Krekel, Robert

Local politician, head of the city council

Born: 09.05.1916 in Biebrich

died: 21.02.1974 in Wiesbaden

Krekel trained as a whitewasher and painter in 1930. From 1931, he was involved in the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold and the Socialist Workers' Youth. In 1936, he did labor service, and from 1938, military service. He returned from being a French prisoner of war in 1946 and joined the SPD in the same year.

After attending administrative college, he became an administrative officer for the state of Hesse. He had been a member of the Workers' Welfare Association since 1947. In 1953, he married Dr. Margret Wittrock (1925-2014), who was also politically active.

From 1951 until his death, Krekel was a member of Wiesbaden's city council and, from 1966, chairman of the city council. In 1971, he was appointed a government councillor in the Hessian Ministry of the Interior. He stood up for peace, freedom and justice and fought against violence and the abuse of power. He was uncompromising in his opposition to radicalism.

The peace park in the Biebrich district of Wiesbaden was renamed the "Robert Krekel Park" in his memory and a center for the elderly run by the Workers' Welfare Association also bears his name. Krekel was buried in the Biebrich cemetery.