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Karl Petersen

1809 – 1892

German politician

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About Karl Petersen

Lived 1809 – 1892 (aged 83). Karl Petersen was a German politician and lawyer.

Carl Friedrich Petersen (6 July 1809 in Hamburg – 14 November 1892 in Hamburg) was a Hamburg lawyer and politician, who served several terms as First Mayor of Hamburg. He was a Hamburg senator from 1855 until his death.

Education and early career

He studied law at the University of Göttingen and at Heidelberg University, and earned a doctorate in 1830. After a stay in Paris, he became a burgher of Hamburg in 1831 and practised as a lawyer.

Public life

From the 1830s, he held numerous public offices, and he was elected as a senator in 1855. In 1861 he became First Lord of Police (i.e. Minister of Police and the Interior). He became First Mayor in 1876 and was reelected in the following year. He also served as Second and First Mayor during the terms 1879/80, 1882/83, 1885/86, 1888/89 and 1891/92.

Family Two grandsons by his son Gustav Petersen, Carl Wilhelm Petersen and Rudolf Hieronymus Petersen, also officiated as first mayors of Hamburg, the former between 1924 and 1929 and again 1932 and 1933, the latter from 1945 to 1946.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Education
Heidelberg University, University of Göttingen, Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums, Georgia Augusta
Positions held
Mayor
Also known as
Carl Friedrich Petersen

People in Karl Petersen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Karl Petersen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Karl Petersen?

German politician (1809-1892)

When was Karl Petersen born?

Karl Petersen was born on 6 July 1809 in Hamburg.

When did Karl Petersen die?

Karl Petersen died on 14 November 1892 in Hamburg.

What was Karl Petersen's occupation?

Karl Petersen was a politician and lawyer.

What nationality was Karl Petersen?

Karl Petersen was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Karl Petersen

· Wikidata: Q1038049

· DBpedia: Carl Friedrich Petersen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Karl Petersen. https://biography.guide/karl-petersen/

MLA: "Karl Petersen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/karl-petersen/.

Chicago: "Karl Petersen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/karl-petersen/.

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