Junker
Junkers (pronounced YOON-kers) were the landed aristocracy of Prussia and Eastern Germany. "Junker" in German means country squire. The particle "von" before their family names indicated their belonging to the nobility. Being the bullwark of the Hohenzollern Empire, they controlled the military, leading in social status and politics, and owned immense Estatess. Their political influence extended from the German Empire of 1871 to 1918 through the Weimar Republic of 1919-1933. It was said that Prussia ruled Germany, the Junkers ruled Prussia, and through it the Empire itself.They held a monopoly on all the civil offices and officer corps of the Army and Navy. Supporting monarchism and military traditions, these Agrarians or Junkers were reactionaries and protectionist; they were often anti- liberal, siding with the conservative monarchist forces during the Revolution of 1848. Their political interests were served by the German Conservative Party in the Reichstag and the extraparliamentary Agrarian League. This political class held tremendous power over the industrial classes and the government. When Chancellor Caprivi reduced the protective duties on imports of grain, these landed magnates demanded and obtained his dismissal; and in 1902, they brought about a restoration of such duties on foodstuffs as would keep prices of their own products at a high level.
The German statesman Otto von Bismarck was a noted Junker, as was president Paul von Hindenburg.
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923 of Hitler and General Ludendorff (a member of an impoverished Junker family) was foiled by Junker von Lossow who was the commander of the local Reichswehr and Gustav von Kahr the Bavarian Prime Minister. Von Kahr was murdered in the Reichsmordwoche the Blood Purge of June 30, l934. Hitler distrusted Junkers and all his high officers were non-Junkers
After the Soviets had occupied East Germany, during the Bodenreform (ground reform) all private property exceeding a certain area (i.e. all the land that used to belong to the Junker) was seized and collectives of farmers were formed. The Junker were expelled and are now, after the German reunification, trying to get their former property back. The treaties that the FRG and the GDR have made with the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union however contained the rule that any decision made by any of the four occupation forces during the time of occupation (1945-1955) must be kept up, lest the freed Germans label it as wrong ex post.
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2 Other Famous Junkers 3 Miscellania 4 References 5 Bibliography |
History of German Agrarian Development
German agrarian development has been regional rather than national; that is to say, the ownership and use of land took a different trend in each of three main sections of the country. The southwest (including Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg and Rhenish Prussia) became like France, a land of small holdings, and up to the Great War was the only part of the Empire in which it was possible to discover peasant political influence of any importance. The northwest (including Westphalia, Lower Saxony, and parts of Hanover) developed a system of medium-to-large holdings, yet with many peasant proprietorships. From Brandenburg eastward, however, —and especially in the Pruserania, —practically all of the land was long ago gathered into great estates, and most of the people are landless, wage-earning agricultural laborers. This landed aristocracy were called Junkers. (1)
Other Famous Junkers
Miscellania
References
Bibliography