Reichsrat (Germany)

The Imperial Parliament was the representation of the member states ( Bundesrat ) in the Weimar Republic (1919-1933 ). According to Article 60 of the Weimar Constitution, he was the organ " to represent the country in the legislation and administration" on imperial level. He took the place of the Federal Council in the German Empire.

Composition

The Imperial Council was composed of representatives of the German states. They were sent by the state governments and had an imperative mandate. Only in Prussia half of Reichsratmitglieder were not determined by the state government, but by the provincial administration. The number of representatives of a country depended on its population: Each country had at least one vote and are entitled to one member. In larger states accounted for each 700,000 inhabitants a voice ( previously to 1 million inhabitants, changed by an imperial law in 1921 ), a residue of at least 350,000 inhabitants (previously 500,000 ) was equal to expected 700,000. But no state was allowed to combine more than two-fifths (40 %) of all votes or members themselves. The members were appointed by the state governments, in Prussia had on July 14, will be provided by the provincial government in 1921 13 of them.

The distribution of votes in the Imperial Council was as follows:

1 Thuringia 1919 are horrifying for Thuringia seats were distributed among the Thuringian countries as follows: one seat each for the countries Reuss, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen, Saxe-Weimar- Eisenach, Schwarzburg- Rudolstadt and Black -Sonderhausen. 2 On April 1, 1929, the Free State of Waldeck united with Prussia, his voice was so gone.

Organization

The Imperial Council entered as before the Federal Council in a together by Paul Wallot specially dedicated room of the Reichstag Building.

Although the Imperial Council was the second legislative body on imperial level next to the Reichstag, was responsible for his convening of the national government. Also, the chair of the Imperial Council had each held a member of the imperial government. The Imperial Council was divided into specialized committees within which the members were equal in their votes. Within the Imperial Council was allowed to each member and members of the imperial government submit proposals. About this was decided by a simple (relative ) majority.

Rights

The Imperial Parliament had the right to

• Take lessons from the Reich Government on current affairs,
• To veto laws passed by the Reichstag, which could be overcome, however, by a two -thirds majority of the Reichstag and
• In case of a Constitutional amendment adopted by the Reichstag to bring about a referendum.

Unlike, for example, the Federal Council after 1949 the Imperial Parliament could not introduce their own bills.

Special

Prussia was allowed to make only forty percent of the members of the Imperial Council, although its population alone would have justified a vote share of over sixty percent. An additional weakening of the still strong Prussian position was forcibly composition of the Prussian Empire Council members: half was sent not by the state government, but from the Prussian provinces. In this way an excessive action of the State Government should be prevented and at the same time reaches a certain fairness to the smaller, weaker states to vote.

Instead of the Prussian Prime Minister (if the Chancellor is also the Chairman of the Federal Council ) or the Emperor, it was now the Imperial Government, which had a direct influence on the Imperial Council. Due to the obvious influence of the national government in the legal representation of countries is commonly known as the Weimar sham federalism.

Assessment

Overall, had the Imperial Council over its predecessor, the Bundesrat, massively diminished. Although he had a say and veto in the legislative process, the Reichstag could overrule any decision of the majority with verfassungsändernder Imperial Council and was thus clearly the stronger of the two parliamentary bodies. The Presidency by the Reich government suppressed the Imperial Parliament also in his sovereignty, as it neither self- convened (unless one-third of the members of the opposite of the Reich government demanded ) could still conduct themselves. Thus, one can not call the Imperial Council as a purely legislative body, since the powers of the executive and legislative branches converged in him.

In principle, the Imperial Parliament met primarily a representative function, since it is opposed to the kingdom represented the interests of the German states and thus continued the tradition of federalism in Germany. One can say that this organization was necessary because some of the countries (especially Bavaria ) in the Weimar Republic showed separatist tendencies and the Imperial Council gave them the feeling of having a representation of interests of the Reich Government. Thus, the Imperial Council helped with the integration of German federalism to democracy.

Whereabouts of the Imperial Council after the downfall of the Republic

When the Nazi Reich Government of March 31, 1933 abolished the sovereignty of countries by the Provisional Act for coordination of the countries with the Empire, the Imperial Council was meaningless. The Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich on 30 January 1934, the state legislatures were abolished. The Imperial Parliament was formally dissolved on 14 February 1934. In the central government organized the "Third Reich " there was no place for a country chamber.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal Council takes over the function of representation of countries.