Wintermeyer, Louis

Farmer, Member of the Reichstag

Born: 07.09.1859 in Wiesbaden

died: 18.09.1901 in Brunnen (Switzerland)

Wintermeyer attended the agricultural school Hof Geisberg from 1875-77 and the agricultural academy in Hohenheim near Stuttgart from 1881-82. In 1887 he took over his parents' farm, became a member of the Wiesbaden citizens' committee and in 1891 a city councillor.

He was active in professional bodies such as the Agricultural Association for the City and District of Wiesbaden, which he chaired from 1888. He was also a member of the board of directors of the Association of Nassau Farmers and Foresters and served as deputy director of the Association of Nassau Agricultural Cooperatives. From 1897, he sat as a representative for Wiesbaden and the Lower Taunus district in the Prussian House of Representatives.

In 1897, he was elected to the German Reichstag as representative of the Wiesbaden 2 constituency (Wiesbaden-Rüdesheim), where he represented the left-liberal Freisinnige Volkspartei (FVp). He was particularly prominent on issues relating to viticulture. These included the problem of "improving" wines by adding sugar. He also opposed the introduction of the sparkling wine tax to finance the imperial navy. Wintermeyer saw this as a threat to the economic existence of small and medium-sized sparkling wine producers.

Wintermeyerstrasse in Wiesbaden is named after Wintermeyer.