Before joining workers' movement, Robert Leinert worked as painter and became a working secretary in Hannover (1900), where he also edited the "Volkswille" newspaper (1903-1905). As a socialist candidate, Leinert was elected to the Prussian House of Representatives (1908-1918). On 8 Nov 1918 he became the Mayor of Hannover, the post he held until 1924. Leinert was a delegate to the First Reich Congress of Councils (16 Dec 1918 - 21 Dec 1918), and its co-chairman together with Friedrich Seger and Josef Gomolka. On 19 Dec 1918, the Reich Congress elected Leinert a member of the Zentralrat der deutschen sozialistischen Republik (Central Council of the German Socialist Republic). The next day (20 Dec 1918), he was chosen one of the Central Council chairmen and presided most of its meetings. In 1919 Leinert was elected to the Prussian constituent assembly, which met in March 1919, and headed the delegation sent to negotiate a peace treaty with the Allied Powers. Retaining his office as Mayor of Hannover, Leinert was not reelected to the Central Council when the Second Reich Congress of Councils (8 Apr 1919 - 14 Apr 1919) held elections to this body on 14 Apr 1919. In 1919-1933, Leinert was a member of the Prussian Landtag, of which he was also president in 1919-1924. Biography source: [2] |
