Preußischer Landtag

Preußischer Landtag or Prussian Landtag was the Landtag (state diet) of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was implemented in 1849 after the dissolution of the Prussian National Assembly, building on the tradition of the Prussian estates that had existed from the 14th century in various forms and states in Teutonic Prussia, Royal and Ducal Prussia.

Contents

History

In the course of the 1848 Revolution King Frederick William IV of Prussia and his Minister Gottfried Ludolf Camphausen had agreed to call for the general election of a national assembly in all Prussian provinces. The assembly however was dismissed by royal decree of 5 December 1848 and the king had the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia adopted. The constitution, though reactionary, at least provided a bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of Lords, as well as a second House of Representatives (Abgeordnetenhaus), who were elected according to the notorious three-class franchise.

Nevertheless the Abgeordnetenhaus led by the liberal German Progress Party gradually developed to a serious political actor, culminating about 1861 in a constitutional conflict: The new King William I and his war minister Albrecht von Roon requested the approval for an increment of the military budget, which the deputies refused. Roon urged the king to appoint Otto von Bismarck Prime Minister, who - "not by speeches and votes of the majority are the great questions of the time decided (...) but by iron and blood" - openly sidestepped any power of the purse of the Prussian representatives.

After World War I the Preußischer Landtag was re-established as the parliament of the Free State of Prussia in 1921.

Building

In 1899, the Prussian Landtag moved into a building on Prinz-Albrecht-Straße No. 5 (present-day Niederkirchnerstraße), close to Potsdamer Platz situated opposite to the Martin Gropius Bau. During the German Revolution of 1918–19 the national Workers' and Soldiers' Council held its assemblies here, and on 1 January 1919 the Communist Party of Germany was founded.

Since 1993 the building is the seat of the Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin, and similar to the Reichstag, colloquially still named Preußischer Landtag.

President of the Preußische Landesversammlung

Name Period Party
Robert Leinert 1919 - 1921 SPD

Presidents of the Landtag

Name Period Party
Robert Leinert 1921–1924 SPD
Friedrich Bartels 1924–1928 SPD
Friedrich Bartels 1928–1931 SPD
Ernst Wittmaack 1931–1932 SPD
Hans Kerrl 1932–1933 NSDAP

See also

Literature

External links