Reichsrat (Germany)

Reichsrat (Germany)
source
Name	Reichsrat
Legislature	Weimar Republic
Coa pic	Reichsadler_der_Deutsches_Reich_(1928–1935).svg
House type	Upper house
Established	1919
Preceded by	Bundesrat
Succeeded by	Bundesrat (1949)
Disbanded	1934
Leader1 type	President
Leader1	Last: Ernst von Harnack
Meeting place	Leipziger Straße 4, Berlin

Reichsrat (Germany). The Reichsrat was the upper house of the Weimar Republic's national legislature, established by the Weimar Constitution in 1919. It succeeded the imperial Bundesrat and represented the interests of the German states, known as Länder, within the federal system. While its powers were significantly weaker than those of the directly elected Reichstag, it played a crucial role in legislation and federal oversight until its effective dissolution by the Nazi Party in 1934.

History

The Reichsrat was created as a central institution of the new republican order following the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the collapse of the German Empire. Its design was a compromise between unitary and federalist forces, intended to replace the powerful Bundesrat of the Kaiserreich, which had been dominated by Prussia. The constitutional debates at the Weimar National Assembly sought to balance state representation with democratic principles, leading to a chamber with limited veto power. Key historical moments involving the Reichsrat include its opposition to several financial laws during the Great Depression and its diminishing role after the Reichstag fire and the passage of the Enabling Act of 1933, which centralized power under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

Composition and organization

Members of the Reichsrat were not directly elected but were appointed and recalled by the governments of the constituent Länder of the republic. Each state's delegation was led by a state minister, typically the Minister-President, and voting was en bloc by state. The distribution of votes was based on population, with each Land receiving at least one vote; no single state was allowed more than two-fifths of the total seats, a rule aimed at curbing the dominance of Prussia. Prussia itself was further restricted by an internal rule requiring its votes to be split according to the political composition of its provincial governments. The presiding officer was the President of the Reichsrat, an office held by figures such as Ernst von Harnack.

Powers and functions

Constitutionally, the Reichsrat possessed the right to introduce legislation and, more significantly, to object to laws passed by the Reichstag. However, its legislative veto was only suspensive; the Reichstag could override an objection by a simple two-thirds majority vote. The chamber also held a direct veto over legislation amending the constitution, which required its explicit consent. Its primary functions included representing state interests in national policy, particularly regarding administrative and financial matters, and it had to be consulted on all emergency decrees issued by the Reich President under Article 48. This made it an important, though secondary, actor in the Weimar Republic's complex political landscape.

Role in the Weimar Republic

Throughout the turbulent history of the Weimar Republic, the Reichsrat often acted as a conservative counterweight to the frequently changing coalitions in the Reichstag. It was particularly active in areas affecting state sovereignty, such as fiscal policy, education, and internal administration. Conflicts frequently arose between the Reichsrat, dominated by larger states like Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony, and the national government over the distribution of tax revenues and centralizing tendencies. These tensions were exemplified in the prolonged struggle over the Prussian coup of 1932, when the federal government under Franz von Papen deposed the Prussian state government, severely undermining the Reichsrat's federal principle.

Dissolution and legacy

The Reichsrat was effectively rendered obsolete following the Nazi seizure of power. The Enabling Act of 1933 transferred all legislative power to the Hitler Cabinet, bypassing both the Reichstag and the Reichsrat. The Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich of 1934 formally abolished the Länder as sovereign entities and dissolved the Reichsrat, completing the process of Gleichschaltung (coordination) into a unitary state. Its legacy is primarily constitutional; the modern Bundesrat of Germany, established by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949, draws direct inspiration from the Reichsrat's model of representing state governments within the federal legislature, though with stronger powers.

Category:Weimar Republic Category:Defunct upper houses Category:Legislatures of Germany