Walter Möller (7 April 1920 - 16 November 1971) was a German politician who served as the Mayor of Frankfurt from 1970 until his death in 1971.
Walter Möller | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Frankfurt | |
| In office 11 June 1970 – 16 November 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Willi Brundert |
| Succeeded by | Rudi Arndt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 April 1920 Bornheim, Frankfurt, Germany |
| Died | 16 November 1971 (aged 51) Wiesbaden, West Germany |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) |
Life
editMöller was born to Karl and Maria Möller (née Ploennigs), a working-class couple living in the Bornheim area of Frankfurt. His father was a blacksmith who was active in SPD politics. After the rise of the Nazi Party to power in Germany, Möller began training to become a book printer, but left to join the Luftwaffe in 1937. After the end of the war, Möller studied at the Academy of Labour in Frankfurt, graduating in February 1948.[1] He then worked for Radio Frankfurt, before joining the Frankfurt City Council as a member of the SPD. From 1949 he was the editor of the party magazine for the Hessen SPD. In 1961, Möller was made the Department Head for Transport under then-mayor Werner Bockelmann. He undersaw the planning, construction and operation of the Frankfurt U-Bahn. Möller drove the first train to pass through the U-Bahn when it opened on 4 October 1968.[2] On 11 June 1970, Möller was elected Mayor of Frankfurt following the death of his predecessor, Willi Brundert. However, shortly after his election, Möller began suffering from deteriorating health, experiencing a heart attack in May 1971. Möller died after a second heart attack in Wiesbaden on 16 November 1971.[3] He only served one year of his four-year term as mayor before his death.
Möller is buried in Frankfurt Main Cemetery.[4] The City of Frankfurt created the "Walter Möller Prize" in 1977 - a €10,000 prize which is awarded bi-annually to groups and communities that render outstanding services to the common good of Frankfurt.[5]
Walter-Möller-Platz in north-west Frankfurt is named after Möller.
References
edit- ^ Allespach, Martin (2021). 100 Jahre Europäische Akademie der Arbeit. Eine Institution für Lehre, Forschung und Mitbestimmung (in German) (1 ed.). Frankfurt: Bund-Verlag. p. 304. ISBN 978-3-7663-7154-6.
- ^ Riebsamen, Hans (4 October 2018). "Frankfurt geht in den Untergrund". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ Neander, Joachim (10 June 1974). "Frankfurt - Turbulent metropolis of commerce and a focal point of conflict". The Times.
- ^ "Frankfurter Hauptfriedhof - Gewann 2". Frankfurter Hauptfriedhof. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "Walter Möller-Plakette". Frankurt.de. Retrieved 2 June 2022.