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Adolf Hitler (middle), Gauleiter Jakob Sprengler (left) and Mayor Friedrich Krebs (right) in Frankfurt am Main, October 29th, 1933
This picture shows the three architects of the Nazi regime in Frankfurt am Main, who defined daily life during the dictatorship 1933-45. In March 1933, the Nazis seized power at the city hall in Frankfurt. Ludwig Landmann, the office holding mayor, had to flee to escape detention. He died in March 1945 of malnutrition while in exile in Holland.
Krebs was appointed mayor by Gauleiter Sprengler and remained in office until the end of the war. The good partnership between them soon fell into bitter rivalry, which was at the same time a blessing and curse for the Freie Deutsche Hochstift. Beutler's impact and the "liberal way of education" of the Hochstift provoked the resentment of the Gauleiter, who was very powerful in Nazi Germany and reported directly to the Führer. Sprengler wanted to replace Beutler with a party member, but Mayor Krebs and other Frankfurt politicians, along with friends of the Hochstift, were able to prevent this.
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