Julius Curtius
(© Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12369)
1877-1948
- Member of the Reichstag
- Minister of Economic Affairs from 1926
- Foreign Minister from 1929 to 1931
Curtius was elected to the Reichstag as a member of the DVP in 1920 and kept his seat until 1932. He was appointed Luther’s Minister of Economic Affairs in 1926 and direct his efforts first and foremost towards strengthening the country’s exports and its trading ties with the Soviet Union. Following Stresemann’s death, Curtius took on the post of Foreign Minister; initially in addition to his existing duties and subsequently as his sole function. He successfully pushed through Germany’s acceptance of the Young Plan. Curtius had to step down from his post as Foreign Minister in 1931 because attempts to create a German-Austrian customs union failed.