Heinrich Held (6.6.1869 Erbach/Hesse-Nassau – 4.8.1938 Regensburg)

Heinrich Held became editor-in-chief of the Regensburger Anzeiger in 1899 and co-owner of the newspaper in 1906. In 1907 he became a member of the Bavarian state parliament for the Center Party and in 1914 its parliamentary group leader – a position he also held from 1919 to 1924 in the Bavarian People’s Party (BVP). He was originally a supporter of the monarchy but came to accept the democratic system after the revolution of 1918. Hostile to National Socialism, he was actively involved in the suppression of the Hitler coup.

After the elections of May 1924 he became State Premier. Although the German Nationals shared much of the responsibility for favoring the right-wing radicals, he took them into his coalition out of dislike for the SPD, so the governing coalition then consisted of the BVP, the DNVP and the League of Bavarian Farmers (BB). Held’s main aim was to strengthen Bavarian statehood by expanding the rights of the federal states, but he was unsuccessful. After the League of Farmers left the coalition in July 1930 out of self-interest, Held was ultimately only able to govern by issuing emergency decrees. One of the ways he fought National Socialism was by imposing a ban on uniforms on July 10, 1931. This policy was then sabotaged by the von Papen government, however.

Plans drawn up in February 1933 to reintroduce the Bavarian monarchy as a last resort to stop Hitler seemed too bold for him. His government was dissolved on March 9, 1933 with the appointment of Epps as Reich Commissioner. Held was in hospital for an eye operation in June 1934 and only escaped protective custody thanks to the intervention of his doctor. In 1935, he was banned from continuing to publish the Regensburger Anzeiger. Being seriously ill, Held was spared further persecution. He died in Munich in 1938.