Hungarian-German Social Democratic Party
Encyclopedia
The Hungarian-German Social Democratic Party was a social democratic
political party
in Slovakia
(part of Czechoslovakia
at the time). It was founded in 1919 by social democrats from ethnic minority communities. The party had a German and a Hungarian section. The German and Hungarian social democrats in Slovakia had developed an antagonistic relationship with the Slovak social democrats, whom had merged into the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party
as Austria-Hungary
was broken up after the First World War. Issues of contention between Hungarian/German and Slovak social democrats included views of the February Strike of 1919 and the Hungarian Soviet Republic
(which the Slovak social democrats considered a threat to their new state).
Like the other Hungarian parties in Czechoslovakia at the time, the Hungarian-German Social Democratic Party opposed the very existence of the Czechoslovak Republic.
Leaders of the party included Sam Mayer, Gyula Nagy (between 1919 and 1922), Géza Borovszky (from 1922 onwards) and Jószef Földessy.
was organized in Bratislava, to support socialist demands after the elections. Banners with slogans like "Death to profiteers" and "Long live communism" were put up in the city. The party got 1.8% of the votes in Czechoslovakia. The main stronghold of the party was the Nové Zámky region (which included Bratislava). In the Nové Zámky constituency, the party won 35.7% of the National Assembly vote. It mustered 110,282 votes in the constituency, winning four seat in the National Assembly.
Paul Wittich
, who had been the chairman of the Pressburg Workers Council, became the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the party. The three other parliamentarians of the party were Samuel Mayer, Dr. Jószef Földessy and Gyula Nagy. Wittich, Mayer and Nagy were elected from Bratislava, whilst Földessy was elected from Komárno
.
The party also won two seats in the Czechoslovak Senate from Bratislava, represented by Matthias Kreppenhofer and Antal Svrak.
('People's Voice').
between 1923 and 1926.
.
The social democratic minority re-organized themselves. In October 1920, they launched new newspapers in German (Volksrecht) and Hungarian. On November 20, 1920, a German Social Democratic Party was formed (led by Wittich, Mayer and Masár), and on December 4, 1920 the small group of Hungarian social democrats that hadn't joined the communists formed the Hungarian Social Democratic Party. The Hungarian-German party thus consisted of two national sections.
However, starting from the end of 1920 members of the German section of the party began defecting to the German Social Democratic Workers Party in the Czechoslovak Republic (DSAP). The two German parliamentarians, Wittich and Mayer, were amongst those who left the party in late 1920. As of 1926 the German section had been completely absorbed by DSAP. On January 1, 1927 the Hungarian remainder of the party merged into the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party, becoming a Hungarian section of the Czechoslovak party.
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
(part of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
at the time). It was founded in 1919 by social democrats from ethnic minority communities. The party had a German and a Hungarian section. The German and Hungarian social democrats in Slovakia had developed an antagonistic relationship with the Slovak social democrats, whom had merged into the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party
Czech Social Democratic Party
The Czech Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic.-History:The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament...
as Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
was broken up after the First World War. Issues of contention between Hungarian/German and Slovak social democrats included views of the February Strike of 1919 and the Hungarian Soviet Republic
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....
(which the Slovak social democrats considered a threat to their new state).
Like the other Hungarian parties in Czechoslovakia at the time, the Hungarian-German Social Democratic Party opposed the very existence of the Czechoslovak Republic.
Leaders of the party included Sam Mayer, Gyula Nagy (between 1919 and 1922), Géza Borovszky (from 1922 onwards) and Jószef Földessy.
1920 election
The party congress held January 18, 1920 resolved that the party would contest the 1920 Czechoslovak National Assembly election independently. The election campaign was initiated in March 1920. On March 16, 1920 a brief general strikeGeneral strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
was organized in Bratislava, to support socialist demands after the elections. Banners with slogans like "Death to profiteers" and "Long live communism" were put up in the city. The party got 1.8% of the votes in Czechoslovakia. The main stronghold of the party was the Nové Zámky region (which included Bratislava). In the Nové Zámky constituency, the party won 35.7% of the National Assembly vote. It mustered 110,282 votes in the constituency, winning four seat in the National Assembly.
Paul Wittich
Paul Wittich (politician)
Paul Wittich was a German social democratic politician in Slovakia . He was a prominent labour leader in Pressburg . During a few days around New Years Eve 1919 he led a workers militia that vyed for control of the city...
, who had been the chairman of the Pressburg Workers Council, became the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the party. The three other parliamentarians of the party were Samuel Mayer, Dr. Jószef Földessy and Gyula Nagy. Wittich, Mayer and Nagy were elected from Bratislava, whilst Földessy was elected from Komárno
Komárno
Komárno is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Komárno was formed from part of a historical town in Hungary situated on both banks of the Danube. Following World War I, the border of the newly created Czechoslovakia cut the historical, unified town in half,...
.
The party also won two seats in the Czechoslovak Senate from Bratislava, represented by Matthias Kreppenhofer and Antal Svrak.
Press
The Hungarian section of the party published a weekly newspaper, Népszava ('People's Voice'), whilst the German organ was VolksstimmeWestungarische Volksstimme
Westungarische Volksstimme was a German-language weekly newspaper published from Pressburg, Hungary ....
('People's Voice').
International affiliation
The party was affiliated to the Labour and Socialist InternationalLabour and Socialist International
The Labour and Socialist International was an international organization of socialist and labour parties, active between 1923 and 1940. The LSI was a forerunner of the present-day Socialist International....
between 1923 and 1926.
Factionalism and disintegration
The socialist movement in Bratislava was radicalized, as Hungarian revolutionaries settled in Czechoslovakia in large numbers. A party meeting was held on July 11 and 18, 1920. The meeting approved a proposal by F. Pfifferling to adhere to the Communist International. Népszava and Volksstimme became pro-communist organs. Wittich, who had denounced the Hungarian Soviet Republic at the meeting, was deposed from his leadership position. A party congress was convened on September 24, 1920, at which the old leadership (Wittich, Mayer and August Masár) was expelled. The Marxist grouping eventually merged with the Communist Party of CzechoslovakiaCommunist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
.
The social democratic minority re-organized themselves. In October 1920, they launched new newspapers in German (Volksrecht) and Hungarian. On November 20, 1920, a German Social Democratic Party was formed (led by Wittich, Mayer and Masár), and on December 4, 1920 the small group of Hungarian social democrats that hadn't joined the communists formed the Hungarian Social Democratic Party. The Hungarian-German party thus consisted of two national sections.
However, starting from the end of 1920 members of the German section of the party began defecting to the German Social Democratic Workers Party in the Czechoslovak Republic (DSAP). The two German parliamentarians, Wittich and Mayer, were amongst those who left the party in late 1920. As of 1926 the German section had been completely absorbed by DSAP. On January 1, 1927 the Hungarian remainder of the party merged into the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party, becoming a Hungarian section of the Czechoslovak party.