Background
His father owned a Rittergut in Skaisgirren (Bolshakovo), East Prussia.
His father owned a Rittergut in Skaisgirren (Bolshakovo), East Prussia.
In 1889, he joined Social Democratic Party of Germany (Social Democratic Party of Germany), a rather unusual choice for landed nobility of Prussia. Since 1898, he was a candidate to the Reichstag (institution), but succeed only in getting elected to the Preußischer Landtag. He was expelled from the Social Democratic Party of Germany fraktion in 1917 due to his proximity to the rival USPD for which he became a leading member.
Along with Otto Braun (Social Democratic Party of Germany), Hofer (for USPD) was until 4 January 1919 director of the Agricultural Ministry in the Prussian Rat der Volksbeauftragten.
In 1922 Hofer returned to Social Democratic Party of Germany. He retired in 1931.
Social Democratic Party of Germany, Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany.
From 1923 onwards he was Landrat of Kreis Fischhausen in Ostpreußen and since 1926 member of the Provinziallandtag.