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. Payer married Alwine Schöninger. == References ==