Herman W. Sachtjen

Herman Wilhelm Gustav Sachtjen (November 28, 1886 – March 24, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and progressive Republican politician from Dane County, Wisconsin. He served as the 49th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and later served 14 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in south-central Wisconsin.

Early life and education

Herman W. Sachtjen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but soon returned with his family to Dane County, Wisconsin, to the farm in the town of Burke where his father had been born and raised.

He grew up working on the family farm. After receiving his early education in the rural county school in Burke, Sachtjen was sent to attend the public schools in the neighboring city of Madison, Wisconsin, for most of his primary education, graduating from Madison High School in 1905. He went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, earning his bachelor's degree in 1909 and graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1911.

Career

After graduating, he practiced law in Madison for several years and quickly became involved in politics with the Republican Party of Wisconsin. He was secretary of the Dane County Republican committee in 1912 and 1913 and was chairman from 1916 through 1925. His term expired at the end of 1926.

He briefly returned to his legal practice, but was soon appointed Dane County divorce counsel by the circuit judges covering Dane county—August C. Hoppmann and his 1926 opponent Albert G. Zimmerman. He served in that role for the next 17 years. He challenged Zimmerman again in the judicial election of 1932 but lost again.

He returned to the judicial bench in 1943, when he was appointed to replace judge Hoppmann, who had died in office.

Personal life and family Sachtjen was the eldest of seven children born to William and Pauline ( Hartkopf) Sachtjen. William Sachtjen lived most of his life in Burke and served on the town board, the school board, and the county board.

Herman and Mabel Sachtjen were married for nearly 60 years, until her death in 1975. He entered a retirement home in Verona, Wisconsin, where he died on March 24, 1978, at age 91.

Wisconsin circuit court (1926, 1932)