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Ludwig Windthorst (Ostercappeln, 17 gennaio 1812 – Berlino, 14 marzo 1891) è stato un politico tedesco, esponente di spicco del partito centrista cattolico Deutsche Zentrumspartei ed oppositore del cancelliere del Reich Otto von Bismarck durante l'unificazione della Germania e il Kulturkampf.
Biografia
Windthorst nacque al maniero di Kaldenhof in quella che oggi è la cittadina di Ostercappeln, nel territorio dell'ex principato vescovile di Osnabrück, secolarizzato nel 1803 sotto l'elettorato di Hannover. La sua famiglia era cattolica ed aveva in passato servito in ruoli d'importanza i vescovi-principi. Suo padre morì nel 1822, quando Ludwig aveva dieci anni. Studiò presso il Gymnasium Carolinum di Osnabrück e dal 1830 studiò legge alle università di Gottinga e Heidelberg. Influenzato da ideali liberalisti nel periodo del Vormärz e dal teologo Georg Hermes, Windthorst unì la sua fede cattolica agli ideali di lotta per la libertà, per i diritti civili e l'unità nazionale.
Nel 1836, Windthorst aprì un suo studio legale a Osnabrück: la sua abilità gli conferì presto grande popolarità, tanto che nel 1842 divenne presidente del consiglio cittadino dei cattolici. Anche se in condizioni di inferiorità sociale, i cattolici erano rimasti fedeli alla Casa di Hannover nell'insurrezione di Gottinga del 1837 contro il re Ernesto Augustuo I, e per questo, nel 1848, Windthorst divenne giudice della suprema corte d'appello (Oberappellationsgericht) di Celle in rappresentanza del regno di Hannover. La rivoluzione del marzo 1848 gli aprì —come per molti suoi contemporanei— la strada per la vita pubblica, e sebbene avesse mancato l'elezione al parlamento di Francoforte, fu eletto alla camera bassa del parlamento di Hannover nel 1849. Si schierò con il cosiddetto partito della Grande Germania, opponendosi alla ricostituzione della confederazione germanica sotto la guida della Prussia. Combattè contro le opposizioni liberali e democratiche e contro la secolarizzazione dell'istruzione.
Nel 1851 divenne presidente del parlamento, poi ministro di giustizia, primo cattolico a ricoprire un così alto ufficio nel regno di Hannover. Promosse un'importante riforma della giustizia —già da tempo in preparazione— ma fu poi costretto a dimettersi per la sua opposizione al ripristino dei privilegi dell'aristocrazia, riprendendo la carica nel 1862, per poi lasciarla di nuovo allorchè il re non approvò alcune riforme in materia finanziaria. Windthorst rimase neutrale durante la guerra Austro-Prussiana; contrariamente al parere di tanti suoi amici, dopo l'annessione di Hannover alla Prussia, accettò il "fatto compiuto", took the oath of allegiance, and was elected a member both of the Prussian parliament and of the North German 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 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.
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 May laws.
On the background of rising anti-Semitism, he stood up for the Jews 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, he was able to exercise influence over the action of the government after Bismarck's retirement. His relations with the emperor William II became very cordial, and in 1891 he achieved a great parliamentary triumph by defeating the School bill and compelling 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 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
- (EN) Hugh Chisholm (a cura di), Enciclopedia Britannica, XI, Cambridge University Press, 1911.
External links
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