After Hitler had seized power on 30 January 1933 and after the Reichstag and local elections had been held in March 1933, the Nazis in Erkelenz under the leadership of Nazi "Kreisleiter", Kurt Horst, began, using the authority of the municipal "parliaments", to rename all the roads and squares after their own leaders. For example, from April 1933 Erkelenz had an "Adolf Hitler Platz" ("Johannismarkt"), a "Hermann Göring Platz" ("Martin Luther Platz") and a "Horst Wessel Straße" ("Brückstraße"). In May 1933 they forced the incumbent democratic mayor, Dr. Ernst de Werth, out of office under threat of taking him into "protective custody", made Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen and pursued political dissidents, trades unionists and clergymen.