Imperial Germans
German Empire was the contemporary, colloquial name of the German inhabitants of the German Empire from 1871 to 1945.
This term came with the unification in 1871 ( " small German solution " ) in use, as the majority of the German princely states, which comprised about two-thirds of the (then) German language area, had joined forces. The interests of its residents were circumscribed rich German also with the word, parallel to the continuing validity of state designation as Prussia, Bavaria, etc. The remained living in the kingdom of German Citizens of the individual members of the League, such as the kingdoms and principalities. Only in 1913 a common kingdom and Nationality Law in the German Empire was created. This was 1935-1945 overlaid by the concept of the Reich citizen, which, however, as a National Socialist injustice category ( he served mainly the preparation and execution of the genocide of the Jews ) was eliminated again in 1945.
The term " kingdom German " was particularly used by the German-speaking population, the states occupied by the Reich in 1871 outside of the realm (for example, the Saar from 1920 to 1935 ) in order to distinguish between the Germans inside and outside the kingdom. During National Socialism, the abbreviation RD was used.
After creation of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and the Constitution of the German Democratic Republic, it took nature for some time and the next generations until " Empire German ", " Reich citizens " and overall the old names were replaced by other items in the common parlance of the Germans. These were mainly marked by the names of the newly formed states, that is, the reorganization of Germany, 1949 The people of the Federal Republic of Germany were to " federal citizens " or " German citizens ". ; the inhabitants of the GDR " East German citizens ".
More recently, the term is also used as an ironic collective name for querulierende input writers who existed no legal effect with the assertion that founded on German territory after World War II countries and the Federal Republic of Germany and their respective subdivisions, mostly private concerns, especially in the license and Ordnungswidrigkeitenrecht pursue; they do not recognize authorities and court decisions and also produce, " authorized " by " Reich Law Firms" or similar. , the right-hand traffic exhilarating to disabling "official documents " (cf. Reich Citizens' Movement ).