Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
A conservative mayor and price commissioner who became a central figure in the German resistance, paying with his life for plotting to kill Hitler.
1884–1945 (age 61)·German politician·Birthday: July 31·The Lost Generation
Biography
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was a paradox: a traditionalist, monarchist civil servant who became a key architect of attempts to overthrow the Nazi regime. As mayor of Leipzig, he was a respected administrator, but Hitler's rise filled him with dread. His opposition was practical and moral; he witnessed the regime's brutality and its economically reckless march toward war. After resigning in protest over the removal of a Mendelssohn statue, he dedicated himself to conspiracy. Goerdeler traveled Europe seeking Allied support and was the civilian candidate to lead a new government after Hitler's assassination. The failure of the July 20, 1944 plot led to his capture. After months of imprisonment and torture, he was executed, a conservative patriot whose conscience led him to the ultimate rebellion.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Carl was born in 1884, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1884
Carl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1884Born
President: Chester A. Arthur
1889Started school
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1897Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1900Could drive
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1902Could vote
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Turned 21
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Turned 30
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 40
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 50
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 60
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1945Died at 61
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
Key Achievements
- Served as Mayor of Leipzig from 1930 to 1937, resigning in protest against Nazi policies.
- Appointed Reich Price Commissioner in 1934, a role he used to try to curb economically destructive Nazi policies.
- Was the designated Chancellor in the shadow government planned by the conspirators of the July 20 plot.
- Authored extensive memoranda and constitutional plans for a post-Nazi Germany during the war.
Did You Know?
He was a trained economist and held a doctorate in law and political science.
Goerdeler undertook several clandestine trips to Western countries in 1939 and 1940 to warn officials about Hitler's plans.
The Gestapo referred to him as 'the number one enemy of the state.'
His brother, Fritz Goerdeler, was also executed for his role in the resistance.
“The ultimate and most profound duty of man is to overcome fear.”
