Eduard Schmid (15.10.1861 Ostrach/Sigmaringen – 8.6.1933 Munich)

After leaving primary school, Eduard Schmid, the son of a master glazier, completed an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker. His time as a journeyman took him through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Holland. In Zurich, he met with leading German Social Democratic Party members. August Bebel, Wilhelm Liebknecht, and Georg von Vollmar significantly influenced Schmid. He relocated to Munich in 1887 and was employed in several manufacturing plants.

Despite the ban on social democratic activities at the time (Socialist Law 1878-1890), Eduard Schmid was involved in the 'Local Carpenters' Club' and the 'Association for Popular Elections'. In 1890, he was a member of the 'Campaign Association for South Bavaria' and appeared as a speaker. He became editor of the Münchner Post, the social-democratic press organ, in 1892. In 1899, he was elected the first Social Democratic magistrate councilor in Munich. There, he was particularly committed to alleviating the housing crisis for workers’ families. Municipal and social issues shaped his work as a member of state parliament from 1907 onwards. During World War I, he was a member of the Food Supply Committee in Munich and became an expert on supply issues recognized by many parties.

After the end of the war and the revolution, Kurt Eisner, leader of the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD), took power in Bavaria. The Munich City Council committees and Eduard Schmid signaled their faithful cooperation while maintaining their independence. On Schmid's initiative, a municipal policy 'task force' was convened to streamline the city administration. In June 1919, Schmid was elected First Mayor of Munich. His five-year term of office was characterized by the problems of demobilization and the economic and social hardships of the population. As a committed democrat, he came into conflict with the National Socialists, for example when he rejected their demand to bar Jews and foreigners from participating in the 1923 German Gymnastics Festival.

During the ‘Hitler putsch,’ National Socialists forced their way into city hall on November 9, 1923 and took the Social Democratic mayor and soviets from the Socialist Party of Germany (SPD) and Communist Party of Germany (KPD) hostage, shouting abuse at them. They were taken out of the city on trucks and threatened. The SPD suffered a defeat in the 1924 local elections. Eduard Schmid remained a voluntary city council member until 1933 and was made an honorary citizen of the city of Munich in 1931. Schmid became ill in December 1932 and passed away on June 8, 1933.