Reich Party of the German Middle Class

The Reich Party of the German middle class (business party, even WP), the designated between 1920 and 1925 as the Economic Party of the German middle class, was a German party at the time of the Weimar Republic.

Foundation and History of the Party

Emerged the party is from medium interest lists that won since 1920 in the Berlin area political success at the expense mainly of the German Democratic Party ( DDP). Here, the master baker Hermann Drewitz gained some notoriety. Reservoir of interest lists in September 1920, the Reich Party of the German middle class ( Economic Party ) until 1925 currently Economic Party of the German middle class, was founded in Charlottenburg by representatives of various medium-sized organizations from Berlin, Brandenburg, Silesia, Mecklenburg and Pomerania. Important celebrities was the political and financial cooperation with the Central Association of German property owner associations since the Prussian Landtag election of 1921. Johann Viktor Bredt as members as candidates on the WP list. This allowed four mandates are won. The WP was limited to the representation of the interests of home and landowners, artisans and small businessmen and showed himself as a pure interest party which is to be settled in the middle- right spectrum.

After 1924 prominent craftsmen officials such as Otto Colossians and Jacob Ludwig Mollath from the Confederation of Crafts had come to the board, the politically influential phase of the WP followed. She came to election victories in Saxony, Thuringia and Mecklenburg -Schwerin; in Saxony and Thuringia, she was involved in state government (see Walter Woldemar Wilhelm ). In 1928 she benefited from losses of the DNVP and was almost as strong as the DDP. 1930 lost the party, whilst percentage, but was able to keep the number of seats. She supported the government Heinrich Brüning in which it was represented by the Minister of Justice Johann Viktor Bredt, but the end of 1930 she left against the will Bredts from the government because they did not want to endorse Bruning consolidation program and much of the base closer to the " national opposition " demanded. Then broke out in the WP from an internal power struggle and direction. This resulted in splits and defections of prominent politicians such as WP- Otto Colossians to other parties. After the Reichstag Brüning rescued in October 1931 before the fall, many members and supporters left the party and switched to the NSDAP.

1932 supported the WP Paul von Hindenburg in the election for the President and Chancellor Brüning tolerated - in spite of all internal voltages and the devastating defeat in the Prussian election in April 1932, which started without a mandate profit. At the general election of July 1932 she entered into a list associated with the BVP, which despite huge losses of two of the party so far rescued 23 mandates. In November only came Johann Viktor Bredt through the list associated with the BVP in the Reichstag. At the general election in March 1933, they no longer came on; in the Prussian Landtag election, the WP won under the name " Prussian middle class and savers " and based on an alliance with the Centre Party, nor a mandate. In April 1933, the WP- organization broke up, especially since many national associations towards the course of the party leadership does not mittrugen, and had the vote for the NSDAP or DNVP. Many party leaders, including Mollath, joined the NSDAP.

Party chairman

Vice-Chair

Secretaries General

Members

Approximately 50,000-60,000

Reichstag election results

Regional and chronologically different names

  • Anhalt - 1924-1928 Volksgemeinschaft ( DNVP, Land League, AHG, WP, DVP, German Farmers' Association )
  • Baden - Economic and Peasant Party ( WBP ), 1921 Economic Association, 1925 Economic Association of Baden middle class
  • Brunswick - 1930-1933 Civic Unity List from the center, DVP, DNVP, HuG and Economic Party
  • Bremen - Reich Party of the German middle class
  • Hamburg - Hamburg 1919-1921 Economic Party, here also the members of the electoral list " landowner ", 1921-1924 within the Group of the DVP, 1928-1931 middle-class party, 1931-1932 with Reich Party of the German middle class
  • Lip - Reich Party of the German middle class (business party )
  • Mecklenburg -Schwerin - 1919-1920 middle-class party, 1920-1921 Economic Federation, 1924-1926 Wirtschaftsbund for town and country, 1926-1927 Economic Party of Mecklenburg middle class ( National Association of the Reich Party of the German middle class ), 1929-1932 Economic Party of Mecklenburg middle class / ANM
  • Prussia - 1921-1928 Economic Party of the German middle class, 1928-1932 Reich Party of the German middle class
  • Saxony - Reich Party of the German middle class (business party )
  • Schaumburg -Lippe - Economic Party of the German middle class
  • Thuringia - Reich Party of the German middle class (business party )
German federal election, July 1932 Bavarian People's Party Centre Party (Germany)
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