Karl Arnold - German Reconstruction After World War II

German Reconstruction After World War II

After World War II, Arnold became politically active again. In 1945, he was co-founder of the local Christian-Democratic Party in Düsseldorf, which became part of the CDU later in 1945. Also in 1945, the Düsseldorf chapter of the united workers union was founded, presided by Arnold. On January 29, 1946, Arnold was named mayor of Düsseldorf and later elected in the first free elections (October 26, 1946).

In December, 1946, Arnold became deputy minister president of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in 1947 he was elected minister president. Until 1950 he presided over a coalition of CDU, Centre Party, SPD and (shortly) the Communist Party. He considered himself a "christian socialist". The only in-parliament-party he did not let enter the government was the FDP, whose North-Rhine Westphalian branch had a particular nationalist bent.

On September 7, 1949 he was elected as the first president of the federal Bundesrat of Germany.

From 1950 to 1956, Arnold was elected minister president for North Rhine-Westphalia twice again, governing with the help of conservative parties and the Free Democrats. Important acts of his government were the foundation of the North Rhine-Westphalian broadcasting system (today: Westdeutscher Rundfunk) and the German system of workers union influence in steel and coal industries.

On February 20, 1956, the FDP switched coalition affiliation to the SPD, ending the Arnold government in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In 1957, he was elected into the German Bundestag (with a 72% majority in his constituency). He was member of the Bundestag until June 29, 1958, when he died of heart dysfunction.