Career
Köhler represented the Centre Party in the Baden Landtag from 1913 to 1927. After the creation of the Republic of Baden in 1918, he continued to serve as Lord Mayor until 1920. However, elections the following year brought the DDP to power and Köhler returned to his post as Minister for Finance.
Internal differences within the Centre Party led to Köhler replacing Gustav Trunk as the leader of the party.
On November 23, 1926, Köhler became State President once again. However, he was compelled to resign on February 3, 1927, in order to accept his appointment as Reich Minister of Finance under Chancellor Wilhelm Marx.
After the fall of Marx"s government, Köhler sat in the 1932 Reichstag. After the Nazi takeover and the Reichstag fire in the following year, however, Köhler and many others were imprisoned.
Following World World War II, Köhler was released and joined the Christian Democratic Union (Christian Democratic Union).
From 1946 until his death three years later, he served in various positions in the government of the new state Baden-Wuerttemberg.