Reichsbanner black-red-gold

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Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold, Association of Active Democrats V.
logo
legal form non-profit registered association
founding February 22, 1924 in Magdeburg (October 28, 1953 in Bremen)
founder SPD , DDP and center
Seat Berlin , Germany
resolution 1933 to 1953
motto "Unity and justice and freedom"
main emphasis Political-historical education and remembrance work as well as maintaining democratic traditions
Chair Johannes Kahrs (Federal Chairman),
Hans Saalfeld (Honorary Chairman) (†)
Website www.reichsbanner.de

The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, or Reichsbanner for short , was a political defense association for the protection of the democratic republic during the Weimar Republic, which still exists today in a modified form.

The association was founded on February 22nd, 1924 in Magdeburg as the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Bund der Republican combat participants through an initiative from the three parties of the Weimar coalition ( SPD , Center , DDP ). The Reichsbanner was supposed to protect the Weimar Republic against its radical enemies. The then and now federal greeting of the Reich Banner is "Frei Heil!" Or "Freiheit!" The federal government published the weekly newspaper Illustrierte Reichsbanner-Zeitung , later renamed the Illustrierte Republikanische Zeitung.

On October 28, 1953, the association was re-established in the Federal Republic of Germany without attaining the status of the former mass organization. The registered association was given its current name in 1968, Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold - Federation of Active Democrats . The association sees itself as a non-partisan alliance, dominated in practice by social democrats , which is dedicated to political-historical education and remembrance work as well as to maintaining democratic traditions, with the aim of preserving and strengthening the free and democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany .

Weimar Republic

Foundation and goal setting

Joint appeal by the Weimar coalition for the 1924 Reichstag election
Club flag

Right-wing and national fighting alliances such as the “ Stahlhelm ” or the SA had radicalized the political struggle more and more. First, a number of local social democratic self-protection organizations were founded. On this basis, the Reichsbanner was founded in Magdeburg on February 22, 1924 by members of the SPD , the German Center Party , the German Democratic Party and trade unionists in response to the right-wing ( Hitler putsch ) and left-wing ( Hamburg uprising ) attempts to overthrow in 1923 . However, the proportion of Social Democrats clearly outweighed the membership. Estimates assume that the membership is over 90 percent at times.

The Reichsbanner initially saw itself as a veterans' association in which those involved in the First World War combined their wartime experience with their advocacy for the republic. The Reichsbanner saw its main task as defending the Weimar Republic against enemies from the National Socialist , monarchist and communist camps. Otto Hörsing described the Reichsbanner in 1931 as a "non-partisan protection organization of the republic and democracy in the fight against the swastika and the Soviet star". The Reichsbanner saw itself as the guardian of the legacy of the democratic tradition of the revolution of 1848 and the constitutional imperial colors black-red-gold . In 1929, the association changed its nickname from "Bund der Republikanischer Krieg participants" to "Bund Deutscher Krieg participants und Republikaner" in order to appeal to non-veterans.

Structure and structure

The federal chairman of the Reichsbanner Otto Hörsing speaks in front of the palace in Berlin during the Constitution Day , 1929
Reichsbanner Gautag in Brandenburg an der Havel 1928

In the Reichsbanner, two organizational levels existed side by side: the political level as a registered association and the technical level as a combat organization.

At the top of the political organization was the federal executive with the first and second chairman, three deputies, federal treasurer, federal treasurer, secretary, technical director, federal youth leader, the respective representatives and 15 assessors. The first federal chairman was Otto Hörsing until June 3, 1932 . His deputy and later successor was Karl Höltermann . At the federal level, the realm was divided into districts , districts, districts and, finally, local associations. According to the statutes, the boards of directors at all organizational levels should be composed of members from all Republican parties.

At the same time, there was a technical organization based on the military model. The smallest unit was the group with a group leader and eight men. Two to five groups formed a platoon, two to three platoons formed a comradeship. This corresponded to a company in the army . Two to five comradeships made up a department and two to five departments made up a district. At least two districts formed a circle. At the regional and federal level, technical and political levels overlap. The federal chairman was also the federal leader, and accordingly the 32 district chairmen were also Gau leaders. When dividing the regions, the organizational division of the SPD was generally adopted. The management staff at the technical level could be recognized by badges of rank. The federal leader carried z. B. on the left forearm the federal eagle (black on a red field, with a golden circular border) and two overlying black, red and gold stripes.

According to its own information, the Reichsbanner had over three million members in 1932. This information appears to be excessive. Today's more realistic estimates assume a membership of at least 1.5 million.

Reichsbannergau days

The Reichsbannergautage (also: Reichsbanner-Gau-Tage) were meetings of the members and the march with the black-red-gold flags took place on fairgrounds. There were further Reichsbannergau days in several parts of the country, including from April 11 to 13, 1925 in Hamburg , on October 3 and 4, 1925 in Dortmund , in July 1926 in Hanover , in May 1928 in Brandenburg an der Havel and 1929 in Braunschweig and Meissen .

On August 11th, the constitutional day of the Weimar Republic , the celebrations were celebrated with black, red and gold flags and banners, with the imperial eagle at the top of the flagpoles.

The struggle for the republic 1930–1933

“The start of the elections for the upcoming big Reichstag election on September 14th!” A Reichsbanner propaganda car advertises in the streets of Berlin (August 1930)
Otto Hörsing pacing the protective formations of the Reich Banner in the Lustgarten in Berlin (1931)

After the NSDAP was able to record considerable electoral successes in the Reichstag election in 1930 , the Reichsbanner tried to counter the increased street terror of the SA units by restructuring the technical level in September . The active members were divided into main formations (Stafo) and the elite units protection formations ( Schufo ). In addition, there were still the units of the young banner . In the spring of 1931, the Schufos already numbered 250,000 men; By February 1933, 47 Reichsbanner people were killed in the "struggle for democracy ". In many regions, moreover, the front line against the communists increased.

On December 16, 1931, the Reichsbanner formed a defense alliance against dangers for the republic called the Iron Front with the General German Trade Union Federation (ADGB), the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Workers' Gymnastics and Sports Federation (ATSB) . Since this alliance took place without prior consultation with the remaining members of the Center Party, who often came from the Christian trade unions and the Catholic workers' and journeyman's associations, as well as the German State Party, the activities of the Iron Front were part of an almost purely SPD-led campaign. Center members of the Reichsbanner no longer took part in the Iron Front, for example in the Emsland. Instead, they founded, probably with the help and journalistic support of the Reich Banner, the "Popular Front against Radicalism and Social Reaction", which was primarily intended to cover previous non-members from the Catholic camp in defense of the republic. In the Iron Front, the Reichsbanner was in charge of technical defense, which became more and more important in view of the increasing violence by members of the Sturmabteilung (SA) and the Red Front Fighters Association (RFB).

The last federal general assembly of the Reichsbanner met on 17./18. February 1933 in Berlin , in March the Reichsbanner and Iron Front were banned throughout the Reich, but at different times. Due to the great pressure on the leaders and members, formations of the Reichsbanner broke up in many cases, for example in the Weser-Ems Gau. From this point on, the members of the Reichsbanner and the Iron Front were systematically persecuted, deported to concentration camps and in some cases murdered.

Persecution and resistance against the Nazi regime

After the takeover of the Nazis , the association was banned in spring 1933rd Reichsbanner groups that were forced into illegality, including above all members of the Schufos , represented an important part of the social democratic resistance against the Nazi regime . Examples include the groups around Theodor Haubach and Karl Heinrich in Berlin and around Walter Schmedemann in Hamburg and the Socialist Front in Hanover .

Prominent members

Founding member Otto Wels , who spoke against Hitler's Enabling Act in 1933
Hugo Preuss , chief author of the Weimar Imperial Constitution , was also a member

Because of its cross-party orientation and broad anchoring in the main state parties of the Weimar Republic, the Reichsbanner had prominent and influential members. These include the five Reich Chancellors Gustav Bauer , Constantin Fehrenbach , Hermann Müller , Philipp Scheidemann , Joseph Wirth , Reichstag President Paul Löbe and the later Federal Presidents Gustav Heinemann and Theodor Heuss , as well as several Prime Ministers, members of the Reichstag and Bundestag as well as important personalities in German history and the public life like the sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies . A prominent member of the newly founded Reichsbanner was u. a. the former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt .

Social democrats

Members of the German Democratic Party

Members of the center

Reichsbanner in the Federal Republic of Germany

Educational work with young people, here a visit to the Friedrich Ebert memorial

Start-up

Efforts to re-establish it in 1945 were not allowed by the occupying powers due to the military nature and also not supported by the political parties, including the SPD, which is why informal meetings took place in the following years. A local association was later founded in 1952 in Bremen. The Reichsbanner was initially re-established relatively unsuccessfully on October 28, 1953 (for the Berlin regional association see Freiheitsbund Berlin ), whereupon, initiated by Christian Weiß , a former secretary of the prewar period, renewed efforts followed between 1966 and 1968, above all in the context of the Federal compensation Act to make restitution claims, although only small compared to the authorities claim. The impetus for this came from a well-attended meeting in 1965 on the occasion of Friedrich Ebert's 40th anniversary of his death. The Reichsbanner was finally opened in June 1968 in the member stronghold of Frankfurt a. M. was reconstituted at the federal level and has now been given the changed surname "Bund aktiviver Democrats". Since then, the association has again been headed by a federal chairman.

Today the association has about 400 members and the federal chairman is the former member of the Bundestag Johannes Kahrs .

The aim of the association is to convey the value of civic rights and duties to young people through political-historical educational and remembrance work and based on the German history of the 20th century, which was shaped by dictatorship . The Reichsbanner is committed to safeguarding the free and democratic basic order and demands from its members an active, critical and democratic awareness as well as the willingness to protect the basic and human rights for everyone.

The exhibition of the association “For a strong republic! - Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 1924–1933 ”from 2004 was shown in cooperation with the German Resistance Memorial Center at military locations of the Bundeswehr , in schools, town halls and state parliaments. Since 2018 a new traveling exhibition of the German Resistance Memorial Center “For Freedom and Republic! The Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold in the Fight for Democracy 1924 to 1933 ”presented nationwide.

As a result of a cooperation with the association, the German Resistance Memorial Center in Berlin has a unique display depot on the history of the Reich Banner in the Weimar Republic. The open depot shows documents, pictures and objects from the period from 1924 to 1933. These are intended to convey the political commitment and social development of the organization. Among other things, numerous written documents, brochures, membership cards, historical newspapers, photos and postcards as well as various club badges, flags, glasses and records can be seen in the open depot at the memorial.

The members of the Reich Banner are currently organized in five state associations (Berlin-Brandenburg, Hamburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony) and four regional groups (Baden-Württemberg, Hanover, South Lower Saxony and Weser-Ems). The federal office is in Berlin.

The Reichsbanner magazine appears regularly and, in addition to reports on educational work and articles on the history of the Federation, often also contains interviews with high-ranking politicians. The organization and implementation of panel discussions with regional politicians are also an important part of today's educational work of the Reich Banner.

Anniversary events

On March 7, 2014, the association celebrated 90 years of Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold in the Kaisersaal of Hamburg's town hall . The keynote speakers were the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel . The head of the German Resistance Memorial Center (GDW) in Berlin, Johannes Tuchel , gave the speech Defender of Democracy - 90 Years of the Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold .

On the occasion of the establishment of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 90 years earlier, on February 22, 1924, Federal President Joachim Gauck also addressed the jubilee. The Federal President introduces his greeting with the words: “… the 90th anniversary of your association is a double pleasure for me: Because as a citizen of Gauck I have long felt connected to the Federation of Active Democrats, and because I, as Federal President, also express my official thanks to you and want to convey my appreciation. "

On February 25, 2019, the association commemorated its 95th anniversary at a ceremony at the German Resistance Memorial Center (GDW). The keynote speaker was Bundestag Vice President Thomas Oppermann . In his celebratory speech he warned of the dangers of emerging populism and nationalism and paid tribute to the democratic legacy of the Reich Banner.

Honorary members

Honorary member Helmut Schmidt , on the right Hans Saalfeld

Federal Chairperson

Weimar Republic

Federal Republic

Honorary Chairwoman

See also

literature

  • Marcel Böhles: In lockstep for the republic. The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold in the southwest, 1924 to 1933 . Klartext, Essen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8375-1485-8 .
  • Sebastian Elsbach: The Reich Banner Black-Red-Gold. Protection of the republic and violence in the Weimar Republic , Stuttgart (Steiner) 2019. ISBN 978-3-515-12472-0 . ISBN 978-3-515-12467-6 .
  • Günther Gerstenberg: Freedom! Social democratic self-protection in Munich in the twenties and early thirties. 2 volumes. Kramer, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-928359-03-7 .
  • German Resistance Memorial Center : For Freedom and Republic! The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold in the fight for democracy 1924 to 1933 , Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-945812-18-1 .
  • Helga Gotschlich : Between fight and surrender. On the history of the Reich Banner Black-Red-Gold. Dietz, Berlin (East) 1987, ISBN 3-320-00785-8 .
  • Helmut Lensing: Republican Defense Organizations in Emsland - The “Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold”, the “Eiserne Front” and the “Popular Front against Radicalism and Social Reaction”. In: Emsland yearbook. Yearbook of the Emsländischen Heimatbund , Volume 55, 2009, Sögel 2008, ISBN 978-3-88077-060-7 , pp. 45-72.
  • David Magnus Mintert: "Storm Troop of the German Republic". The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold in Wuppertal (=  persecution and resistance in Wuppertal , vol. 6). Edition Wahler, Grafenau 2002, ISBN 3-9808498-2-1 .
  • Karl Rohe : The Reich Banner Black Red Gold. A contribution to the history and structure of the political combat units during the Weimar Republic. Droste, Düsseldorf 1966.
  • Ulrich Schröder: From the inner workings of a republican military association. The Vegesack local association and the area around the Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold 1924-1934. In: Bremisches Jahrbuch. Vol. 92, 2013, ISSN  0341-9622 , pp. 217-270.
  • Axel Ulrich: Freedom! The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold and the struggle of social democrats in Hesse against National Socialism 1924–1938 . Ed. from the SPD district of Hessen-Süd, Union printing and publishing house, Frankfurt a. M. 1988, ISBN 3-922454-11-9 .
  • Carsten Voigt: Combat leagues of the labor movement. The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold and the Rote Frontkampfbund in Saxony 1924–1933 (=  history and politics in Saxony , vol. 26). Böhlau, Cologne / Weimar / Vienna 2009, ISBN 3-412-20449-8 .
  • Benjamin Ziemann : The future of the republic? The Reich Banner Black-Red-Gold 1924–1933. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung , Bonn 2011, ISBN 978-3-86872-690-9 ( PDF ).
  • Benjamin Ziemann: Veterans of the Republic. War memory and democratic politics 1918-1933. Bonn: JHW Dietz Nachf. GmbH 2014. ISBN 978-3-8012-4222-0 ; review

Web links

Commons : Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.dhm.de/archiv/ausstellungen/kalter_krieg/brosch_02.htm Political brochures in the Cold War , on German Historical Museum , 3rd paragraph
  2. ↑ Quoted from Franz Osterroth, Dieter Schuster: Chronicle of the German Social Democracy. Volume 2. From the beginning of the Weimar Republic to the end of the Second World War. 3rd unchanged edition. Dietz, Bonn 1980, ISBN 3-8012-1084-7 . Electronic edition: FES-Library (Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung), Bonn 2001.
  3. ^ Klaus Mlynek : Hahn, (3) Wilhelm, jun. In: Dirk Böttcher , Klaus Mlynek, Waldemar R. Röhrbein, Hugo Thielen : Hannoversches Biographisches Lexikon . From the beginning to the present. Schlütersche, Hannover 2002, ISBN 3-87706-706-9 , p. 147; online through google books
  4. ↑ a b c Money for lost tents - The "Reichsbanner" is newly founded on zeit.de, June 24, 1966, accessed June 8, 2017
  5. ↑ a b Union in Deutschland No. 23, sub-item Political Lexicon, p. 5 of June 13, 1968, accessed June 8, 2017
  6. ^ Biography of the delegate Johannes Kahr on the website of the German Bundestag. German Bundestag, accessed on July 30, 2020 .
  7. ↑ German Resistance Memorial Center, Susanne Brömel (Ed.): For a strong republic! - Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold 1924–1933. Exhibition catalog. German Resistance Memorial Center, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-926082-17-8 .
  8. ↑ German Resistance Memorial Center: For Freedom and Republic! The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold in the fight for democracy 1924 to 1933, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-945812-18-1 .
  9. ↑ Schaudepot Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold: Schaudepot Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold. Retrieved July 29, 2020 .
  10. ^ National associations of the Reich Banner. Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Bund aktiviver Democrats eV, accessed on January 5, 2020 .
  11. ^ 90 years Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold and 95 years SPD parliamentary group Hamburg. Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Bund aktiviver Democrats eV, March 11, 2014, accessed on January 5, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Defender of Democracy - 90 Years of Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold Speech on March 7, 2014 in the Kaisersaal of the Hamburg City Hall. Johannes Tuches, March 7, 2014, accessed January 5, 2020 .
  13. ^ Greetings for the 90th anniversary of the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold. The Federal President, May 2014, accessed on January 5, 2020 .
  14. ↑ 95 years of the Reichsbanner Black-Red-Gold. Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Bund aktiviver Democrats eV, February 25, 2019, accessed on January 5, 2020 .