W1 - The Weimar Constitution

• Key Terms of the Weimar Constitution:

  • Drafted in November 1918 by Hugo Preuss, a lawyer, at the invitation of Erbert
  • National Assembly established in February 1919
  • Preuss worked with a constitutional committee of 28 members over the next 6 months
  • Discussion overshadowed by dispute over the Treaty of Versailles
• Influences on the new constitution:

  • Influenced by democratic ideas of Britain and the USA
  • Germany's traditions were also considered
  • Introduced proportional representation in the parliamentary system
  • Created a federal structure with power shared between central and regional governments
• Main Features of the Weimar Constitution:

  • Declared Germany a democratic state while retaining the title of Reich
  • Established a republic, ending all monarchies
  • Had a federal structure with 17 regional states (Länder)
  • President elected every 7 years with significant powers, including the right to dissolve the Reichstag and appoint the Chancellor
  • Parliament composed of two houses: Reichstag and Reichstrat
  • Reichstag was the main representative assembly, elected every four years based on Proportional Representation
  • Reichstrat consisted of representatives from the 17 state regional governments
  • Bill of Rights outlined individual rights and social rights
  • Supreme Court created to settle different interpretations of the law
• Issues of Controversy:

  • Some historians argue that the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler and the National Socialists can be attributed to the Constitution
  • Controversial aspects include the introduction of Proportional Representation, the relationship between the President and the Reichstag (especially Article 48), and the continuity of traditional institutions from Imperial Germany