Carlos Schürmann

Carlos Schürmann Ritter (20 May 1880 – 30 September 1941) was a Chilean lawyer, agriculturist and politician of the Radical Party. He served as senator of the Republic representing the 9th Provincial Grouping (Valdivia, Llanquihue and Chiloé).

He received the Cross of the Crown of Prussia. He was honorary director of the Liga Protectora de Estudiantes Pobres and member of the Club de Septiembre and the Club de la República.

Biography He was born in Osorno on 20 May 1880, the son of Adolfo Schürmann and María Ritter. He married Luisa Schwarzenberg, and they had three children: Arno, Carlos and Julio.

He obtained his law degree on 30 July 1903 and practiced his profession in Santiago.

He later held several professional and corporate positions. He served as councillor of the Chilean Bar Association in 1931, member of the board of the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura, president of the insurance company La Alemana, and director of the German Hospital of Santiago. As an agriculturist he operated the estate Polcura in Río Bueno.

Political career Schürmann was a member of the Radical Party. He served as mayor of San Bernardo and later of the commune of Providencia.

He was elected senator for the 9th Provincial Grouping (Valdivia, Llanquihue and Chiloé) for the 1926–1934 period. During his senatorial tenure he served on the Standing Committee on Public Education and as substitute member of the Standing Committees on Army and Navy and on Hygiene and Public Assistance.

The National Congress was dissolved on 6 June 1932 following the socialist coup of that year.

During his parliamentary work he supported railway development in southern Chile and promoted the construction of transversal railway lines intended to stimulate agriculture and industry. He was also one of the proponents of the legislation concerning the establishment of property rights in southern Chile.