Free state (government)
Free State is that arose in the 19th century German term for a monarch ruled by none, free state, ie for a republic. In the Weimar Republic was the concept of the Free State - in addition to people's state - the official name of most of the German territorial states. It is now the official name for the countries of Bavaria (since 1945), Saxony (since 1992) and Thuringia ( since 1993 ) and was used from 1945 to 1952 for the state of Baden.
Prehistory
In the Middle Ages there was the designation stands for free, or imperial cities Hanseatic cities. This was for the granting of certain rights, freedom or control of their own jurisdiction.
In modern times, the word Free State is used in the sense of the Republic, namely, as the translation of the Latin name for the Roman Republic ( libera res publica / free state, while res publica often only generally as " State " means ). In the 18th century the name Free State is an established language purists German synonym for Republic (Latin res publica, French république ). It denotes a state in which the state authority emanates from the people and in particular - as opposed to the monarchy - the head of state elected directly or indirectly by the people.
As a synonym for the word Republic also uses the Weimar Constitution (1919 ) when she states in Article 17: "Every country must have a free state constitution." The Free State is now usually organized as a parliamentary democracy; the term has been used but, for example, of the Bavarian Soviet Republic.
German Free States after 1918
At the end of the First World War, on the night of 7th to 8th November 1918, the socialist Kurt Eisner in Munich called from the Free State of Bavaria and has little later determined by the workers 'and soldiers' councils as prime minister. After the proclamation of the Republic in Germany on November 9, 1918 in Berlin attended by Bavaria, many of the new German republics - in accordance with Article 17 of the Weimar Constitution: "Every country must have a free state constitution " - the term free state as the official name for the Republic: Prussia, Saxony, Brunswick, Anhalt, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg -Schwerin, Mecklenburg -Strelitz, Waldeck, Lippe, Schaumburg -Lippe and Thuringia small states with the exception of Reuss. Other German constituent states described themselves as a republic or people's state, such as the "free" People's State of Württemberg. 1919, the establishment of a North-West German Republic was considered, which should consist of ten socialist republics. 1920 joined the Free State of Bavaria in Coburg. Various Thuringian States went to the newly established state of Thuringia, which ( at the time) did not use the name of the Free State. 1929 Waldeck joined to Prussia, the National Socialists united in 1934, the two Mecklenburg States forcibly to the country Mecklenburg.
After the Second World War, the Prussian state was formally dissolved by the Control Council Law No. 46 of 25 February 1947. Braunschweig, Oldenburg and Schaumburg -Lippe in 1946 part of Lower Saxony newly formed lip came in 1947 with North Rhine -Westphalia, Anhalt 1945/1947 to Saxony- Anhalt. Once dissolved in 1952 Saxony together with the other countries of the German Democratic Republic in fact and in the districts of Dresden, Chemnitz (Karl -Marx-Stadt later) and Leipzig was divided, remained of all the countries that had called free States alone Bayern left. Only on the Day of German Unity, the Free State of Saxony was born again, and about three years later decided the state government of Thuringia, introduce the name of their country for the first time.
The situation today
Also in the structure of the Federal Republic of Germany with its federal system, the term free state has no substantial legal significance, since all states of the Federal Republic have the same constitutional position. Consequently, there are for the states, which they - such as the Free State of Bavaria mainly for historical reasons - use, also no special status. The existence of regional party, the CSU (instead of an association of the CDU ) does not create any exception to federalism, but is available only in the tradition that the political Catholicism in Bavaria was organized from the beginning of the party formation on its own (instead of center in the Empire Bavarian Patriot Party and the Bavarian people's Party in the Weimar Republic ).
Comparable numbers with historical background leading the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. In the case of Bremen, the term is also suitable to distinguish the state of Bremen, which also includes the city of Bremerhaven from the city of Bremen. Free State and Free City differ in their historical background.