Pre-Nazism Born a
surgery professor's son, he studied medicine in
Munich and served as a doctor at the front in
World War I (1914–1918). Among other things, he was awarded the
Iron Cross, first class. From 1919, Wagner ran his own medical practice in Munich, while also being a member of the
Freikorps units
Epp and
Oberland between 1921 and 1923. Just because of his
Upper Silesian origins, Wagner stayed on (till 1924) as leader of the Upper Silesia German Community Associations (
Deutschtumsverbände Oberschlesiens) and was chief of Munich's division of the Loyal Upper Silesians ("Verbände heimattreuer Oberschlesier"). In May 1929, he switched to the
NSDAP.
1930s Wagner was co-founder and, as of 1932, leader of the
National Socialist German Doctors' League, and also functioned from 1933 as a member of the
Palatinate Landtag until its dissolution in October 1933. At the
November parliamentary election, Wagner was elected as a deputy to the
Reichstag from electoral constituency 27 (
Pfalz). He was reelected in March 1936 from the now enlarged Rheinpfalz–Saar constituency and, at the April 1938 election, switched to represent constituency 3,
Berlin East, and held this seat until his death. In 1934, Wagner was appointed to the position of Reich Doctors' Leader. Moreover, he was "The Führer's Commissioner for National Health". By 1933, he had already become leader of the Main Office for National Health, and in 1936 came his appointment as that office's Main Service Leader (
Hauptdienstleiter). In December 1935, Wagner became leader of the
Reichsärztekammer (Physicians' Chamber). At the 1936
Nuremberg Rally, Wagner discussed the
racial laws. As was typical of Nazi propaganda at this time, this was more in terms of the pure and growing race than the evil of the Jews. A shift in his political career came in 1937 when he was promoted to
SA-
Obergruppenführer. Meanwhile, he was also commissioner for collegiate issues on
Rudolf Hess's staff. Wagner died of cancer in 1939. His successor was
Leonardo Conti. == See also ==