Democratic Party (Baden)

Democratic Party (DemP)
Party leader	Paul Waeldin
Secretary General	Hans Wolf
founding	January 20, 1946
Place of foundation	Freiburg in Breisgau
resolution	April 1948
Alignment	liberalism

The Democratic Party (short name: DemP ) was a liberal party in southern Baden . It was a forerunner party to the FDP Baden-Württemberg .

history

The Democratic Party was founded on January 20, 1946 at the founding assembly in Freiburg im Breisgau by 47 people. It was a liberal party in the French zone of occupation , which saw itself as the successor to the Baden Regional Association of the German Democratic Party (DDP). The former DDP politician and acting Lord Mayor of Lahr, Paul Waeldin , was elected as its chairman. Other leading members of the party were the former DDP members Wilhelm Stahl , Otto Vielhauer , Friedrich Vortisch and Berthold Goldschagg , and the former DVP member Hans Wolf became general secretary .

Shortly after it was founded, Waeldin applied to the French military government for approval of the party. However, this feared the formation of a reservoir of nationalists, separatists and former National Socialists. Nevertheless, the founding of the party was approved by the military government in late May 1946.

In the election for the National Consultative Assembly on November 17, 1946, 9 members of the Democratic Party were elected from the community and district assemblies. In the election to the state parliament on May 18, 1947, the party achieved 14.3% of the vote and thus 9 seats in parliament.

In April 1948 the Democratic Party was renamed the FDP Südbaden. This in turn went on October 19, 1952 together with the Democratic People's Party (DVP) in the FDP / DVP Baden-Württemberg.

literature

• Richard Stöss (Ed.): The parties and the press of the parties and trade unions in the Federal Republic of Germany 1945–1974. Munich 1975, ISBN 3-7940-3223-3 , p. 115.
• Jürgen Klöckler: Abendland - Alpenland - Alemannien: France and the discussion of restructuring in southwest Germany 1945–1947. Munich 1998, ISBN 3-486-56345-9 , p. 238.