Weimar Republic

German Reich Deutsches Reich
← 1918–1933 →
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" "Unity and Justice and Freedom"
Anthem Das Lied der Deutschen (English: "Song of the Germans")
Germany in 1930
German states in 1920s (Free State of Prussia with its provinces shown in blue)
Capital	Berlin Weimar (de facto)
Language(s)	Official: German Unofficial: Danish, French, Polish, Czech, Dutch, Sorbian, Low German, Frisian, Lithuanian, Yiddish
Religion	1925 census 64.1% Protestant (Lutheran, Reformed, United) 32.4% Roman Catholic 0.9% Jewish 2.6% Other
Government	1919–30 Federal semi-presidential constitutional republic 1930–33 De facto authoritarian presidential republic
President
- 1919–25	Friedrich Ebert
- 1925–33	Paul von Hindenburg
Chancellor
- 1919 (first)	Philipp Scheidemann
- 1933 (last)	Adolf Hitler
Legislature	Reichstag
- State Council	Reichsrat
Historical era	Interwar period
- Established	9 November 1918
- Government by decree begins	29 March 1930
- Hitler appointed Chancellor	30 January 1933
- Reichstag fire	27 February 1933
- Enabling Act	23 March 1933
Area
- 1925	468,787 km2 (181,000 sq mi)
Population
- 1925 est.	62,411,000
Density	/km2  ( /sq mi)
Currency	1919–23 "Papiermark" (ℳ) 1923–33 Rentenmark 1924–33 Reichsmark (ℛℳ)
Warning: Value not specified for "continent"

The Weimar Republic (German: Weimarer Republik [ˈvaɪmaʁɐ ʁepuˈbliːk] ( listen)), officially the German Reich (German: Deutsches Reich), also referred to as the German People's State (German: Deutscher Volksstaat) or simply the German Republic (German: Deutsche Republik), is the name now used for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 to 1933.

Origin

After the German Empire was defeated in World War I, Germany became a republic, but it was still called "Deutsches Reich" (German Empire). Today it is called the Weimar Republic and this period is called the Weimar period, because the constitution was made in the city of Weimar.

Beginning

On November 9, 1918, the Republic was proclaimed by Philipp Scheidemann at the Reichstag building in Berlin and two hours later a socialist republic was proclaimed around the corner at the Berlin Castle by Karl Liebknecht.

The Emperor, or Kaiser, Wilhelm II, went into exile in the Netherlands. The new Republic was declared even before the end of World War I.

Problems

The Weimar Republic had a lot of problems. The Treaty of Versailles made things very difficult for the economy. Inflation got completely out of hand. There were political problems because governments ruled only for a very short time, not long enough to be able to make important decisions. There were a lot of radical right and left extremists, for example monarchists (people who wanted back the monarchy) and communists, who believed that all things, especially property, land and money, should be shared. Political parties had their own militias to fight each other.

One of the paramilitary organizations that arose after World War I was the German: Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten meaning "Steel Helmet, League of Front Soldiers". They operated as the armed branch of the national conservative German National People's Party (DNVP). they were placed at party gatherings in the position of armed security guards (Saalschutz). In 1935 they became part of the Nazi Party.

Positives

The Weimar period is also known for its culture. Artists tried out modern ideas and used new things like film. The Bauhaus began in the 1920s too.

End

What we now call The Weimar Republic came to an end on 23 March 1933, when Chancellor Adolf Hitler installed the Enabling Act, which established the Third Reich.

Other websites

• The Constitution of the German Reich (Weimar constitution) of 11th August 1919, in full text
• Data Bank
• Documents in German