Politician. He was a German chancellor from March of 1930 to May of 1932, holding office during a fateful period in history for Germany. He received his doctorate from the University of Bonn in 1915 and then rose to the command of a machine-gun company in World War I. He entered the Reichstag in 1924, becoming spokesman for the Catholic Centre Party and, in 1929, the party's parliamentary leader. With the breakup of the coalition government under Hermann Muller, Bruning became chancellor. In 1932 he attempted to secure a prolongation of President Paul Hindenburg's term of office, but Nazi Leader Adolph Hitler quashed the attempt and forced an election. Bruning had to appeal to the left in his campaign for Hindenburg, who, on winning the election, dismissed his chancellor. Bruning retired from political life and left Germany in 1934. He ultimately immigrated to the United States, where he was the Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Government in the Graduate School of Public Administration at Harvard University from 1939 to 1952. Returning to Germany, he was appointed as Professor of Political Science at the University of Cologne from 1951 to 1956.
Politician. He was a German chancellor from March of 1930 to May of 1932, holding office during a fateful period in history for Germany. He received his doctorate from the University of Bonn in 1915 and then rose to the command of a machine-gun company in World War I. He entered the Reichstag in 1924, becoming spokesman for the Catholic Centre Party and, in 1929, the party's parliamentary leader. With the breakup of the coalition government under Hermann Muller, Bruning became chancellor. In 1932 he attempted to secure a prolongation of President Paul Hindenburg's term of office, but Nazi Leader Adolph Hitler quashed the attempt and forced an election. Bruning had to appeal to the left in his campaign for Hindenburg, who, on winning the election, dismissed his chancellor. Bruning retired from political life and left Germany in 1934. He ultimately immigrated to the United States, where he was the Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Government in the Graduate School of Public Administration at Harvard University from 1939 to 1952. Returning to Germany, he was appointed as Professor of Political Science at the University of Cologne from 1951 to 1956.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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