Reich President

The Reich President (German: Reichspräsident) was the president (head of state) of the German Reich during the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and Nazi Germany (1933-1945).

The Reich President was the successor of the German emperor. He had more power than the current Federal President (Bundespräsident).

The Reich President was elected for a seven-year term by the German people, and could be re-elected. He was the head of the army, appointed and relieved the Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler), and could also send away the Reichstag.

The Reich President was supposed to exercise the legislative power with the Reichstag but due to the instable situation of the Weimar Republic, he was often bypassing the Reichstag by using special legislation. This was the case during the early years of the Reich Presidency and especially in the early 1930s. During the Hitler period the Reichstag was just show.

Presidents

Weimar Republic:

Friedrich Ebert (1919-1925, SPD, died in office)
Hans Luther (1925, no political party, acting)
Walter Simons (1925, no political party, acting)
Paul von Hindenburg (1925-1933, no political party, re-elected in 1932)

Nazi Germany:

Paul von Hindenburg (1933-1934, no political party, died in office)
Adolf Hitler (1934-1945, NSDAP, killed himself) ^[1]
Karl Dönitz (1945, NSDAP, imprisoned)

Presidential Standards

1919–1921
1921–1926
1926–1933
1933–1934
1934–1945
1945

Reich President Media

Candidate Karl Jarres (conservatives and national liberals) in 1925, first round.
Propaganda for Paul von Hindenburg, right-wing candidate in the second round of 1925.
Propaganda at a poll site, 12 April 1932.
Chart of the Weimar Constitution
Friedrich Ebert, president 1919–1925, painted by Lovis Corinth in 1924.
Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg (center) at the Reichstag, 1 January 1931.
The Reichstag, 12 September 1932: Chancellor Franz von Papen (standing left) who wants to declare the dismissal, above at the right the Reichstag president Hermann Göring (NSDAP) who looks the other way.

References

Presidents and Assemblies, Chapter 4. Matthew Soberg Shugart, John M. Carey. Cambridge University Press. 1992.

↑ Hitler hardly used the title of Reich President. During his dictatorship the office of Reich President and of Reich Chancellor had been united. He preferred to call himself Führer and Reichskanzler ("leader and Reich Chancellor").

[1] Hitler hardly used the title of Reich President. During his dictatorship the office of Reich President and of Reich Chancellor had been united. He preferred to call himself Führer and Reichskanzler ("leader and Reich Chancellor").

[1]