Alfred Wilhelm Franz Maria

Alfred Hugenberg, born 19-06-1865 in Hannover, Germany, the son of a Prussian politician. He studied law in Heidelberg and Berlin. Hugenberg joined the Prussian Finance Ministry before being appointed by Gustav Krupp (see Krupp) as chairman of the board of directors of Krupp Armaments Company in 1909. He also built up his own business interests and by the end of the First World War owned UFA, Germany's largest film company and several provincial newspapers. Hugenberg held right-wing views and in 1919 he joined with Hugo Stinnes in establishing the German Nationalist Party (DNVP). Stinnes died age 54, on 10-04-1924 in Berlin.  The following year Hugenberg was elected to the Reichstag and soon afterwards became chairman of the party. His substantial fortune enabled him to fund his political campaigns against the Versailles Treaty, Locarno Treaty and the Young Plan. In 1929 Hugenberg began funding Adolf Hitler (see Hitler Paula) (see William Hitler) and the Nazi Party. He also joined with Hitler (see Alois Hitler) to help oust Heinrich Brüning (see Brüning) from power in December, 1932.

          

When Hitler (see Adolf Hitler) became chancellor on 30 January 1933 he appointed Hugenberg as his Minister of Agriculture and Economics. However, he resigned from office six months later in protest against the Nationalist Party being closed down. Hugenberg remained a member of the Reichstag but he no longer had any political influence. Hugenberg still hoped to control the Nazis, an illusion soon shattered. He resigned on 26-06-1933, and his party was dissolved.

    He also lost control of his newspaper empire when it purchased by the Nazi Party in 1943. Alfred Hugenberg retired on his huge country seat Rohbraken in Kükenbruch, West Germany and died on 12-03-1951, at the old age of 85. Hugenberg is buried in the woods of the contry seat and the grave was pointed out by a grandson of Hugenberg.