Republic of Baden

Infobox Former Subdivision
native_name = "Republik Baden"
conventional_long_name = Republic of Baden
common_name = Baden|
continent = Europe
region = Western Europe
country = Germany
era = Interwar period
subdivision = State
nation = Germany
status_text=
government_type = Republic
year_start = 1918
year_end = 1945
event_start =
date_start = 14 November 1918
event_end = Abolition ("de jure")
date_end =
event1 = Constitution enacted
date_event1 = 13 April 1919
event2 = Abolition ("de facto")
date_event2 = 11 March 1933
p1 = Grand Duchy of Baden
flag_p1 = Flagge Großherzogtum Baden (1891-1918).svg
s1 = Württemberg-Baden
flag_s1 = Flag of Germany (2-3).svg
s2 = South Baden
flag_s2 = Flagge Großherzogtum Baden (1891-1918).svg

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image_map_caption = Location of Baden (red) within the Weimar Republic
capital = Karlsruhe
latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW=
national_motto =
national_anthem = Badnerlied
leader1 = Anton Geiß (first)
leader2 = Walter Köhler (last)
year_leader1 = 1918-1920
year_leader2 = 1933-1945
title_leader = President
deputy1 = Robert Wagner
year_deputy1 = 1933-1945
title_deputy = Reichsstatthalter
legislature = Landtag
stat_year1 = 1925 [cite book
title = Beckmanns Welt-Lexikon und Welt-Atlas
publisher = Verlagsanstalt Otto Beckmann
date =1931
location = Leipzig / Vienna]
stat_area1 = 15070
stat_pop1 = 2312462
footnotes = The Republic of Baden ( _de. Republik Baden) was a state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic, formed after the abolition of the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1918. It is now part of the modern German state of Baden-Württemberg.

History

The Revolution in Baden

With revolution threatening the German Empire in the dying days of World War I, the state ministry of the Grand Duchy of Baden passed an electoral reform on 2 November 1918 in a final attempt to preserve the monarchy there. On 8 November, workers' and soldiers' councils were established in Lahr and Offenburg. On the following day, similar councils were established in Mannheim and Karlsruhe and the entire Badische state ministry stepped down.

On 10 November, a provisional government was formed in Karlsruhe and an assembly of the various revolutionary councils was held on the following day. On 13 November, Grand Duke Frederick II, relinquished all governing duties and eventually abdicated on 22 November, almost two weeks after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The provisional government declared the establishment of the "freie Volksrepublik Baden" (Free Peoples' Republic of Baden) on 14 November 1918, and set 5 January 1919 as the date for new elections.

The New Republic

A national assembly was created on January 12 1919, with the Christian democratic Centre Party emerging as the strongest party ahead of the centre-left SPD. Together, these two parties received 91.5% of all votes. On April 1, the Badische parliament ("Landtag") formed a government from members of the Weimar Coalition. Until 1933, Baden was mostly governed by the Centre Party.

On 21 March 1919, the "Landtag" unanimously passed a new constitution.cite web |url=http://verfassungen.de/de/bw/baden/baden19-index.htm |title=Constitution of the Republic of Baden |work=Verfassungen der Welt |language=German |accessdate=2007-05-04] . A popular vote approved of the constitution on 13 April. This popular vote was the first in German history and the Baden constitution was the only one passed by popular vote in Germany during the Weimar period. [cite web |url=http://www.gonschior.de/weimar/Baden/Uebersicht_Jahre.html |title=Baden: Ereignisse 1918-1933 |work=Wahlen in der Weimarer Republik |accessdate=2007-04-26 |language=German]

Baden During Nazi Rule

Baden, like all other German states, was subject to the process of "Gleichschaltung" in 1933, which effectively abolished all states - in practice, if not in law. The elected president of Baden was replaced with the Nazi-appointed Walter Köhler, although administrative power in the region truly rested with Robert Heinrich Wagner, the "Gauleiter" of Baden and "Reichsstatthalter" for Alsace-Lorraine.

Post-War Baden

Through the Allied occupation of post-war Germany, Baden was divided between the American and French occupation zones. The division was made so that the Autobahn connecting Karlsruhe and Munich (today the A8) was completely contained within the American zone. This northern American-administered area became part of Württemberg-Baden on 19 September 1945 [cite web |url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/bw/proklamation2-45.htm |title=Allied Control Council Proclamation No.2 |date=1945-09-19 |language=German] while the southern half (known as South Baden, or simply Baden) was placed under French administration.

These two parts of Baden were reuinited and merged with the former state of Württemberg on 23 April 1952 as the new German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Administration

Baden was subdivided into four administrative districts ("Landeskommissärbezirke", similar to the modern "Regierungsbezirke"): based in Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Freiburg and Konstanz. These districts were further divided into a total of 53 "Amtsbezirke" (in 1924, this number was reduced to 40). These were divided again into a total of 1,536 municipalities. [cite web |url=http://www.gonschior.de/weimar/Baden/index.htm |title=Der Freistaat Baden im Überblick |work=Wahlen in der Weimarer Republik |accessdate=2007-04-26 |language=German]

Leaders of the Republic of Baden

Following the constitution, passed in 1921, the President of Baden was an elected from the standing members of the Baden Landtag for a 1-year term. After "Gleichschaltung", Baden was governed by appointed Nazi officials.

References