Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold
Encyclopedia
The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (English: "Black, Red, Gold Banner of the Reich
") was a Social Democratic paramilitary
force formed during the Weimar Republic
in 1924.
The Reichsbanner was set up as a multiparty organization, recruiting men who were strong supporters of the Republic. The headquarters of the Reichsbanner was located in Magdeburg
, but had branches elswehere. The Reichsbanner became affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD), and its primary goal was to defend against internal subversion, teach the population to respect the new Republic
, honor its flag
and the constitution
.
or the SA
, as well as the left-wing Communist Red Front Fighters
had continued to radicalize and intensify the political struggle in Germany. The Reichsbanner was initially formed in reaction to the far right's "Beer Hall" Putsch
and far left's Hamburg rebellion, both failed coups, which had taken place at the end of 1923. On 22 February 1924 members of the SPD
, the German Centre Party
, the German Democratic Party and trade unionists in Magdeburg established the Reichsbanner. However the proportion of Social Democrats in the membership clearly outweighed all others, with estimates of up to 90 per cent.
Reichsbanner was a veterans' federation, in which former soldiers of the First World War enlisted their military experience in the service of the republic. It thus saw its main task as the defense of the Weimar Republic against enemies from the National Socialist, monarchist and Communist camps. Social Democratic politician Otto Hörsing
designated Reichsbanner in 1931 as a 'non-partisan protection organization of the Republic and democracy in the fight against the swastika and the Soviet star'. Members saw themselves as guardians of the inheritance of Germany's democratic tradition, going back to the Revolutions of 1848 and of the constitutional national colors; black, red and gold.
The political organization was headed by the Federal Administration comprising a 1st and 2nd chairman, three deputies, the federal treasurer, federal cashier, secretary, technical manager, federal youth leader, the sitting representatives and 15 assessors. The Federal Chairman was from 3 June 1932 Otto Hörsing. His deputy and later successor was Karl Höltermann. Beneath the federal level, Germany was divided up into gaus, circles, districts and finally local associations. The executive committees of all organizational levels were elected from the membership of the all republican parties in concert.
Parallel to it, the operational organization was modeled as a military structure. The smallest unit was the group, with a group leader and eight men. Two to five groups formed a platoon (Zug), two to three courses formed a Kameradschaft, which corresponded to a company of the army, between two and five of which constituted a department (Abteilung) with two to five departments making up a district. At least two districts formed a circle. At Gau and federal level operational and political level structures overlapped so that The Federal Chairman was at the same time also Federal Commander, while each of the 32 Gau chairmen was also Gauführer. The command personnel of the operational organisation were also recognized by badges of rank. The Federal Commander, for example, wore on his lower sleeve the federal eagle (black on a red field, with golden circular border) and two black-red-golden stripes over all.
According to the organization's own records, membership in 1932 was put at three million.
On 16 December 1931, there was formed from Reichsbanner, the Worker's Gymnastic and Sporting Federation (ATSB), the General German Trade Union Federation (ADGB) and the Social Democratic Party the Iron Front
, within which armed defensive operations were the responsibility of Reichsbanner and which became increasingly important in view of ever more intensifying acts of violence by members of the Nazi SA and the Communist Red Front (RFB).
The last federal general assembly of the Reichsbanner met on 17-18 February 1933 in Berlin. In March Reichsbanner and the Iron Front were banned throughout the Reich. The membership of both organizations were systematically hunted down for deportation to concentration camps and partially exterminated.
Following the banning of the Reichsbanner, some members joined the Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
, which lead to an incident where a mass signup in Braunschweig was raided by the Nazis, who called it the Stahlhelm Putsch.
and Karl Heinrich in Berlin and around Walter Schmedemann in Hamburg as well as the Socialist Front in Hanover.
Reich
Reich is a German word cognate with the English rich, but also used to designate an empire, realm, or nation. The qualitative connotation from the German is " sovereign state." It is the word traditionally used for a variety of sovereign entities, including Germany in many periods of its history...
") was a Social Democratic paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
force formed during the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
in 1924.
The Reichsbanner was set up as a multiparty organization, recruiting men who were strong supporters of the Republic. The headquarters of the Reichsbanner was located in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, but had branches elswehere. The Reichsbanner became affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD), and its primary goal was to defend against internal subversion, teach the population to respect the new Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, honor its flag
Flag of Germany
The flag of Germany is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands displaying the national colours of Germany: black, red, and gold....
and the constitution
Weimar constitution
The Constitution of the German Reich , usually known as the Weimar Constitution was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic...
.
Establishment and Objectives
Right wing and nationalist armed groups, like the StahlhelmStahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
The Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten also known in short form as Der Stahlhelm was one of the many paramilitary organizations that arose after the defeat of World War I in the Weimar Republic...
or the SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, as well as the left-wing Communist Red Front Fighters
Rotfrontkämpferbund
Rotfrontkämpferbund was a paramilitary organization of the Communist Party of Germany created on 18 July 1924 during the Weimar Republic. Its first leader was Ernst Thälmann...
had continued to radicalize and intensify the political struggle in Germany. The Reichsbanner was initially formed in reaction to the far right's "Beer Hall" Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
and far left's Hamburg rebellion, both failed coups, which had taken place at the end of 1923. On 22 February 1924 members of the SPD
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, the German Centre Party
Centre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
, the German Democratic Party and trade unionists in Magdeburg established the Reichsbanner. However the proportion of Social Democrats in the membership clearly outweighed all others, with estimates of up to 90 per cent.
Reichsbanner was a veterans' federation, in which former soldiers of the First World War enlisted their military experience in the service of the republic. It thus saw its main task as the defense of the Weimar Republic against enemies from the National Socialist, monarchist and Communist camps. Social Democratic politician Otto Hörsing
Otto Hörsing
Friedrich Otto Hörsing was a German social democratic politician.- Biography :Hörsing was born in Groß Schilleningken near Memel, East Prussia and was trained to work as a blacksmith in his youth...
designated Reichsbanner in 1931 as a 'non-partisan protection organization of the Republic and democracy in the fight against the swastika and the Soviet star'. Members saw themselves as guardians of the inheritance of Germany's democratic tradition, going back to the Revolutions of 1848 and of the constitutional national colors; black, red and gold.
Structure and Organisation
In the Reichsbanner, two organizational structures existed in parallel: the political as a registered political association and the operational as a fighting force.The political organization was headed by the Federal Administration comprising a 1st and 2nd chairman, three deputies, the federal treasurer, federal cashier, secretary, technical manager, federal youth leader, the sitting representatives and 15 assessors. The Federal Chairman was from 3 June 1932 Otto Hörsing. His deputy and later successor was Karl Höltermann. Beneath the federal level, Germany was divided up into gaus, circles, districts and finally local associations. The executive committees of all organizational levels were elected from the membership of the all republican parties in concert.
Parallel to it, the operational organization was modeled as a military structure. The smallest unit was the group, with a group leader and eight men. Two to five groups formed a platoon (Zug), two to three courses formed a Kameradschaft, which corresponded to a company of the army, between two and five of which constituted a department (Abteilung) with two to five departments making up a district. At least two districts formed a circle. At Gau and federal level operational and political level structures overlapped so that The Federal Chairman was at the same time also Federal Commander, while each of the 32 Gau chairmen was also Gauführer. The command personnel of the operational organisation were also recognized by badges of rank. The Federal Commander, for example, wore on his lower sleeve the federal eagle (black on a red field, with golden circular border) and two black-red-golden stripes over all.
According to the organization's own records, membership in 1932 was put at three million.
Fight for the Republic 1930-1933
Following substantial Nazi electoral successes in 1930, the Reichsbanner in September sought to strengthen itself against intensified street violence by SA units with a restructuring of the operational organization. Active members were divided into master formations (Stafo) and the elite units into protection formations (Schufo). In addition there were the "Young Banners". To the Schufos in Spring 1931 250,000 men belonged; up to February 1933, 47 members of the organisation fell in the "fight for democracy".On 16 December 1931, there was formed from Reichsbanner, the Worker's Gymnastic and Sporting Federation (ATSB), the General German Trade Union Federation (ADGB) and the Social Democratic Party the Iron Front
Iron Front
The Iron Front was an anti-Nazi, anti-monarchist, and anti-Stalinist paramilitary organization formed in Germany on 16 December 1931 by the Social Democratic Party with the Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, the Reichsbanner and workers' sport clubs originally to counter the right-wing...
, within which armed defensive operations were the responsibility of Reichsbanner and which became increasingly important in view of ever more intensifying acts of violence by members of the Nazi SA and the Communist Red Front (RFB).
The last federal general assembly of the Reichsbanner met on 17-18 February 1933 in Berlin. In March Reichsbanner and the Iron Front were banned throughout the Reich. The membership of both organizations were systematically hunted down for deportation to concentration camps and partially exterminated.
Following the banning of the Reichsbanner, some members joined the Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
The Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten also known in short form as Der Stahlhelm was one of the many paramilitary organizations that arose after the defeat of World War I in the Weimar Republic...
, which lead to an incident where a mass signup in Braunschweig was raided by the Nazis, who called it the Stahlhelm Putsch.
Reichsbanner Members in the Resistance
In the now illegal underground organisations, the organisation's membership, in particular the former Schufos represented an important component in the Social Democratic resistance to the Nazi regime, for example the groups centred around Theodor HaubachTheodor Haubach
Theodor Haubach was a German journalist, SPD politician, and resistance fighter against the Nazi régime....
and Karl Heinrich in Berlin and around Walter Schmedemann in Hamburg as well as the Socialist Front in Hanover.
Reichsbanner Members Today
Reichsbanner was re-formed in 1953 as the Federation of Active Democrats, a registered association with approximately 1000 members today. Over 500 pupils from all over the Federal Republic take part in political-historical seminars run by the organisation in Berlin. The exhibition "For a Strong Republic! - Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 1924-1933" has been shown at military bases of the German Federal Armed Forces, in schools, city halls and regional government buildings. Likewise panel discussions with contemporary witnesses and regional politicians are an important component of the today's educational formation of the Federation. The goal of the Federation is through non-party educational work and understanding how dictatorship shaped 20th Century German history, to ensure young people realise the value of civic rights and obligations. The organization commits itself to the protection of a liberal and democratic constitutional structure and demands from its members an active, critical and democratic consciousness as well as the readiness to protect basic and human educational work and contributions for the history of the federation, interviews with high-ranking politicians.See also
- Weimar paramilitary groupsWeimar paramilitary groupsParamilitary groups were formed throughout the Weimar Republic in the wake of Germany's defeat in World War I and the ensuing German Revolution. Some were created by political parties to help in recruiting, discipline and in preparation for seizing power. Some were created before World War I....
- RotfrontkämpferbundRotfrontkämpferbundRotfrontkämpferbund was a paramilitary organization of the Communist Party of Germany created on 18 July 1924 during the Weimar Republic. Its first leader was Ernst Thälmann...
, Paramilitary organization of the Communist Party of GermanyCommunist Party of GermanyThe 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...
- Rotfrontkämpferbund
- Republikanischer SchutzbundRepublikanischer SchutzbundThe Republikanischer Schutzbund was a paramilitary organization established in 1923 by the Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei Österreichs to secure power in the face of rising political radicalization after World War I....
, paramilitary organization of the Austrian Social-democrats - Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...