Kaiser increased his participation in politics by becoming a member of theCentre Party, where he began serving in the role of representative chairman ofRhineland in 1919. He was elected to theReichstag in 1933.[2][3]
After theNazis came to power in 1933,Hitler abolished all unions, replacing them with the Nazi controlledGerman Labour Front. Kaiser opposedNational Socialism and he joined the resistance in 1934. He was arrested by theGestapo in 1938 under suspicion oftreason, but released shortly thereafter.[4]
Through his participation in theCologne-resistance circle, Kaiser became a close associate of the former Mayor ofLeipzig,Carl Goerdeler.[5] His relationship with Goerdeler allowed him to come into contact withClaus von Stauffenberg. Although he was not directly informed of the20 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 ofWorld War II.[6]
After the war, Kaiser returned topolitics and worked withAndreas Hermes to found theEast Berlin division of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU). He was elected president of the Berlin CDU (both the Western and Eastern sections of the party).
Kaiser belonged to a group within the CDU called theChristian Socialists. They called for thenationalisation of some major industries. In 1946, Kaiser helped found theFree German Trade Union Federation (FDGB). In the same year he was elected co-chairman of theEast German CDU (together withErnst Lemmer). Although his political views were progressive, he was critical of theCommunist Party of Germany and itsSoviet-supported leaders. His belief that the German Congress was controlled by the Soviets resulted in his refusal to join.
In 1947, during theAhlen conference, a joint conference ofWest and East German CDU leaders, Kaiser's plan of nationalisation of key industries and other moderate left-wing ideas were adopted by the party. That same year, 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 GermanChristian Democratic Union (CDU). Within the CDU he became a major rival ofKonrad Adenauer, the party leader. Kaiser disagreed with Adenauer'ssocial market economy and called for thenationalisation of key industries. Kaiser strongly believed in a neutral, unitedGermany, 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 wasMinister of All-German Affairs in Adenauer's cabinet.[7]
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.[10]
^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). InSie 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)
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)
