Weimar National Assembly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National Assembly

Deutsche Nationalversammlung
Constituent assembly of Germany
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
Established1919
Disbanded1920
Preceded byImperial Reichstag
Succeeded byWeimar Reichstag
Seats423
Elections
Direct competitive elections
Last election
19 January 1919
Meeting place
Deutsches Nationaltheater, Weimar

The Weimar National Assembly (German: Weimarer Nationalversammlung), officially the German National Constitutional Assembly (Verfassunggebende Deutsche Nationalversammlung), was the popularly elected constitutional convention and de facto parliament of Germany from 6 February 1919 to 21 May 1920. As part of its duties as the interim government, it debated and reluctantly approved the Treaty of Versailles that codified the peace terms between Germany and the victorious Allies of World War I. The Assembly drew up and approved the Weimar Constitution that was in force from 1919 to 1933 (and technically until the end of Nazi rule in 1945). With its work completed, the National Assembly was dissolved on 21 May 1920. Following the election of 6 June 1920, the new Reichstag met for the first time on 24 June 1920, taking the place of the Assembly.

Because the National Assembly convened in Weimar rather than in politically restive Berlin, the period in German history became known as the Weimar Republic.

Background[edit]

Friedrich Ebert

At the end of World War I, following the outbreak of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, state power lay with the Council of the People's Deputies. It was formed on 10 November by revolutionary workers' and soldiers' councils in Berlin and headed by Friedrich Ebert of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He had been appointed German chancellor on 9 November by Maximilian von Baden, the last chancellor under the German Empire. Both von Baden and the Social Democrats called for the speedy election of a National Assembly to establish a new government for Germany. The Council decided on 30 November to hold the election on 19 January 1919. On 19 December the Reich Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Councils also approved the decree by a clear majority.

Because of the Spartacist uprising, a general strike and the accompanying armed struggles that roiled the Reich capital from 5 to 12 January 1919, it was agreed that the National Assembly should not initially meet in Berlin. Four possible locations – Bayreuth, Nuremberg, Jena and Weimar – were considered. Friedrich Ebert favored Weimar because he wanted the victorious Allies to be reminded of Weimar Classicism, which included the writers Goethe and Schiller, while they were deliberating the terms of the peace treaty.[1]  On 14 January 1919 the choice fell to Weimar.[2]

Elections[edit]

The elections for the National Assembly were the first held in Germany after the introduction of women's suffrage[3] and the lowering of the legal voting age from 25 to 20 years. Together the changes raised the number of eligible voters by around 20 million.[4] The turnout was 83%,[3] a slightly lower percentage than in the last Reichstag elections in 1912, but a much greater absolute turnout due to the expanded suffrage.[4] Among women the turnout was 90%.[5] The Communist Party of Germany (KPD), founded in December 1918, boycotted the elections.

The election for the National Assembly resulted in the SPD receiving the most votes at 38%, followed by the Catholic Centre Party (which in this election ran as the Christian People's Party) with 20%, the liberal German Democratic Party (DDP) 19%, the national-conservative German National People's Party (DNVP) 10% and the more leftist and antiwar breakaway from the SPD, the Independent Social Democratic Party (USPD), 8%. Numerous small parties made up the remainder.[6] Out of a total of 416 delegates 36 were women, although this increased to 41 during the term of the Assembly.[7] If the latter number is taken, at 10% women, the Weimar National Assembly was one of the most female parliaments of its time.[8][9]

Results of election to the National Assembly by district

On 10 February the Assembly passed the "Law on Provisional Reich Power" (Gesetz über die vorläufige Reichsgewalt)[10] to go into effect the following day. It regulated the government's powers during the transitional phase from the German Empire to the Weimar Republic. The National Assembly was to adopt a constitution and "urgently needed" Reich laws, thus allowing it to act as an interim parliament. A States' Committee served in the place of the later Reichsrat to represent the interests of the German states. The "business of the Reich" was to be conducted by a Reich president. His function was somewhat like that of the former emperor but with the restrictions that had been made to the constitution in October 1918, notably that war and peace were to be decided by Reich law, not by the head of state. The ministers appointed by the Reich president required the confidence of the National Assembly.

Assembly as provisional parliament[edit]

The National Assembly convened at the German National Theater in Weimar on 6 February 1919. It elected the SPD politician Eduard David as its president, but because of an inter-party agreement he stepped down after just four days.[11] On 14 February 1919 the National Assembly elected Constantin Fehrenbach, a Centre Party deputy and former vice president, as his successor.

On 11 February the National Assembly elected the previous head of government, Friedrich Ebert (SPD), as provisional Reich president. He asked Philipp Scheidemann of the SPD to form a government. The three party coalition of the SPD, the Centre Party and the DDP that he brought together in the Scheidemann cabinet came to be known as the Weimar Coalition.

Discussion of the Treaty of Versailles[edit]

Philipp Scheidemann

On 12 May 1919 the National Assembly met in Berlin for the first time. There it heard and then debated a statement by Minister President Philipp Scheidemann on the peace terms of the Versailles Treaty. In his speech Scheidemann, to great applause from all parties, called the Entente Powers' terms a "dictated" or "enforced" peace (Gewaltfrieden) intended to strangle the German people. The territorial, economic and political demands would deprive Germany of the air to breathe. The conditions were unacceptable, he said, and were in stark contrast to the assurances given by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. The Reich government could not agree to the conditions and would make counterproposals based on Wilson's 14-point program. Prussian Minister President Paul Hirsch assured the Reich government of full support on behalf of the constituent states of the German Reich and also sharply criticized the Entente's conditions. Speakers from all parties, from the USPD to the DNVP, also declared the Entente's demands unacceptable. The chairman of the liberal German People's Party (DVP) and later Reich Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann described the peace terms of the victorious powers as "an outpouring of political sadism". Only Hugo Haase, chairman of the USPD, combined his rejection of the Entente's demands with sharp attacks on the Reich government, accusing it of having caused the current situation in the first place through its policy of enforcing a truce between political parties (Burgfriedenspolitik) during the war.

Following the Entente's rejection of its counterproposals, the Scheidemann cabinet resigned on 20 June 1919 because it was unwilling to give its assent to the Treaty of Versailles.[12] The new Minister President, Gustav Bauer (SPD), who headed a government of the SPD and the Centre, promoted the signing of the treaty but continued to criticize individual provisions, especially those concerning the extradition of Germans to the Entente and the imposition of war guilt on Germany alone. He combined his call for approval with the comment that it would be impossible for the German Reich to fulfill all the economic conditions of the treaty and regretted that it had not been possible to extract further concessions from the Entente.

Initial vote in favor[edit]

Speakers from the SPD and the Centre, Paul Löbe and Adolf Gröber, also condemned the treaty. They objected in particular to the statement in the Entente draft treaty that Germany was solely to blame for the war. On behalf of their parliamentary groups, however, they spoke in favor of acceptance, since the only alternative was the resumption of hostilities, which would lead to even worse consequences. Eugen Schiffer, the former Reich Finance Minister, spoke on behalf of the majority of German Democratic Party deputies against accepting the treaty. He reminded the two governing parties of Philipp Scheidemann's 12 May warning that the hand that signed the treaty would wither.[13] He did not see that the situation had changed since then. The DNVP and DVP were also strongly opposed to the treaty. The USPD was the only opposition party to endorse its acceptance. Hugo Haase called the issue at stake a terrible dilemma for the National Assembly. Although he too sharply criticized the treaty, he pointed out, as had the representatives of the governing parties, the consequences if the treaty were rejected.

In a 22 June roll call, 237 deputies voted in favor of signing the peace treaty, 138 against, and five abstained. Of the major parties, the SPD, Centre and USPD approved, while the DDP, DNVP and DVP rejected the treaty, on both sides by large majorities of the delegates.

The Reich government informed the Entente the same day that it would sign the treaty but with reservations as to the provisions on war guilt and the extradition of Germans to the victorious countries. French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau replied that evening on behalf of the Allied Powers that the treaty could only be accepted or rejected in its entirety.

Second vote following allied ultimatum[edit]

At the meeting of the National Assembly on 23 June, Minister President Bauer informed the plenum of the Entente's position and stated that the government no longer had a choice; it had to sign the treaty:

Let us sign, that is the proposal I have to make to you on behalf of the entire cabinet. The reasons that compel us to make the proposal are the same as yesterday, only now we are separated by a period of barely four hours before the resumption of hostilities. We could not justify a new war even if we had weapons. We are defenseless, but without defense does not mean without honor (wehrlos ist aber nicht ehrlos). Certainly, our enemies want to take away our honor, there is no doubt about that, but that this attempt at cutting away our honor will one day fall back on the originators, that it is not our honor that will perish in this world tragedy, that is my belief until my last breath.[14]

Eugen Schiffer (DDP) and Rudolf Heinze (DVP), whose parties had rejected the treaty the day before, explicitly stated in their speeches that the supporters of the treaty would act exclusively out of "patriotic sentiment and conviction" (Schiffer), even if they had different opinions about the right path forward. The DNVP speaker Georg Schultz, however, did not make his opinion on the issue clear.

Ratification of the treaty through the "Law on the Conclusion of Peace between Germany and the Allied and Associated Powers" (Gesetz über den Friedensschluß zwischen Deutschland und den alliierten und den assoziierten Mächten)[15] finally took place on 9 July 1919 with results similar to the 22 June vote. The only exception was that the majority of the deputies of the Bavarian Peasants' League, who had abstained from the first vote, now approved the ratification law.

In part as a response to the treaty, and particularly Article 231 that assigned sole responsibility for the war to Germany, the Assembly established an inquiry into guilt for the war on 20 August 1919. Its four subcommittees were tasked with examining the causes of the war, what brought about its loss, what missed opportunities for peace had presented themselves, and if international laws had been broken.[16][17] The inquiry continued for thirteen years, until the Nazi Party victory in the election of July 1932. The inquiry's findings were hampered by lack of cooperation from both the government and the military and were in general watered down and deflected blame away from Germany.

Hugo Preuß

Constitutional deliberations[edit]

On 15 November 1918 Friedrich Ebert had appointed Hugo Preuß to the Reich Office of the Interior and charged him with drafting a Reich constitution. Preuß, a teacher of constitutional law and one of the founders of the German Democratic Party, based his draft of the Weimar Constitution in large part on the Frankfurt Constitution of 1849 which was written after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and intended for a unified Germany that did not come to pass at the time. He was influenced as well by Robert Redslob's theory of parliamentarianism, which called for a balance between the executive and legislative branches under either a monarch or the people as sovereign.[18] After the National Assembly was seated, Preuß became a member of the constitutional committee, which was chaired by the Assembly's vice president, Conrad Haußmann of the DDP. Preuß later became known as the father of the Weimar Constitution.

During July of 1919, the Assembly moved quickly through the draft constitution with most debates concluded within a single session. On 31 July the Assembly passed the revised committee proposal for the constitution by a vote of 262 to 75, with USPD, DNVP and DVP against.

Key topics of debate were as follows:

Date Topic Decision
2 July National name 'Deutsches Reich'
National structure Retain federal states
Flag and colors Black-red-gold
4 July Reich president Adopted a semi-presidential system with power divided between president, cabinet and parliament. The president was to rule in conjunction with the Reichstag. Emergency powers to be used only in exceptional circumstances.
7 July Reich administration Germany unified as an economic territory; legislative responsibility for tax law to be with the Reich. Unified postal and railroad systems
10 July Justice Established a system of administrative courts and a high or constitutional court. Restricted military jurisdiction to wartime. Independence of courts incorporated into the constitution.
11 July Fundamental rights Constitution to include expanded list of fundamental rights as in draft version.
15 July Equality of the sexes Adopted what became Article 109: "(1) All Germans are equal before the law. Men and women shall fundamentally have the same civic rights and duties. (2) Public and legal privileges or disadvantages of birth or status shall be abolished."
16 July Death penalty Rejected draft constitution's proposal to abolish the death penalty.
Censorship Guaranteed freedom of expression in speech, print, or “pictorially”. Censorship forbidden except in “cinematographs”, “indecent and obscene literature”, and for “protection of youth”.
Illegitimacy Illegitimate children to have the same rights as legitimate.
17 July Right to assemble Guaranteed right to assemble peaceably without any special permission needed.
Church and state Guaranteed freedom of religion and separation of church and state.
18 July Education Universal public education ensured to age 18.
21 July Economic Life Right to property, patent protection, and unionization guaranteed.

Miscellaneous[edit]

On 13 January 1920, while the National Assembly was negotiating the Works Councils Act, which created an obligation for companies with twenty or more employees to have works councils, a demonstration against the law took place in front of the Reichstag building. The left-wing opposition parties USPD and Communist Party, among others, had called for the demonstration because they felt the councils would lack sufficient worker representation. About 100,000 people gathered for the demonstration. Prussian security police fired into the crowd leaving 42 people dead and over 100 wounded. The Reichstag Bloodbath was the deadliest demonstration in German history.[19]

Beginning on 30 September 1919, the National Assembly met in the renovated Reichstag building in Berlin. During the Kapp Putsch it briefly moved to Stuttgart and met there on 18 March 1920.

The National Assembly dissolved on 21 May 1920. After the Reichstag election on 6 June 1920, the Republic's first Reichstag took the place of the National Assembly.

Summary of important events and decisions[edit]

  • 6 February 1919 – Friedrich Ebert, as chairman of the Council of the People's Deputies, opened the first session of the National Assembly.
  • 10 February 1919 – Against the votes of the USPD, the Assembly passed the "Law on Provisional Reich Power" (Gesetz über die vorläufige Reichsgewalt). It designated the Assembly itself as the legislative power and set up the position of Reich president, who was to be in charge of "the Reich's government affairs". A States' Committee was to be created to represent Germany's constituent states.
  • 11 February 1919 – Friedrich Ebert was elected provisional Reich president. He asked Philipp Scheidemann to form a government.
  • 13 February 1919 –Scheidemann formed a government based on the Weimar Coalition.
  • 14 February 1919 – Konstantin Fehrenbach (Centre Party) was elected president of the National Assembly.
  • 27 February 1919 – The Assembly passed a law setting up a provisional military in accordance with the terms of the Armistice. By 1921 the armed forces were to be transformed into a professional army without conscripts. The number of land troops was to be cut from 800,000 to 100,000.
  • 4 March 1919 – The Assembly passed a law clarifying the position of imperial laws and those passed by the Council of the People's Deputies.
  • 12 May 1919 – The National Assembly met for a protest rally against the Treaty of Versailles. Philipp Scheidemann called it "unacceptable".
  • 20/21 June 1919 – The Scheidemann government resigned. The next day Gustav Bauer (SPD) formed a new government.
  • 22 June 1919 – With the approval of the Assembly, the new government declared itself ready to accept the Treaty of Versailles if the admission of Germany's sole responsibility for the war were dropped.
  • 3 July 1919 – The Assembly accepted the new national colors.
  • 7 July 1919 – Finance minister Matthias Erzberger (Centre Party) presented his fiscal reforms including the introduction of the first German income tax and fiscal burden sharing.
  • 9 July 1919 – The Assembly ratified the Treaty of Versailles and the regulatory statutes about the military occupation of the Rhineland.
  • 31 July 1919 – The Assembly passed the Weimar Constitution with 262 delegates voting for and 75 (USPD, DNVP and DVP) against.
  • 11 August 1919 – Reich President Ebert signed the constitution. It came into force on 14 August 1919. Final meeting of the Assembly in Weimar.
  • 30 September 1919 – First meeting of the Assembly at Berlin, after law and order were deemed to have been restored in the capital.
  • 17 December 1919 – The Assembly passed a law that called for a one-off wealth tax to pay for the national debt.
  • 18 January 1920 – The Assembly passed the law on workers' councils.
  • 13 March 1920 – The Assembly left Berlin as a result of the Kapp Putsch. It returned from Stuttgart seven days later.
  • 25/26 March 1920 – The government of Chancellor Gustav Bauer resigned. The next day President Ebert asked Hermann Müller (SPD) to form a new government.
  • 8 May 1920 – A law came into force establishing a security zone around parliamentary buildings in which demonstrations were not allowed.
  • 12 May 1920 – A law that was the basis for movie censorship came into force.
  • 20 May 1920 – Supported by the SPD, the majority of the Assembly called on the government to end the state of emergency in all of Germany. The government refused.[3][20][21][22]
  • 21 May 1920 – The National Assembly dissolved. After the Reichstag election on 6 June 1920, the Republic's first Reichstag took the place of the National Assembly.

Presidents of the Weimar National Assembly[edit]

Name Party Entered Office Left Office
Eduard David SPD 7 February 1919 13 February 1919
Conrad Haußmann (acting) 13 February 1919 14 February 1919
Konstantin Fehrenbach Centre 14 February 1919 21 June 1920

Members[edit]

Member Party Constituency Notes
Bruno Ablaß DDP 11 (Liegnitz)
Karl Aderhold USPD Entered on 1 March 1919 as a replacement for August Merges
Lore Agnes USPD 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Joseph Allekotte Centre 21 (Coblenz-Trier)
Ludwig Alpers DHP 37 (Bremen-Hamburg-Stade)
Josef Andre Centre 31/32 (Württemberg)
Albert Arnstadt DnVp 36 (Thuringia)
Julius Aßmann DVP 8 (Posen)
Jacob Astor Centre 21 (Coblenz-Trier)
Erhard Auer SPD 24 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Benedikt Bachmeier BB Entered on 24 February 1919 as a replacement for Wilhelm Männer
Paul Bader SPD 12 (Magdeburg)
Max Baerecke DnVp 2 (Westpreußen)
Moritz Baerwald DDP 8 (Posen) Died on 26 December 1919
Gertrud Bäumer DDP 36 (Thuringia)
Max Bahr DDP 6 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Franz Bartschat DDP 1 (Ostpreußen)
August Baudert SPD 36 (Thuringia)
Gustav Bauer SPD 9 (Breslau)
Marie Baum DDP 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Eduard Baumer BVP Entered on 26 February 1920 as a replacement for Eugen Taucher
Johannes Becker Centre 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Johann Becker German People’s Party 34 (Hessen-Darmstadt)
Josef Becker Centre 19 (Hessen-Nassau)
Roman Becker SPD 10 (Oppeln)
Margarete Behm DnVp 7 (Pommern)
Marie Behncke SPD Entered on 7 August 1919 as a replacement for August Jordan
Franz Behrens DnVp 1 (Ostpreußen)
Hermann Beims SPD 12 (Magdeburg)
Johannes Bell Centre 23 (Düsseldorf-West)
Ferdinand Bender SPD 12 (Magdeburg)
Theodor Bergmann Centre 23 (Düsseldorf-West)
Karl Bethke SPD Entered on 12 May 1919 as a replacement for Wilhelm Buck
August Beuermann German People’s Party 8 (Posen)
Konrad Beyerle Centre 29 (Franken) Joined Bavarian People’s Party on 6 January 1920
Anton Bias SPD 10 (Oppeln)
Franz Biener DnVp 30 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Albert Billian SPD Entered on 13 January 1920 as a replacement for Heinrich Kürbis
Jakob Binder SPD
Joseph Bitta Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Lorenz Blank Centre
Anna Blos SPD
Johannes Blum Centre 26 (Düsseldorf-West)
Andreas Blunck DDP 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Wilhelm Bock USPD 13 (Thuringia)
Karl Böhme DDP 11 (Magdeburg)
Wilhelm Böhmert DDP
Friedrich Börschmann SPD
Minna Bollmann SPD
Eugen Bolz Centre 34 (Württemberg)
Otto Brass USPD 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Otto Braun SPD 26 (Düsseldorf-West)
Adolf Braun SPD 29 (Franken)
Heinrich Brauns Centre Reichswahlvorschlag
Otto von Brentano di Tremezzo Centre 22 (Hessen-Darmstadt)
August Brey SPD 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig)
Alfred Brodauf DDP 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Elisabeth Brönner DDP 1 (Ostpreußen)
Arno Bruchardt USPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Hermann Bruckhoff DDP
Paul Brühl USPD 4 (Potsdam I)
Friedrich Brühne SPD
Wilhelm Bruhn DnVp 5 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Wilhelm Buck SPD 31 (Dresden-Bautzen) Resigned on 11 April 1919
Ewald Budde SPD
Michael Burgau SPD
Eduard Burlage Centre 16 (Weser-Ems)
Oskar Cohn USPD
Hermann Colshorn DHP 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig) Elected on a joint list with the Centre Party
Eduard David SPD 22 (Hessen-Darmstadt)
Georg Davidsohn SPD
Kurt Deglerk DnVp 8 (Breslau)
Karl Deichmann SPD
Clemens von Delbrück DnVp Reichswahlvorschlag Died on 18 December 1921
Carl Delius DDP 12 (Merseburg)
Bernhard Dernburg DDP 3 (Potsdam II)
Hermann Dietrich DDP 35 (Baden) Resigned on 12 April 1919
Hermann Dietrich DnVp Reichswahlvorschlag
Karl Dietrich SPD
Carl Diez Centre 35 (Baden)
Theodor Dirr BB
Wilhelm Dittmann USPD 11 (Magdeburg)
Alexander Graf zu Dohna-Schlodien German People’s Party 1 (Ostpreußen)
Hedwig Dransfeld Centre Reichswahlvorschlag
Ernst Dröner SPD
Adelbert Düringer DnVp 35 (Baden)
Wilhelm Dusche German People’s Party 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig)
Bernhard Düwell USPD 12 (Merseburg)
Friedrich Ebert SPD Resigned on 11 February 1919
Hermann Eger Centre Entered on 19 November 1919 as a replacement for Adolf Gröber
Franz Ehrhardt Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Emil Eichhorn USPD 2 (Berlin)
Wilhelmine Eichler SPD 13 (Thuringia)
Georg Eisenberger BB 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Elise Ekke DDP
Paul Ende DDP Entered on 22 June 1919 as a replacement for Oscar Günther
Fritz Endres SPD
Emil Engelhard DDP Resigned on 3 October 1919
Anton Erkelenz DDP 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Eugen Ernst SPD
Joseph Ersing Centre 35 (Baden)
Matthias Erzberger Centre 34 (Württemberg)
Bernhard Falk DDP
Wilhelm Farwick Centre
Constantin Fehrenbach Centre 35 (Baden)
Jan Fegter DDP Entered on 20 November 1919 as a replacement for Theodor Tantzen
Franz Feldmann SPD 8 (Breslau)
Otto Fischbeck DDP
Gustav Fischer SPD 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig)
Richard Fischer SPD 2 (Berlin)
Paul Fleischer Centre 1 (Ostpreußen)
Wilhelm Frank Centre Entered on 9 March 1920 as a replacement for Richard Müller
Richard Franke DDP
Wilhelm Frerker Centre
Karl Frohme SPD 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Karl Gandorfer BB
Karl Gebhart German People’s Party 30 (Pfalz)
Oskar Geck SPD 35 (Baden)
Julius Gehl SPD
Liborius Gerstenberger BVP 29 (Franken)
Curt Geyer USPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Friedrich Geyer USPD 32 (Leipzig)
Karl Giebel SPD 5 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Anna von Gierke German National People’s Party
Johannes Giesberts Centre 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Anton Gilsing Centre
Emil Girbig SPD 9 (Liegnitz)
Wilhelm Gleichauf DDP
Heinrich Gölzer SPD
Georg Gothein DDP 8 (Breslau)
Georg Gradnauer SPD Reichswahlvorschlag Resigned on 10 April 1919
Albrecht von Graefe German National People’s Party 7 (Mecklenburg)
Adolf Gröber Centre Died on 19 November 1919
Martin Gruber SPD 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Helene Grünberg USPD Entered on 21 November 1919 as a replacement for Josef Simon
Wilhelm Grünewald DDP
August Grunau Centre
Oscar Günther DDP Resigned on 1 June 1919
Magnus Haack SPD Resigned on 19 August 1919
Ludwig Haas DDP 35 (Baden)
Hugo Haase USPD Died on 7 November 1919
August Josef Hagemann Centre 16 (Weser-Ems)
August Hampe Brunswick State Electoral Association
Heinrich Hansmann SPD 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Gustav Hartmann DDP
Rudolf Hartmann German National People’s Party 10 (Oppeln)
Ludwig Hasenzahl SPD
Frieda Hauke SPD 10 (Oppeln)
Conrad Haußmann DDP 34 (Württemberg)
Benedikt Hebel BVP Resigned on 24 February 1920
Werner Heidsieck DDP Entered on 17 January 1920 as a replacement for Moritz Baerwald
Wilhelm Heile DDP 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig)
Georg Heim Centre 28 (Niederbayern-Oberpfalz) Bavarian People’s Party on 9 January 1920
Hugo Heimann SPD 2 (Berlin)
Wolfgang Heine SPD
Rudolf Heinze German People’s Party 31 (Dresden-Bautzen)
August Hellmann SPD 15 (Hamburg)
Alfred Henke USPD 16 (Weser-Ems)
Konrad Henrich DDP
Karl Hense SPD
Richard Herbst USPD Entered on 20 November 1919 as a replacement for Hugo Haase
Karl Hermann DDP 34 (Württemberg)
Carl Herold Centre 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Alfred Herrmann DDP
Hans Herschel Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Fritz Hesse DDP
Michael Hierl SPD
Karl Hildenbrand SPD 34 (Württemberg)
Franz Hitze Centre Reichswahlvorschlag
Gustav Hoch SPD 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Else Höfs SPD
Otto Hörsing SPD
Johannes Hoffmann SPD 30 (Pfalz)
Arthur Hofmann SPD 13 (Thuringia)
Hermann Hofmann Centre 30 (Pfalz)
Peter Holl SPD
Franz Holzapfel SPD Entered on 30 September 1919 as a replacement for Magnus Haack
Otto Hue SPD 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Anna Hübler USPD
Paul Hug SPD Resigned on 22 May 1919
Alfred Hugenberg German National People’s Party 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Otto Hugo German People’s Party 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Heinrich Imbusch Centre 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Martin Irl Centre Bavarian People’s Party on 9 January 1920
Heinrich Jäcker SPD 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Willy Jandrey German National People’s Party 6 (Pommern)
Alfred Janschek SPD 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Viktor Jantzen SPD
Heinrich Jasper SPD
Josef Jaud BVP 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Philipp Johannsen SHBLD Entered on 1 August 1919 as a replacement for Detlef Thomsen
Joseph Joos Centre 23 (Köln-Aachen)
August Jordan SPD Entered on 22 May 1919 as a replacement for Paul Hug, resigned on 5 July 1919
Marie Juchacz SPD 4 (Potsdam I)
Max Jungnickel SPD
Ludwig Kaas Centre 24 (Coblenz-Trier)
Wilhelm Kahl German People’s Party 2 (Berlin)
Wilhelmine Kähler SPD 1 (Ostpreußen)
Hermann Käppler SPD 13 (Thuringia)
Hermann Kahmann SPD 31 (Dresden-Bautzen)
Franz Kaufmann Centre
Simon Katzenstein SPD
Wilhelm Keil SPD 34 (Württemberg)
Adolf Kempkes German People’s Party 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Gottlieb Kenngott SPD
Andreas Kerschbaum DDP 29 (Franken)
Katharina Kloss DDP
Friedrich Knollmann German National People’s Party Died on 16 April 1920
Christian Koch DDP
Johann Koch Centre Reichswahlvorschlag
Wilhelm Koch German National People’s Party 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
William Karl Koch DDP
Erich Koch-Weser DDP 16 (Weser-Ems)
Franz Heinrich Költzsch German National People’s Party
Wilhelm Koenen USPD 12 (Merseburg)
Max König SPD 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Alwin Körsten SPD 6 (Pommern)
Bartholomäus Koßmann Centre
Theodor Kotzur SPD 1 (Ostpreußen)
Hermann Krätzig SPD 31 (Dresden-Bautzen)
Heinrich von Kraut German National People’s Party
Karl Kreft German National People’s Party
Franz Kreutz Centre
Wilhelm Kröger SPD 7 (Mecklenburg) Entered on 25 July 1919 as a replacement for Franz Starosson
Peter Kronen SPD
Franz Krüger SPD
Hans Krüger SPD
Josef Kubetzko Centre 10 (Oppeln) Resigned on 12 July 1919
Wilhelm Külz DDP Entered on 20 January 1920 as a replacement for Emil Nitzschke
Heinrich Kürbis SPD Resigned on 2 December 1919
Bernhard Kuhnt USPD 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Fritz Kunert USPD 12 (Merseburg)
Alexander Kuntze SPD 6 (Pommern)
Bruno Kurowski Centre
Hedwig Kurt SPD Entered on 10 April 1919 as a replacement for Georg Gradnauer
Otto Landsberg SPD
Christian Ritter von Langheinrich DDP Resigned on 21 April 1919
Heinrich Langwost DHP 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig) Elected on a joint list with the Centre Party
Wilhelm Lattmann German National People’s Party Entered on 24 October 1919 as a replacement for Karl Veidt
Gustav Laukant USPD
Wilhelm Laverrenz German National People’s Party 2 (Berlin)
Peter Legendre Centre
Carl Legien SPD 14 (Schleswig-Holstein) Died on 26 December 1920
Johann Leicht Centre 29 (Franken) Bavarian People’s Party in January 1922
Gottfried Leiser DDP Entered on 24 October 1919 as a replacement for Emil Engelhard
Felix Lensing Centre
Friedrich Lesche SPD 17 (Ost-Hannover)
Hans Liebig SPD
Julius Lippmann DDP
Paul Lockenvitz DDP
Paul Löbe SPD 8 (Breslau)
Gertrud Lodahl SPD Entered on 12 February 1919 as a replacement for Paul Stössel
Heinrich Löffler SPD 10 (Oppeln)
Josef Lübbring SPD 1 (Ostpreußen)
Marie-Elisabeth Lüders DDP Reichswahlvorschlag Entered on 24 August 1919 as a replacement for Friedrich Naumann
Frida Lührs SPD
August Lüttich SPD
Friedrich Max Ludewig DDP
Hermann Luppe DDP
Ernestine Lutze SPD
Wilhelm Männer BB Resigned in February 1919
Gustav Malkewitz German National People’s Party 6 (Pommern)
Oskar Maretzky German People’s Party 4 (Potsdam I)
Wilhelm Marx Centre 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Georg Mauerer SPD Entered on 2 February 1919 as a replacement for Alwin Saenger
Joseph Mausbach Centre
Wilhelm Maxen Centre 18 (Süd-Hannover-Braunschweig)
Wilhelm Mayer Centre 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben) Bavarian People’s Party on 9 January 1920, resigned on 17 February 1920
Johannes Meerfeld SPD 23 (Köln-Aachen)
Richard Meier SPD 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Christian Meisner DDP Entered in Mai 1919 as a replacement for Christian Ritter von Langheinrich
Clara Mende German People’s Party Reichswahlvorschlag
Wilhelm Merck Bavarian People’s Party Reichswahlvorschlag Entered in February 1920 as a replacement for Benedikt Hebel
August Merges USPD Resigned on 28 February 1919
Peter Michelsen SPD 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Fritz Mittelmann German People’s Party 6 (Pommern)
Hermann Molkenbuhr SPD 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Albrecht Morath German People’s Party Reichswahlvorschlag
Julius Moses USPD 2 (Berlin)
Otto Most German People’s Party 26 (Düsseldorf-West)
Hermann Müller SPD 29 (Franken)
Hermann Müller SPD
Richard Müller Centre Resigned on 31 January 1920
Reinhard Mumm German National People’s Party 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Josef Nacken Centre 23 (Köln-Aachen)
Anna Nemitz USPD 9 (Liegnitz) SPD in September 1922
Friedrich Naumann DDP Died on 24 August 1919
Agnes Neuhaus Centre 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Adolf Neumann-Hofer DDP
Matthias Neyses Centre 24 (Coblenz-Trier)
Emil Nitzschke DDP Resigned on 20 January 1920
Ferdinand Noske German National People’s Party
Gustav Noske SPD
Otto Nuschke DDP
Ernst Oberfohren German National People’s Party 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Karl Obermeyer SPD 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Richard Oertel German People’s Party 24 (Coblenz-Trier)
Wilhelm Ohler German National People’s Party
Karl Okonsky SPD 10 (Oppeln) Entered in July 1919 as a replacement for Josef Kubetzko
Karl Ollmert Centre
Nikolaus Osterroth SPD
Waldemar Otte Centre
Hermann Pachnicke DDP 4 (Potsdam I)
Johann Panzer SPD
Richard Partzsch SPD Entered on 3 January 1920 as a replacement for August Winnig
Friedrich von Payer DDP
Carl Wilhelm Petersen DDP 15 (Hamburg)
Wilhelm Pfannkuch SPD
Maximilian Pfeiffer Centre 2 (Berlin)
Antonie Pfülf SPD 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Albrecht Philipp German National People’s Party 32 (Leipzig)
Otto Pick DDP
Karl Pinkau SPD 32 (Leipzig)
Alexander Pohlmann DDP 10 (Oppeln)
Franz Pokorny SPD
Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner German National People’s Party
Alois Puschmann Centre 8 (Breslau)
Max Quarck SPD
Ludwig Quessel SPD 22 (Hessen-Darmstadt)
Ludwig Quidde DDP
Fritz Raschig DDP
Friedrich Rauch SPD
Gustav Raute USPD 12 (Merseburg)
Walter Reek SPD
Heinrich Reineke German People’s Party
Hermann Paul Reißhaus SPD 13 (Thuringia)
Johanne Reitze SPD 15 (Hamburg)
Ernst Remmers DDP
Anton Rheinländer Centre 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Adolf Richter German National People’s Party 1 (Ostpreußen)
Johann Sophian Christian Richter Centre
Hartmann von Richthofen DDP
Lorenz Riedmiller SPD 35 (Baden)
Jakob Riesser German People’s Party 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Paul Rodemann SPD
Elisabeth Röhl SPD
Paul Röhle SPD
Gustav Roesicke German National People’s Party Reichswahlvorschlag
Kurt Rosenfeld USPD 13 (Thuringia) Entered on 3 May 1920 as a replacement for Emanuel Wurm
Leopold Rückert SPD
Heinrich Runkel German People’s Party 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Elfriede Ryneck SPD 3 (Potsdam II)
Hermann Sachse SPD
Alwin Saenger SPD Resigned on 2 February 1919
Robert Sagawe Centre
Albert Salm SPD
Ernst Schädlich SPD
Valentin Schäfer SPD
Josef Schefbeck Centre
Philipp Scheidemann SPD 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Martin Schiele German National People’s Party 11 (Magdeburg)
Eugen Schiffer DDP 11 (Magdeburg)
Karl Matthias Schiffer Centre Resigned on 24 September 1919
Joseph Schilgen Centre Entered on 24 September 1919 as a replacement for Karl Matthias Schiffer
Minna Schilling SPD 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Carl Schirmer Centre 29 (Franken) Bavarian People’s Party on 9 January 1920
Käthe Schirmacher German National People’s Party
Peter Schlack Centre 25 (Düsseldorf-Ost)
Alexander Schlicke SPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Wilhelm Schlüter SPD
Richard Schmidt SPD 31 (Dresden-Bautzen)
Richard Schmidt SPD
Robert Schmidt SPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Wilhelm Schmidthals DDP
Adam Josef Schmitt Centre
Maria Schmitz Centre
Alexander Schneider Centre
Gustav Schneider DDP
Georg Schöpflin SPD 35 (Baden)
Carl Schreck SPD 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Louise Schroeder SPD 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Clara Schuch SPD 2 (Berlin)
Walther Schücking DDP 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Wilhelm Schümmer Centre
Georg Schultz German National People’s Party Reichswahlvorschlag
Heinrich Schulz SPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Hermann Schulz SPD Westpreußen
Wilhelm Schulz SPD
Gerhart von Schulze-Gävernitz DDP Entered on 12 April 1919 as a replacement for Hermann Dietrich
Oswald Schumann SPD 5 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Jean Albert Schwarz Centre 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Rudolf Schwarzer Bavarian People’s Party 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Friedrich Seger USPD 32 (Leipzig)
Friedrich Wilhelm Semmler German National People’s Party 8 (Breslau)
Carl Severing SPD 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Richard Seyfert DDP
Otto Sidow SPD 4 (Potsdam I)
Ernst Siehr DDP
Karl Sielermann German National People’s Party Entered on 29 September 1919 as a replacement for Wilhelm Wallbaum
Anna Simon SPD
Hermann Silberschmidt SPD 11 (Magdeburg)
Georg Simon SPD 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben)
Josef Simon USPD 29 (Franken) Resigned on 21 November 1919
Hugo Sinzheimer SPD
Hans Sivkovich DDP 7 (Mecklenburg)
Wilhelm Sollmann SPD 23 (Köln-Aachen)
Peter Spahn Centre Reichswahlvorschlag
Emil Stahl SPD
Michael Stapfer Centre
Franz Starosson SPD
Otto Steinmayer SPD
Wilhelm Steinsdorff DDP
Adam Stegerwald Centre 19 (Westfalen-Nord)
Willy Steinkopf SPD Reichswahlvorschlag
Johannes Stelling SPD 7 (Mecklenburg)
Christian Stock SPD
Otto Stolten SPD 15 (Hamburg)
Paul Stössel SPD Resigned on 2 February 1919
Gustav Stresemann German People’s Party 3 (Potsdam II)
Franz Strzoda Centre
Daniel Stücklen SPD 33 (Chemnitz-Zwickau)
Thomas Szczeponik Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Theodor Tantzen der Jüngere DDP Resigned on 31 October 1919
Paul Taubadel SPD 9 (Liegnitz)
Eugen Taucher Centre Bavarian People’s Party on 9 January 1920, resigned on 1 February 1920
Johanna Tesch SPD 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Christine Teusch Centre 23 (Köln-Aachen)
Johannes Thabor SPD 26 (Düsseldorf-West)
Adolf Thiele SPD
Georg Thöne SPD 21 (Hessen-Nassau)
Detlef Thomsen SHBLD Resigned on 7 July 1919
Franz Thurow SPD Entered on 11 February 1919 as a replacement for Friedrich Ebert
Gottfried Traub German National People’s Party
Peter Tremmel Centre 24 (Coblenz-Trier)
Karl Trimborn Centre 23 (Köln-Aachen)
Oskar Trinks SPD
Carl Ulitzka Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Carl Ulrich SPD 22 (Hessen-Darmstadt)
Karl Veidt German National People’s Party Resigned on 29 August 1919
Wilhelm Vershofen DDP
Otto Vesper SPD
Albert Vögler German People’s Party 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Hans Vogel SPD 29 (Franken)
Wilhelm Vogt German National People’s Party 34 (Württemberg)
Fritz Voigt SPD
Friedrich Wachhorst de Wente DDP
Felix Waldstein DDP 14 (Schleswig-Holstein)
Wilhelm Wallbaum German National People’s Party Resigned on 29 September 1919
Fritz Warmuth German National People’s Party 5 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Helene Weber Centre
Victor Weidtman German People’s Party
Luitpold Weilnböck German National People’s Party 29 (Franken)
Friedrich Weinhausen DDP Westpreußen
Konrad Weiß DDP 29 (Franken)
Franz Xaver Weixler Bavarian People’s Party 27 (Oberbayern-Schwaben) Entered in March 1920 as a replacement for Wilhelm Mayer
Otto Wels SPD 5 (Frankfurt (Oder))
Hugo Wendorff DDP
Kuno von Westarp German National People’s Party 3 (Potsdam II)
Johannes Wetzlich German National People’s Party
Franz Wieber Centre 26 (Düsseldorf-West)
Philipp Wieland DDP 34 (Württemberg)
Carl Winkelmann SPD
August Winnefeld German People’s Party 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
August Winnig SPD Resigned on 3 January 1920
Joseph Wirth Centre 35 (Baden)
Rudolf Wissell SPD
Franz Heinrich Witthoefft German People’s Party
Theodor Wolff SPD
Emanuel Wurm USPD Died on 3 May 1920
Constantin Zawadzki Centre 10 (Oppeln)
Johann Anton Zehnter Centre
Marie Zettler Centre
Paul Ziegler DDP 20 (Westfalen-Süd)
Luise Zietz USPD 2 (Berlin)
Georg Zöphel DDP
Fritz Zubeil USPD 3 (Potsdam II)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sturm, Reinhard (23 December 2011). "Weimarer Republik: Vom Kaiserreich zur Republik 1918/19" [Weimar Republic: From Empire to Republic 1918/19]. Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (in German). Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  2. ^ Holste, Heiko (January 2009). "Die Nationalversammlung gehört hierher!" [The National Assembly belongs here!]. Frankfurther Allgemeine Zeitung, Bilder und Zeiten Nr. 8, 10 (in German).
  3. ^ a b c "Chronologie 1919 (in German)". Deutsches Historisches Museum. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Die Wahlen zur Nationalversammlung" [The Election of the National Assembly]. Deutsches Historisches Museum (in German). Retrieved 10 December 2007.
  5. ^ Sturm, Reinhard (23 December 2011). "Weimarer Republik: Vom Kaiserreich zur Republik 1918/19" [Weimar Republic: From Empire to Republic 1918/19]. Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (in German). Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  6. ^ Winkler, Heinrich August (1993). Weimar 1918–1933. Die Geschichte der ersten deutschen Demokratie [Weimar 1918–1933. The History of the First German Democracy] (in German). Munich: C.H. Beck. p. 69. ISBN 3-406-37646-0.
  7. ^ Kohn, Walter S.G. (1980). Women in National Legislatures: A Comparative Study of Six Countries. Westport, CT: Praeger. p. 141. ISBN 9780030475917.
  8. ^ Schüler, Anja (8 September 2008). "Bubikopf und kurze Röcke" [Bobbed hair and short skirts]. Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (in German).
  9. ^ Jindra, Steffen (2 March 2021). "Weimar und die 37 Frauen" [Weimar and the 37 Women]. ARD (in German).
  10. ^ "Gesetz über die vorläufige Reichsgewalt1". documentArchiv.de (in German).
  11. ^ Miller, Susanne; Matthias, Erich, eds. (1966). Das Kriegstagebuch des Reichstagsabgeordneten Eduard David 1914 bis 1918 [The War Diary of Eduard David, Member of the Reichstag 1914 to 1918] (in German). Düsseldorf: Droste. pp. XXXIII. ISBN 9783770050376.
  12. ^ "Philipp Scheidemann". Encyclopedia Britannica. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  13. ^ Müller, Wolfgang (8 November 2022). "Versailler Vertrag: Fragen und Antworten" [Versailles Treaty: Questions and Answers]. NDR (in German).
  14. ^ "Vor 100 Jahren: Nationalversammlung ratifiziert Versailler Vertrag" [100 Years Ago: The National Assembly Ratifies the Versailles Treaty]. Deutscher Bundestag. 4 July 2019.
  15. ^ "Gesetz über den Friedensschluß zwischen Deutschland und den alliierten und den assoziierten Mächten". documentArchiv.de (in German).
  16. ^ "Verhandlungen des Deutschen Reichstages: 84. Sitzung der Nationalversammlung vom 20. August 1919" [Proceedings of the German Reichstag: 84th Session of the National Assembly]. Reichstagsprotokolle (in German). 20 August 1919. p. 2798. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  17. ^ Heilfron, Eduard, ed. (1921). Die Deutsche Nationalversammlung im Jahre 1919 in ihrer Arbeit für den Aufbau des neuen deutschen Volksstaates [The German National Assembly in 1919 in its Work for the Establishment of the New German People's State] (in German). Berlin: Norddeutsche Buchdruckerei und Verlagsanstalt. pp. 150–153.
  18. ^ Mommsen, Wolfgang J. (1974). Max Weber und die deutsche Politik 1890–1920 [Max Weber and German Politics 1890–1920] (in German) (2nd ed.). Tübingen: Mohr. pp. 372–375. ISBN 9783165358612.
  19. ^ Weipert, Axel (2012). "Vor den Toren der Macht. Die Demonstration am 13. Januar 1920 vor dem Reichstag" [At the gates of power. The Demonstration in Front of the Reichstag on 13 January 1920] (PDF). Jahrbuch für Forschungen zur Geschichte der Arbeiterbewegung. (in German). 11 (2): 16–32.
  20. ^ "Chronik 1920" [Chronicle 1920]. Deutsches Historisches Museum (in German). 23 July 2013.
  21. ^ Braun, Bernd; Epkenhans, Michael; Mühlhausen, Walter (September 1998). "Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925). Vom Arbeiterführer zum Reichspräsidenten" [Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925). From labor leader to Reich President]. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (in German). Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  22. ^ "Kabinett Scheidemann, Einleitung II" [Scheidemann Cabinet, Introduction II]. Bundesarchiv (in German). Retrieved 23 July 2013.