldenhof]]
In 1836, Windthorst settled down as an advocate in Osnabrück: his abilities soon procured him a considerable practice, and he was appointed president of the Catholic consistory in 1842. Though socially disadvantaged, the Catholics had remained loyal to the ruling [[House of Hanover]] during the 1837 insurrection of the [[Göttingen Seven]] against King [[Ernest Augustus I of Hanover|Ernest Augustus I]], and in 1848 Windthorst received an appointment at the supreme court of appeal (''Oberappellationsgericht'') for the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] at [[Celle]]. The [[Revolutions of 1848 in the German states|March Revolution]] opened for him—as for so many of his contemporaries—the way to public life and though he failed to gain a mandate for the [[Frankfurt Parliament|Frankfurt Assembly]], he was elected representative for his native district in the second chamber of the reformed Hanoverian parliament in 1849. He belonged to what was called the [[German question|Greater German]] party, and opposed the project of reconstituting [[German Confederation|Germany]] under the leadership of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. He defended the government against the liberal and democratic opposition; and, at this time, he began his struggle against the secularization of schools, which continued throughout his life.
In 1851, he was elected president of the chamber and, in the same year, minister of justice, the first Catholic who had held so high an office in Hanover. As minister, he carried through an important judicial reform—which had been prepared by his predecessor—but had to retire from office because he was opposed to the reactionary measures for restoring the influence and privileges of the nobility. Though he was always an enemy to liberalism, his natural independence of character prevented him from acquiescing in the reactionary measures of the king. In 1862, he again was appointed minister, but with others of his colleagues, he resigned when the king refused his assent to a measure for extending the franchise. Windthorst took no part in the critical [[Austro-Prussian War]]; contrary to the opinion of many of his friends, after the annexation of Hanover by Prussia, he accepted the ''fait accompli'', took the oath of allegiance, and was elected a member both of the Prussian parliament and of the North German [[diet (assembly)|diet]].
At Berlin, he found a wider field for his abilities. He acted as representative of his exiled king in the negotiations with the Prussian government concerning his private property, and opposed the sequestration, and for the first time was placed in a position of hostility to [[Otto von Bismarck]]. He was recognized as the leader of the Hanoverians and of all those above who opposed the revolution. He took a leading part in the formation of the [[Centre Party (Germany)|party of the Center]] in 1870–1871, but he did not become a member of it, for he feared that his reputation as a follower of the king of Hanover would injure the party; that is, until the leaders formally requested that he join them.
[[Image:Windhorstdenkmal Meppen.jpg|thumb|upright|Memorial at the [[Meppen]] Windhorst school]]
After the death of [[Hermann von Mallinckrodt]] (1821–1874) in 1874, Windthorst became leader of the party and maintained that position until his death. It was chiefly owing to his skill and courage as a parliamentary debater and his tact as a leader, that the party held its own and constantly increased in numbers during the great struggle with the Prussian government. He was especially exposed to the attacks of Bismarck, who attempted, personally, to discredit him and to separate him from the rest of the party. And, he was by far the ablest and most dangerous critic of Bismarck's policy. The change of policy in 1879 led to a great alteration in his position: he was reconciled to Bismarck and even sometimes attended receptions at Bismarck's house. Never, however, was his position so difficult as during the negotiations which led to a repeal of the [[Kulturkampf|May laws]].
On the background of rising [[anti-Semitism]], he stood up for the [[Jew]]s and enforced the expulsion of anti-Semitic members from the Center Party.
In 1887, Bismarck appealed to the [[Pope]] to use his authority to order the Center to support the military proposals of the government. Windthorst took the responsibility of keeping the papal instructions secret from the rest of his party and of disobeying the instructions. In a great meeting at [[Cologne]] in March 1887, he defended and justified his action, and claimed for the Center full independence of action in all purely political questions. In the social reform, he supported Bismarck, and as the undisputed leader of the largest party in the [[Reichstag (German Empire)|Reichstag]], he was able to exercise influence over the action of the government after Bismarck's retirement. His relations with the emperor [[Wilhelm II of Germany|William II]] became very cordial, and in 1891 he achieved a great parliamentary triumph by defeating the School bill and compelling [[Heinrich von Gossler|Gossler]] to resign. A few days afterwards he died, on 14 March 1891, at Berlin.
He was buried in the Marienkirche in Hanover, which had been erected from the money subscribed as a testimonial to him. His funeral was a most remarkable display of public esteem, in which nearly all the ruling princes of Germany joined, and was a striking sign of the position to which, after twenty years of incessant struggle, he had raised his party. Windthorst was undoubtedly one of the greatest of German parliamentary leaders: no one equalled him in his readiness as a debater—his defective eyesight compelling him to depend entirely upon his memory. It was his misfortune that nearly all his life was spent in opposition, and he had no opportunity of showing his abilities as an administrator. He enjoyed unbounded popularity and confidence among the German Catholics, but he was in no way an ecclesiastic: he was at first opposed to the [[First Vatican Council|Vatican decrees of 1870]], but quickly accepted them after they had been proclaimed. He was a very agreeable companion and a thorough man of the world, singularly free from arrogance and pomposity—owing to his small stature, he was often known as "die kleine Excellenz". He married in 1839: of his three children, two died before him; his wife survived him only a few months.
Windthorst's ''Ausgewählte Reden'' were published in three volumes (Osnabrück, 1901–1902).
==See also==
*[[Windthorst, Texas]] was named in honor of Ludwig Windthorst
==References==
*{{1911}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Ludwig Windthorst}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Windthorst, Ludwig
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = German politician
| DATE OF BIRTH = 17 January 1812
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 14 March 1891
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Windthorst, Ludwig}}
[[Category:1812 births]]
[[Category:1891 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Osnabrück (district)]]
[[Category:German Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Centre Party (Germany) politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Reichstag of the German Empire]]
[[Category:People from the Kingdom of Hanover]]
[[Category:University of Heidelberg alumni]]
[[Category:University of Göttingen alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Prussian House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Members of the Second Chamber of the Diet of the Kingdom of Hanover]]
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[[de:Ludwig Windthorst]]
[[fr:Ludwig Windthorst]]
[[la:Aloysius Windthorst]]
[[no:Ludwig Windthorst]]
[[pl:Ludwig Windthorst]]
[[sv:Ludwig Windthorst]]
[[ru:Виндтхорст, Людвиг]]
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