In April 1929, Wirth became "Reichsminister" for the occupied territories in the Second Müller Cabinet. After that government's resignation in late March 1930, Wirth became Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of Heinrich Brüning. Wirth was highly popular with the Social Democrats and acted as mediator between them and the new government. In October 1931, he was pushed out of office and replaced by Wilhelm Groener on the personal initiative of "Reichspräsident" Paul von Hindenburg, who regarded Wirth as a leftist.