Weimar Constitution
The Constitution of the German Reich (German: Die Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs), usually known as the Weimar Constitution (Weimarer Verfassung), was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era (1919–1933). The constitution declared Germany to be a democratic parliamentary republic with a legislature elected under proportional representation. Universal suffrage was established, with a minimum voting age of 20. The constitution technically remained in effect throughout the Nazi era from 1933 to 1945 as well as during the Allied occupation of Germany from 1945 to 1949, though practically it had been repealed by the Enabling Act of 1933 and thus its various provisions and protections went unenforced for the duration of Nazi rule, and after World War II, the power of the Allied Control Council and four occupying powers once again stood above the provisions of the constitution.
| Constitution of the German Reich | |
|---|---|
The Weimar Constitution in booklet form. Article 148 of the Constitution required that each school student receive a copy of the Constitution at the time of their graduation. | |
| Overview | |
| Original title | Die Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs |
| Jurisdiction | Weimar Republic (1919–1933) Nazi Germany (1933–1945, de jure only) Allied-occupied Germany (1945–1949, de jure only) |
| Ratified | 11 August 1919 |
| Date effective | 14 August 1919 |
| System | Federal semi-presidential republic (1919–1930) de jure till 1945 Federal authoritarian presidential republic under a Parliamentary System (1930–1933) Unitary Nazi one-party fascist totalitarian dictatorship (1933–1945) de facto |
| Head of state | President (1919–1934) Führer (1934–1945) |
| Chambers | Upper house: Reichsrat (until 1934) Lower house: Reichstag |
| Executive | Chancellor |
| Judiciary | Reichsgericht |
| Federalism | Yes (disregarded in 1933) |
| Repealed | West Germany: 23 May 1949 (except Articles Nos. 136–139 and 141) East Germany: 7 October 1949 |
| Supersedes | Constitution of the German Empire |
| Full text | |
| Weimar constitution at Wikisource | |
| Die Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs at German Wikisource | |
The constitution's title was the same as the Constitution of the German Empire that preceded it. The German state's official name was German Reich (German: Deutsches Reich) until the adoption of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany and the Constitution of the German Democratic Republic in 1949.