Josef Friedrich Matthes

Josef Friedrich Matthes (10 February 1886 – 9 October 1943) was head of the short lived Rhenish Republic.

In 1921 he was convicted of libel and sentenced to 6 months in prison after accusing the major of hoarding food.

He fled to Wiesbaden, then under French occupation, where he worked as editor of the magazine "The Torch" (Die Fackel).

In October 1923, he and his supporters seized the city of Koblenz in a putsch, founding the Rhenish Republic with Matthes as its leader.

By November riots led to killings in clashes between the security forces and opponents of the separatists.