Harzburg Front
The Harzburg Front was an alliance of anti-democratic nationalists against the second Brüning cabinet. The alliance between the NSDAP, DNVP, Stahlhelm, Bund der front-line soldiers, National Rural League and the Pan-German League occurred only at a meeting in appearance, which took place in Bad Harzburg on 11 October 1931. The venue was chosen because the Nazi Party was involved in the government of the country Brunswick and interference by communists who were strong, especially in the large cities, were not to be feared. After initial tensions were already being felt even in Harzburg, the groups involved fought back a short time later and joined the presidential election in March 1932 with various candidates.
Participant
On the initiative of Alfred Hugenberg, since 1928, Chairman of the German National People's Party, met on 11 October 1931 in Bad Harzburg the "National Opposition" to a major event to demonstrate their unity in the fight against the Weimar Republic. In addition to the NSDAP, the Stahlhelm, Bund soldiers at the front and the Pan-German League, with which the DNVP had already initiated two years earlier together the failed referendum against the Young Plan, and the agricultural Empire Rural League and some right-wing conservative personalities were involved. Among them were the son of the former Emperor Augustus William of Prussia and the former Reichswehr General Hans von Seeckt. Great deal of interest the participation of the former Reichsbank President Hjalmar Schacht. From heavy industrial side only Ernst Brandi came to Harzburg. The participation of other heavy industrialist Paul Reusch and Fritz had Springorum Chancellor Heinrich Brüning frustrated with the threat that otherwise embarrassing details about the behavior of big business and the big banks in the banking crisis would be published.
Expiration
Surrounded by marches of their paramilitary organizations, stressed the leader of the extreme right, their joint intention to overthrow the presidential cabinet of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning and demanded an annulment of his emergency decrees and a new election of the Reichstag. Only with difficulty could be maintained but outwardly the impression of a single united front. In a striking manner demonstrated most notably Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels distance to the other participants and little willingness to cooperate. At lunch the meeting celebrities Hitler did not participate. After the march past of the Nazi Sturmabteilung (SA), he left demonstratively stand, without waiting for the parade of the steel helmet. Hitler made his will clearly not be subordinated in right of a broad front, and pointed with provocative disdain towards his unconditional claim to leadership of the right-wing camp. The independence of the National Socialist movement, he demonstrated a week later in Braunschweig in which 100,000 participants largest ever deployment of the National Socialists.
Reactions
As a countermeasure to the Harzburg Front founded republic loyal parties and organizations such as the Social Democratic Party of Germany, the General German Trade Union Federation and the Empire banner black-red- gold on December 16, 1931, the Iron Front. Because the votes of the SPD failed on 16 November, the vote of no confidence of the Harzburg Front in the Reichstag against Chancellor Brüning, which the DVP and the KPD had joined. A few weeks after the meeting, the Company was incorporated for the Study of Fascism, in working together representatives of the DNVP, NSDAP, the steel helmet and the National Rural League.
Reminder on site
In the foyer of Bad Harzburg's spa industry since February 2009, the exhibition reminds Harzburg Front - In lockstep to the dictatorship critical to the historical events in 1931.