Paul von Breitenbach
Paul Justin von Breitenbach (* April 16, 1850 in Gdansk, † March 10, 1930 in Biickeburg ) was minister of public works in Prussia, so that among other things, responsible for the Prussian state railways, as well as instrumental in the creation of the Berlin U -Bahn.
Life
After studying law in Berlin and Leipzig, where he graduated in 1869, he was court clerk in 1873 in Berlin, 1877 Gerichtsassessor. This slow career at the court may have been a reason why, that he joined the Royal Prussian Railway Administration in 1878. After working in Hannover and Breslau, he was responsible in 1884 the construction of the railway line Hamburg - Berlin involved. From 1893 to 1895 Breitenbach director of the railway operation Office was first again in Hannover, then in Altona. In 1896 he was commissioner of the Prussian minister of public works in Mainz, in the year he moved ibid. on the presidential chair of the Royal Prussian and Grand Ducal Hessian railway management. 1903 moved Breitenbach to Cologne, where he took over the post of president of the Royal railway management.
From here, Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow called him on May 14, 1906 Minister of Public Works and on May 21, 1906 Chief of the Reich Railway Office, the both posts he held until 13 November 1918. During this time he was also chairman of the Reich Office for the administration of the Imperial Railways in Alsace- Lorraine. On January 27, 1909, he was charged by Emperor Wilhelm II to the peerage in 1913 he received the Order of the Black Eagle. From May 22 1916 to November 19, 1917 Breitenbach was next Vice President of the State Ministry. His political stance illustrates a quote on 5 October 1918
" Breitenbach wants to retire as soon as possible, because he can radicalization [ ... ] not join the government. Before the war he was the strongest opponents of the SPD since 1914, yet he had to tolerate their penetration [ ... ] in the railway workers. But now he is not willing to agree to now developing universal validity of a working chamber Act. Only through withdrawal is a lying herein conflict between the Empire and Prussia to prevent. "
On November 8, 1918 Breitenbach submitted his resignation and then went into retirement. Breitenbach was married to Christina Johanna Elvira of Breitenbach. Her son Gerhard von Breitenbach was 1924-1934 District Administrator of Limburg. His daughter Erica was married to the diplomat Heinrich von Kaufmann- Asser, who was dismissed in 1933 on grounds of race.
Honors
Paul von Breitenbach played a central role in the construction of the Berlin U -Bahn, especially the line between the western downtown and Dahlem (now U3 ).
In his presence in 1913, the then Rastatt place on the border between Wilmersdorf, Steglitz Dahlem and were named in Breitenbachplatz after him and opened the underlying Metro Station Breitenbachplatz.
The Breitenbachstraße in the Berlin district Borsigwalde was named after him, as is the access road to the ICE maintenance of Deutsche Bahn in Krefeld in Oppum district. More Breitenbach streets are located in Frankfurt am Main ( near the Main- Weser Railway in Bockenheim ), Cologne ( near the rail yard Gremberg ), Mönchengladbach and Wiesbaden (both near the respective Central Station).
The King of Württemberg honored Breitenbach 1908 with the award of the Grand Cross of the Crown of Frederick's Order.