Henßler was born inAltensteig in theBlack Forest section of theKingdom of Württemberg and wasapprenticed as a printer and typesetter. He joined theSocial Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1905. He became managing editor of theWestfälische Allgemeine Volkszeitung, the Social Democratic party organ in theWestphalia region in 1911. From 1920 to 1933, Henßler was leader of the SPD branch inDortmund and, from 1922 to 1933, chairman of the SPD in western Westphalia. In 1924, he was elected to the city council in Dortmund and became its chairman the following year. From 1929, he was also a deputy in the provincial parliament of theProvince of Westphalia. In September 1930, he was elected to theReichstag from electoral constituency 18 (Westphalia South).[1]
After theNazi Party came to power in 1933, Henßler was held in "protective custody" for ten weeks and was forced to relinquish all his public offices. He was arrested by theGestapo in 1936 and was sentenced to one year in the prisonSteinwache. However, instead of being released after one year, Henßler was sent toSachsenhausen concentration camp in 1937, where he was interned until 1945. He survived theDeath march toMecklenburg in April and May 1945.
Henßler returned to political activities after the end of theSecond World War, becoming chairman of the SPD's western Westphalia district in 1945. From 1946 to 1953, he was chairman of the SPD faction in the stateLandtag ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia and, at the same time, was theOberbürgermeister (mayor) of Dortmund. He was elected to theBundestag in 1949. He was elected to theEuropean Parliament from 1952 to 1953. In 1953, Henßler declined to again run for the Bundestag and he turned down the position of second federal chairman of the SPD for reasons of health.[2] He collapsed at a conference in November 1953 and died inWitten on 4 December 1953.[citation needed]
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)
