Prussian People's Association

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The Prussian Volksverein was an anti-liberal, conservative organization in Prussia in the 1860s .

prehistory

The association was primarily directed against the liberal German National Association and against the Progressive Party . While the conservatives saw no need for a modern political organization during the era of reaction , the successes of the liberals since the New Era led to the founding of the People's Association. This tied in with comparable organizations during the revolution of 1848/49 such as the “Association for King and Fatherland” or the “ Treubund with God for King and Fatherland ”.

aims

The organization was founded on September 20, 1861. Like the national association, the association advocated a small German solution to the German question under Prussian leadership. However, he emphasized the "unification of princes and peoples" and wanted to adhere to "authority and law". Liberal or even democratic constitutional ideas were rejected. A strong central government was also not advocated. Freedom of trade and capitalism were criticized. Instead, emphasis was placed on the divine right of the king, Christianity, the leadership role of the nobility and the balance between capital and labor.

Leading politicians

Leading politicians of the organization were Count Eberhard zu Stolberg-Wernigerode , who was also chairman at the beginning, Hermann Wagener , and Hans Hugo von Kleist-Retzow . The actual management was shared by Wagener and Moritz Karl Henning von Blanckenburg, who was very close to Otto von Bismarck . The club was rejected by the ultra-conservatives around the Gerlach brothers.

organization

The club had around 26,000 members at the end of 1862 and around 50,000 in 1865. These included, in particular, craftsmen, Protestant clergymen, officers and civil servants. It was divided into local and district associations. The focus was clearly in the East Elbe provinces of Prussia. The association formed a certain substitute for the still missing organized conservative party outside the parliaments. Before the elections to the Prussian House of Representatives , he tried to propaganda to promote conservative candidates.

Development and end

It was not until 1863 that 35 Conservative MPs were brought into parliament that initial successes became apparent. In the Prussian constitutional conflict as well as in the German-Danish war , the association stood on the side of Otto von Bismarck. After Wagener entered the State Ministry in 1865 and the internal conflicts in the conservative camp escalated, the association began to disintegrate. It was officially dissolved in 1872.

literature

  • Hans-Ulrich Wehler: German history of society. Vol. 3: From the German double revolution to the beginning of the First World War. 1849-1914 . Munich 1995, ISBN 3-406-32490-8 , p. 343ff.
  • Wolfgang Schmierer: Prussian People's Association . In: Gerhard Taddey (Hrsg.): Lexicon of German history . People, events, institutions. From the turn of the times to the end of the 2nd World War. 2nd, revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1983, ISBN 3-520-80002-0 , p. 988.