Otto Meissner

Otto Meissner (1880-1953) Head of the Office of the President in the Weimar Republic, then of the Chancellery of the Reich. He held the Nazi Golden Party Badge and the rank of Minister without Portfolio, but had little influence on Nazi government and was acquitted in the Ministries Case (NMT). His influence, however, was much greater during Weimar, and he had a role in the transition between Presidential and Nazi rule.

His exact role in the transition remains controversial. While William Shirer does not consider him a completely reliable source, at the end of the war, he was the only surviving witness to discussions between President Paul von Hindenberg and Adolf Hitler. The indictment in the Ministries Case charges him with participating in establishing Nazi control, obtaining political, propaganda, psychological and financial support. He was also charged with complicity in the 14 July 1933 decree that made all other political parties illegal, and specifically for obtaining pardons for Nazi criminals.

The Presidential Chancellery was renamed the Chancellery of the Reich when Hitler merged the functions of head of state and head of government. It was largely a ceremonial organization serving the Cabinet, and much less influential than the Chancelleries of the Fuehrer and Nazi Party.