Preußischer Landtag
Encyclopedia
Preußischer Landtag or Prussian Landtag was the Landtag
(state diet) of the Kingdom of Prussia
, which was implemented in 1849 after the dissolution of the Prussian National Assembly
, building on the tradition of the Prussian estates
that had existed from the 14th century in various forms and states in Teutonic Prussia, Royal
and Ducal Prussia.
King Frederick William IV of Prussia
and his Minister Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen
had agreed to call for the general election of a national assembly in all Prussian provinces. The assembly however was dismissed by royal decree of 5 December 1848 and the king had the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia
adopted. The constitution, though reactionary, at least provided a bicameral
parliament, consisting of the House of Lords
, as well as a second House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus), who were elected according to the notorious three-class franchise
.
Nevertheless the Abgeordnetenhaus led by the liberal German Progress Party
gradually developed to a serious political actor, culminating about 1861 in a constitutional conflict: The new King William I
and his war minister Albrecht von Roon requested the approval for an increment of the military budget, which the deputies refused. Roon urged the king to appoint Otto von Bismarck
Prime Minister, who - "not by speeches and votes of the majority are the great questions of the time decided (...) but by iron and blood
" - openly sidestepped any power of the purse of the Prussian representatives.
After World War I
the Preußischer Landtag was re-established as the parliament of the Free State of Prussia in 1921.
situated opposite to the Martin Gropius Bau
. During the German Revolution of 1918–19 the national Workers' and Soldiers' Council
held its assemblies here, and on 1 January 1919 the Communist Party of Germany
was founded.
Since 1993 the building is the seat of the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
, and similar to the Reichstag, colloquially still named Preußischer Landtag.
Landtag
A Landtag is a representative assembly or parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority.- Name :...
(state diet) of the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, which was implemented in 1849 after the dissolution of the Prussian National Assembly
Prussian National Assembly
The Prussian National Assembly came into being after the 1848 revolutions and was tasked with drawing up a constitution for the Kingdom of Prussia. It first met in the Berlin Singakademie....
, building on the tradition of the Prussian estates
Prussian estates
The Prussian estates were representative bodies of Prussia, first created by the Monastic state of Teutonic Prussia in the 14th century but later becoming a devolved legislature for Royal Prussia within the Kingdom of Poland...
that had existed from the 14th century in various forms and states in Teutonic Prussia, Royal
Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...
and Ducal Prussia.
History
In the course of the 1848 RevolutionRevolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
King Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
and his Minister Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen
Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen
Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen In 1848, Ludolf Camphausen stepped suddenly from his banker's deskat Cologne to the presidential chair of the Ministry of State at Berlin,...
had agreed to call for the general election of a national assembly in all Prussian provinces. The assembly however was dismissed by royal decree of 5 December 1848 and the king had the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia
Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia was adopted in 1850 and amended in the following years. This constitution was far less liberal than the federal constitution of the German Empire....
adopted. The constitution, though reactionary, at least provided a bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
parliament, consisting of the House of Lords
Prussian House of Lords
The Prussian House of Lords was the first chamber of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1850-1918. The second chamber was the Prussian House of Representatives . The House of Lords was created on January 31, 1850 with the adoption of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia...
, as well as a second House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus), who were elected according to the notorious three-class franchise
Prussian three-class franchise
After the 1848 revolutions in the German states, the Prussian three-class franchise system was introduced in 1849 by the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV for the election of the Lower House of the Prussian state parliament. It was completely abolished only in 1918...
.
Nevertheless the Abgeordnetenhaus led by the liberal German Progress Party
German Progress Party
The German Progress Party was the first modern political party with a program in Germany, founded by the liberal members of the Prussian Lower House in 6 June, 1861....
gradually developed to a serious political actor, culminating about 1861 in a constitutional conflict: The new King William I
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
and his war minister Albrecht von Roon requested the approval for an increment of the military budget, which the deputies refused. Roon urged the king to appoint Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
Prime Minister, who - "not by speeches and votes of the majority are the great questions of the time decided (...) but by iron and blood
Blood and Iron (speech)
Blood and Iron is the title of a speech by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck given in 1862 about the unification of the German territories...
" - openly sidestepped any power of the purse of the Prussian representatives.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the Preußischer Landtag was re-established as the parliament of the Free State of Prussia in 1921.
Building
In 1899, the Prussian Landtag moved into a building on Prinz-Albrecht-Straße No. 5 (present-day Niederkirchnerstraße), close to Potsdamer PlatzPotsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
situated opposite to the Martin Gropius Bau
Martin Gropius Bau
Martin-Gropius-Bau, originally a museum of applied arts and a listed historical monument since 1966, is a well-known Berlin exhibition hall located at Niederkirchnerstraße 7 in Berlin-Kreuzberg.- History and architecture :...
. During the German Revolution of 1918–19 the national Workers' and Soldiers' Council
Workers' council
A workers' council, or revolutionary councils, is the phenomenon where a single place of work or enterprise, such as a factory, school, or farm, is controlled collectively by the workers of that workplace, through the core principle of temporary and instantly revocable delegates.In a system with...
held its assemblies here, and on 1 January 1919 the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
was founded.
Since 1993 the building is the seat of the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the state parliament for the German state of Berlin, according to the state's constitution. The parliament is based at the building on Niederkirchnerstraße in Mitte which until 1934 was the seat of the lower house of the Preußischer Landtag...
, and similar to the Reichstag, colloquially still named Preußischer Landtag.
President of the Preußische Landesversammlung
| Name | Period | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Leinert | 1919 - 1921 | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
Presidents of the Landtag
| Name | Period | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Leinert | 1921–1924 | SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... |
| Friedrich Bartels | 1924–1928 | SPD |
| Friedrich Bartels | 1928–1931 | SPD |
| Ernst Wittmaack | 1931–1932 | SPD |
| Hans Kerrl | 1932–1933 | NSDAP |
See also
- Elections in the Free State of PrussiaElections in the Free State of PrussiaThe Free State of Prussia held elections to the Landtag between 1918 and 1933. Until the 1930s these elections gave a plurality to the SPD, but this was handed to the NSDAP or Nazi party in the 1930s, generally in line with the rest of Germany....
- List of Presidents of the Prussian State Council
- List of Presidents of the Prussian House of Deputies
- Members of the Prussian House of Representatives
- Members of the Prussian House of Lords
Literature
- Hans Wilderotter: Das Haus der Abgeordneten: Ein Denkmal preußischer und deutscher Geschichte in der Mitte Berlins. Philo Fine Arts, Dresden 2001, ISBN 3-364-00378-5