He was born in Tübingen and was educated at the seminary at Blaubeuren, returning to his home town to study law in 1865.

Having completed his university education, he worked as a lawyer in Stuttgart and was first elected to the Reichstag in 1877.

He reached the height of his political career during the First World War during which he advocated a negotiated peace with the allied powers and was appointed vice-chancellor.

After the war, he was chairman of the German Democratic Party and remained a member of the new Weimar Reichstag until 6 June 1920.

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