German Social Democratic Party of Poland

German Social Democratic Party of Poland
Leader Johann Kowoll
Founded March 22, 1922
Newspaper Kattowitzer Volkswille
Ideology Socialism

German Social Democratic Party (German: Deutsche Sozialdemokratische Partei, DSDP) was a political party in Poland, founded on March 26, 1922.[1]

Foundation

The party emerged from a fusion of the Oberschlesien (Upper Silesia) organizations of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) and the Teschener-Schlesien organization of the Social Democratic Workers Party of Austria (SDAPÖ). These were German and Austrian Social Democratic party branches in areas transferred to Poland after the Silesian Uprisings.[1] The founding meeting took place in Bielsko. Johann Kowoll was appointed chairman of the DSDP. The party, although geographically limited to Upper Silesia, intended to organize German workers throughout the Polish republic.[2]

The newspaper Kattowitzer Volkswille ('Kattowitz (Katowice) People's Will'), the erstwhile organ of the SPD in Upper Silesia, became the organ of DSDP.[3]

1922 elections

On August 21, 1922, DSPP formed an electoral bloc together with the Independent Socialist Labour Party (NSPP). In the September 24, 1922, election to the Silesian Sejm the bloc contested under the name Deutsche Sozialdemokratische Partei. The candidature won two out of 48 seats, to be held by Johann Kowoll and Karl Buchwald. Ahead of the November 5, 1922 Polish Sejm election, the electoral bloc fell apart. The NSPP leader, Bolesław Drobner, decided to withdrew their candidate lists and break the agreement with DSPP in protest of Kowoll and Buchwald joining the 'German Club' in the Silesian Sejm.[4]

Mergers

Sometime around the end of 1923/early 1924 the SPD organization in West Prussia merged into the party. After this merger, the name German Social Democratic Party of Poland (Deutsche Sozialdemokratische Partei Polens, abbreviated DSPP) was adopted.[1]

The DSPP held its second party congress December 7–8, 1924.[5]

On August 9, 1925 DSPP merged with the Łódź-based German Labour Party (DAP), forming the German Socialist Labour Party in Poland (DSAP). The merger was however only nominal, in reality DSPP and DAP continued to exist as separate parties until October 1929. On October 6–7, 1929, DSAP became a unitary political party.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Blachetta-Madajczyk, Petra. Klassenkampf oder Nation?: deutsche Sozialdemokratie in Polen 1918–1939. Schriften des Bundesarchivs, 49. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1997. p. 291
  2. ↑ Blachetta-Madajczyk, Petra. Klassenkampf oder Nation?: deutsche Sozialdemokratie in Polen 1918–1939. Schriften des Bundesarchivs, 49. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1997. pp. 42–43
  3. ↑ Blachetta-Madajczyk, Petra. Klassenkampf oder Nation?: deutsche Sozialdemokratie in Polen 1918–1939. Schriften des Bundesarchivs, 49. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1997. p. 39
  4. ↑ Blachetta-Madajczyk, Petra. Klassenkampf oder Nation?: deutsche Sozialdemokratie in Polen 1918–1939. Schriften des Bundesarchivs, 49. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1997. p. 145
  5. ↑ Blachetta-Madajczyk, Petra. Klassenkampf oder Nation?: deutsche Sozialdemokratie in Polen 1918–1939. Schriften des Bundesarchivs, 49. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1997. p. 78
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