Helmut Koestner

Helmut Koestner
Koestner, 1918
Federal Chancellor of the Englean Republic
In office 2 August 1918 – 5 August 1918
President	Ferdinand Pfitzner
Preceded by	office established
Succeeded by	Waldemar Neumayer
Personal details
Born	Helmut Koestner 4 March 1856 Wilhelmstad, Hohenzern
Died	8 August 1918
Citizenship	Englean Empire Englean Republic
Nationality	Englean
Political party	SPE
Spouse	Annika Heuser
Children	Wilhelm Hans

Helmut Koestner (4 March, 1856 - 8 August, 1918) was a politician of the Social Democratic Party of Englea (Sozialdemokratische Partei Engleas) and the first Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler) of the Englean Republic in 1918.

Koestner was an active member of the SPE from 1876 until his death, being known for his calls for liberalisation of the Englean Empire and the adoption of nationwide democracy. A staunch social democrat, Koestner was notable from his fellow SPE members due to his belief that the monarchy should be abolished in favour for a representative parliamentary democracy rather than the commonly supported constitutional monarchy. Due to these beliefs considered "too far left," he was never able to successfully be elected as the leader of the SPE.

With the beginning of the First Great War, Koestner was a member of the Reichstag and did not support the war effort - being one of three members who did not vote to support the effort. Due to this position, he was forcibly drafted into the Englean Imperial Army in 1916 where he was wounded while transporting the dead to the rear lines. He was permitted to return to the Empire, where he retired to his home in Nordfoldheim.

Upon the Coup of 1918, Koestner was contacted by leader of the Englean Worker's United Party to offer the position of Federal Chancellor of the first Englean republic. Although wary at first, Koestner eventually accepted the offer and was elected into the office by the Bundestag. He is notable for his proclaimation of the Republic from the balcony of the Reichstag in Engelberg. Koestner would serve in this position for only three days, as on the 5 of August he would be severely beaten by Ruprecht Neuhaeusser of the Imperial Army and then shot multiple times while being placed in the ambulance by an unknown individual.

Koestner would be memorialised by the Republic through a monument in Taufor, which was removed in 1922 upon the reestablishment of the monarchy.