Guerard, Theodor von

(1863-1943), Center Party* politician; served as Reichstag* faction leader and cabinet minister. Born in Koblenz, he studied political science and law before entering the Prussian civil service.* During 1898-1905 he was a Landrat in Monschau near Aachen. Initially rep-resenting the Center's right wing, he sat in the Reichstag during 1920-1930 and became immersed in legal issues related to the occupied German territories. During the election campaign of 1924 he favored coalition with the DNVP; however, after he became deputy faction chairman in May 1926, he slowly moved to the Left. Elected faction chairman in December 1927, he helped un-dermine Wilhelm Marx's* Bürgerblock cabinet in June 1928 (at which point he was removed as faction leader). He then joined Hermann Muller's* Great Coalition,* first combining the Ministries of Transportation and Occupied Terri-tories and then serving from April 1929 as Justice Minister.

   Although Guerard opposed Heinrich Brüning,* the latter reappointed him Transportation Minister in March 1930. Hindenburg,* insisting that there were too many Catholics* in the cabinet, forced Brüning to replace him in October 1931. Thereafter Guerard's public role was insignificant. Many colleagues dis-trusted him as someone who had built a stronger attachment to the Republic than to his own Party.

   REFERENCES:Ellen Evans, German Center Party; NDB, vol. 7.