Kaiser increased his participation in politics by becoming a member of the
Centre Party, where he began serving in the role of representative chairman of
Rhineland in 1919. He was elected to the
Reichstag in 1933.[2]
Resistance
After the
Nazis came to power in 1933,
Hitler abolished all unions, replacing them with the Nazi controlled
German Labour Front. Kaiser opposed
National Socialism and he joined the resistance in 1934. He was arrested by the
Gestapo in 1938 under suspicion of
treason, but released shortly thereafter.[3]
Through his participation in the
Cologne-resistance circle, Kaiser became a close associated of the former Mayor of
Leipzig,
Carl Goerdeler.[4] His relationship with Goerdeler allowed him to come into contact with
Claus von Stauffenberg. Although he was not directly informed of the
20 July Plot, his knowledge of Stauffenberg's intention to assassinate
Hitler as well as his close ties to the resistance group forced him to go into hiding for the remainder of
World War II.[5]
Leader of the East German CDU
After the war, Kaiser returned to
politics and worked with
Andreas Hermes to found the
East Berlin division of the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He was elected president of the Berlin CDU (both the Western and Eastern sections of the party).
In 1946 Kaiser helped found the
Free German Trade Union Federation (FDGB). In the same year he was elected co-chairman of the
East German CDU (together with
Ernst Lemmer). Although his political views were progressive, he was critical of the
Communist Party of Germany and its
Soviet-supported leaders. His belief that the German Congress was controlled by the Soviets resulted in his refusal to join.
In 1947 during the
Ahlen conference, a joint conference of
West and East German CDU leaders, Kaiser's plan of nationalisation of key industries and other moderate left-wing ideas were adopted by the party.
In 1947 the Soviets forced him to resign as party chairman. However, he remained a member of the party's executive committee.
In 1948 Kaiser was forced to leave East Berlin and he went to West Berlin where he joined the West German
Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Within the CDU he became a major rival of
Konrad Adenauer, the party leader. Kaiser disagreed with Adenauer's
social market economy and called for the
nationalisation of key industries. Kaiser strongly believed in a neutral, united
Germany, and hoped that Germany would be a bridge between the West and the East.
In 1950 Kaiser was elected a vice-chairman of the West German CDU. From 1949 until 1957 he was
Minister of All-German Affairs in Adenauer's cabinet.[6]
Kaiser was married twice. In 1953, after the death of his first wife, he married his longtime colleague in trade union activism,
Elfriede Kaiser-Nebgen (1890–1983). She was instrumental in helping to save his life after the failure of the 20 July Plot.[9]
^Wernicke, Ingolf (2010). Berliner Friedhofsspaziergänge. Berlin: Jaron Verlag.
ISBN978-3-89773-644-3. p. 127.
^Schneider, Dieter. '"Elfriede Nebgen: Auf der Suche nach Synthese und Einheit" (Elfriede Nebgen: In Search of Synthesis and Unity). In Sie waren die ersten. Frauen in der Arbeiterbewegung (They were the first: Women in the labour movement), Dieter Schneider, ed. Frankfurt: Büchergilde Gutenberg, 1988,
ISBN3-7632-3436-5, pp. 269-284.
Dorls (from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, am 23 October 1952 Mandatsaberkennung)
Frommhold (from 7 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 26 March 1952 DP-Gast, from 11 February 1953 Non-attached)
Miessner (from 5 October 1950 FDP-Gast, from 20 December 1950 FDP)
Rößler (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 6 September 1950 Non-attached, from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, until 21 February 1952)
Thadden (from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte; 1950 DRP, from 20 April 1950 Non-attached)
Ott (Non-attached, from 4 May 1950 WAV-Gast, from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached, from 26 March 1952 DP/DPB-Gast, from 26 June 1952 Non-attached)
Berg (from 27 June 1955, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Blank (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Blücher (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Euler (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Fassbender (from 18 November 1955 DP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Hübner (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Manteuffel (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Neumayer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Preiß (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Preusker (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Schäfer (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Schneider (from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Bender (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Eckhardt (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Finck (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Haasler (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Körner (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 FDP, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Kraft (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Oberländer (from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Samwer (from 15 October 1953, from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)