Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation
The Reich Party for People's Law and Revaluation (People's Law Party - VRP) was a party in the Weimar Republic between 1926 and 1933 that represented the interests of those affected by inflation. The VRP belonged to a group of splinter parties that achieved success in the Reichstag elections in May 1928 at the expense of the larger bourgeois parties, particularly the DNVP . Later, voters often turned to the NSDAP .
history
After the inflation of 1923 , numerous organizations of those affected by inflation, such as savers, mortgage creditors, and bond subscribers, emerged to demand an appreciation of the financial assets of savers, retirees and other groups. These organizations saw their interests not taken into account by the upgrading laws of June 1925. After the Reich Ministry of the Interior had rejected the initiation of a referendum against the laws in August 1926, the largest organization of those affected by inflation, the Sparerbund für das Deutsche Reich (Spb), decided to found its own party. The party should force a change in the upgrading legislation by gaining political power, since the previous strategy of gaining influence within the bourgeois parties had failed, according to Adolf Bauser . Bauser was a leading member of the Spb and was chairman of the People's Rights Party, the establishment of which was decided on August 28 and 29, 1926 at a meeting of various organizations of inflation victims in Erfurt. The People's Rights Party was finally constituted on February 20, 1927. Previously, there had been disputes between the organizations of those affected by inflation, which, among other things, concerned the greater consideration of the interests of war invalids, tenants and pensioners. From February onwards, leading party functions were almost exclusively occupied by representatives of the savings association.
Programmatically, the People's Rights Party, as an interest party, concentrated on the demands of the individual groups of those affected by inflation, statements on questions of domestic, foreign or cultural policy remained general. Among the goals of the party it said:
"The People's Rights Party demands the atonement for the injustice of inflation policy, as embodied above all in the so-called revaluation laws [...] To satisfy the creditors of public bonds, above all the inflation gains that are not included in the revaluation must be used [...] We demand protection of the creative and saving people against dishonest exploitation by domestic and foreign big capital in its various forms.
We fight in particular the cartels, syndicates and trusts, which aim to influence the price formation for domestic and foreign products in order to exploit the consumer. Recognizing the great importance of the social question for Germany's future and in view of the increasing accumulation of capital in a few hands, we call for the balance to be balanced by creating the largest possible medium-sized enterprise sector. "
The party does not have any information on the number of members; estimates assume 50,000 members in the early years. The People's Rights Party was a youth organization under the name Posadowsky-Jugendbund (Volks-Recht-Jugendbund) , which was named after the former Vice Chancellor of the Empire , Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner . Posadowsky-Wehner was honorary chairman of the party and also took on a mandate from the VRP in the Prussian state parliament . The People's Rights Party Georg Best (elected for the DNVP , most recently Völkische Arbeitsgemeinschaft ), Paul Seiffert (previously NSFP ) and Emil Roß (previously Zentrum ) joined the Reichstag . The People's Rights Party was able to achieve its first successes in state elections in Saxony , Thuringia and Hesse in 1926 and 1927. From 1927 she belonged to two state governments and provided the Minister of Justice in Saxony with Arthur von Fumetti and the Minister of Finance in Thuringia with Wilhelm Toelle .
In the Reichstag elections in May 1928 , the People's Rights Party had almost half a million voters and achieved 1.6% of the valid votes, but received only two seats, since it only received the 60,000 votes required for the award of a seat in the constituency association of Saxony the consideration of the remaining votes on the imperial list was necessary. Georg Best and Adolf Lobe took on the mandates. Lobe joined the DDP at the end of 1929 and left the Reichstag, followed by Emil Herberg . With the election result, the People's Rights Party fell short of its own expectations: The decisive factor here is likely to have been the simultaneous success of the Business Party and the fragmentation of the appreciation movement. In addition to the People's Rights Party, other groups took part, for example the right-wing popular bloc of those affected by inflation . In addition, there had been disputes within the People's Rights Party before the election, as a result of which there were list connections with the DDP in some constituencies and the Prussian state association was dissolved by the party's federal executive committee.
In the final phase of the Weimar Republic, numerous members and voters of the People's Rights Party switched to the NSDAP. In the Reichstag election in 1930 , the VRP ran together with the Christian Social Reich Party , but with 0.8% remained below the result of 1928 and due to the above-mentioned provision without members of the Reichstag. In July 1932 , party leader Bauser succeeded in gaining a seat in the Reichstag on the basis of an electoral alliance with the Christian Social Service , which was lost in the November elections. After the National Socialist “ seizure of power ”, the People's Rights Party dissolved in May 1933; Some of the regional associations and local groups recommended that the members join the NSDAP.
Results in Reichstag elections
| Constituency | May 1928 | September 1930 | July 1932 | November 1932 | |||||
| Germany | 482,697 | 1.6% | 271.198 | 0.8% | 40,825 | 0.1% | 46.202 | 0.1% | |
| 1 | East Prussia | 16,433 | 1.6% | 3,332 | 0.3% | 398 | 0.0% | 361 | 0.0% |
| 2 | Berlin | 2,513 | 0.2% | 1,084 | 0.1% | 299 | 0.0% | 189 | 0.0% |
| 3 | Potsdam II | 4,071 | 0.4% | 1,579 | 0.1% | 375 | 0.0% | 357 | 0.0% |
| 4th | Potsdam I. | 9,762 | 1.0% | 3,171 | 0.3% | 392 | 0.0% | 423 | 0.0% |
| 5 | Frankfurt Oder | 11,763 | 1.4% | 3,528 | 0.4% | 438 | 0.0% | 356 | 0.0% |
| 6th | Pomerania | 16,218 | 1.8% | 3,513 | 0.4% | 411 | 0.0% | - | - |
| 7th | Wroclaw | 8,688 | 0.9% | 2,182 | 0.2% | 270 | 0.0% | 193 | 0.0% |
| 8th | Liegnitz | 7,597 | 1.3% | 2,254 | 0.3% | 379 | 0.1% | 335 | 0.0% |
| 9 | Opole | 5,466 | 1.0% | - | - | - | - | 144 | 0.0% |
| 10 | Magdeburg | 12,796 | 1.4% | 4,945 | 0.5% | 930 | 0.1% | 1.011 | 0.1% |
| 11 | Merseburg | 9,402 | 1.3% | 4,484 | 0.5% | 754 | 0.1% | 831 | 0.1% |
| 12 | Thuringia | 18,384 | 1.7% | 7,904 | 0.6% | 1,518 | 0.1% | 1,791 | 0.1% |
| 13 | Schleswig-Holstein | 6,766 | 0.9% | 3,624 | 0.4% | 426 | 0.0% | 462 | 0.0% |
| 14th | Weser-Ems | 11,773 | 1.7% | 3,474 | 0.4% | 432 | 0.0% | 409 | 0.0% |
| 15th | East Hanover | 4,954 | 1.0% | 3,189 | 0.6% | 657 | 0.1% | 591 | 0.1% |
| 16 | South Hanover-Braunschweig | 12,770 | 1.2% | 4,847 | 0.4% | - | - | 644 | 0.1% |
| 17th | Westphalia north | 20,107 | 1.7% | 15,168 | 1.1% | 1,715 | 0.1% | 1,329 | 0.1% |
| 18th | Westphalia south | 11,920 | 1.0% | 14,667 | 1.0% | 1,403 | 0.1% | 975 | 0.1% |
| 19th | Hessen-Nassau | 13,238 | 1.1% | 8,395 | 0.6% | - | - | 338 | 0.0% |
| 20th | Cologne-Aachen | 10,055 | 1.1% | 18,264 | 1.6% | 710 | 0.1% | 652 | 0.1% |
| 21st | Koblenz-Trier | 9,054 | 1.6% | 7,242 | 1.1% | 695 | 0.1% | 719 | 0.1% |
| 22nd | Düsseldorf East | 28,064 | 2.6% | 27.802 | 2.2% | 4,828 | 0.4% | 5,449 | 0.5% |
| 23 | Düsseldorf West | 16,273 | 2.0% | 15,554 | 1.5% | 2,166 | 0.2% | 2,209 | 0.2% |
| 24 | Upper Bavaria-Swabia | 18,575 | 1.6% | 6,969 | 0.5% | 1,383 | 0.1% | 668 | 0.1% |
| 25th | Lower Bavaria | 6,826 | 1.2% | - | - | - | - | 438 | 0.1% |
| 26th | Francs | 16,183 | 1.3% | 5,592 | 0.4% | 1.101 | 0.1% | 486 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Palatinate | 3,529 | 0.9% | 1,204 | 0.3% | 160 | 0.0% | 110 | 0.0% |
| 28 | Dresden-Bautzen | 15,365 | 1.5% | 7,318 | 0.7% | 2,473 | 0.2% | 2,080 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Leipzig | 31,275 | 4.1% | 21,764 | 2.6% | 5,894 | 0.7% | 6,780 | 0.8% |
| 30th | Chemnitz-Zwickau | 40,929 | 4.3% | 17,219 | 1.6% | - | - | 6.112 | 0.5% |
| 31 | Württemberg | 42,068 | 3.6% | 29,410 | 2.1% | 8,374 | 0.6% | 7,329 | 0.6% |
| 32 | to bathe | 15,162 | 1.7% | 11,664 | 1.0% | 1,394 | 0.1% | 899 | 0.1% |
| 33 | Hessen-Darmstadt | 13,892 | 2.3% | 4,706 | 0.6% | 850 | 0.1% | 645 | 0.1% |
| 34 | Hamburg | 3.831 | 0.6% | 1.941 | 0.3% | - | - | 304 | 0.0% |
| 35 | Mecklenburg | 6,995 | 1.5% | 3,209 | 0.6% | - | - | 583 | 0.1% |
- ^ List connection "People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Revaluation) and Christian Social Reich Party", here only the votes of the People's Law Party.
- ↑ a b Name of the nomination: "People's Right Party"; connected to the Reich election proposal "Christian Social People's Service (Evangelical Movement)".
- Jump up ↑ in constituency 6 (Pomerania) as a »revaluation, middle class and people's rights party«.
- ↑ a b In constituencies 24 (Upper Bavaria-Swabia) and 25 (Lower Bavaria) started as "People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation), Christian Social Reich Party, Kratofiel Officials Group".
- ↑ a b In constituencies 26 (Franconia) and 27 (Palatinate) started as "People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Revaluation), Kratofiel Officials Group".
Results of state elections
| date | country | Name of the nomination | be right | Mandates | |
| October 31, 1926 | Saxony | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 98,479 | 4.2% | 4th |
| November 14, 1926 | Lübeck | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 993 | 1.3% | 1 |
| January 30, 1927 | Thuringia | Revaluation party (Reich Party for People's Law and Revaluation) | 22,077 | 2.8% | 1 |
| October 9, 1927 | Hamburg | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 7,762 | 1.2% | 1 |
| November 13, 1927 | Hesse | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 24,123 | 5.0% | 3 |
| November 13, 1927 | Bremen | People's Rights Party (revaluation party) | 1,064 | 0.5% | - |
| January 29, 1928 | Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Revaluation and People's Rights Party | 1,891 | 3.7% | 1 |
| February 19, 1928 | Hamburg | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 5,609 | 0.8% | 1 |
| May 20, 1928 | Prussia | People's Law Party | 235,750 | 1.3% | 2 |
| May 20, 1928 | Bavaria | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation, Christian Social Reich Party, Kratofiel Officials Group ) |
43,778 | 1.3% | - |
| May 20, 1928 | Württemberg | Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation | 37,098 | 3.3% | 2 |
| May 20, 1928 | Stop | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation) | 1.932 | 1.0% | - |
| January 6, 1929 | lip | People's Law Party | 3,225 | 4.0% | 1 |
| May 12, 1929 | Saxony | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation) | 70.131 | 2.6% | 3 |
| October 27, 1929 | to bathe | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation) | 6,680 | 0.7% | - |
| December 8, 1929 | Thuringia | People's Law Party | 9,631 | 1.2% | - |
| June 22, 1930 | Saxony | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation) | 44,228 | 1.7% | 2 |
| September 14, 1930 | Braunschweig | People's Law Party (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation) and Christian Social Reich Party |
2,323 | 0.8% | - |
| September 27, 1931 | Hamburg | People's rights party, saver and tenant protection association | 1,156 | 0.2% | - |
| November 15, 1931 | Hesse | People's Law Party | 1,585 | 0.2% | - |
| April 24, 1932 | Württemberg | People's Law Party | 16,344 | 1.3% | - |
- ^ The party was subsequently awarded both mandates on June 10, 1929 by a judgment of the Württemberg State Court. See Frank Raberg : Biographisches Handbuch der Wuerttemberg Landtag Members 1815-1933 . On behalf of the Commission for Historical Regional Studies in Baden-Württemberg. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-17-016604-2 , p. XLII f .
Individual evidence
- ^ Andreas Wirsching : The Weimar Republic. Politics and Society (= Encyclopedia of German History. Vol. 58). Oldenbourg, Munich 2000, ISBN 3-486-55048-9 , p. 19.
- ^ Adolf Bauser : Necessity, tasks and goals of the People's Rights Party. (Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation). In: Adolf Bauser (Ed.): For Truth and Law. The final battle for a just appreciation. Speeches and essays. Württembergischer Sparerbund, Stuttgart 1927, p. 90. Quoted in Fritsch: Reichspartei. 1984, p. 740.
- ↑ The revaluation , from April 27, 1928, ZDB -ID 545946-1 , quoted in Fritsch: Reichspartei. 1984, p. 741.
- ^ Fritsch: Reich Party. 1984, p. 739.
- ↑ Negotiations of the Reichstag, Volume 422, Appendix No. 4229
- ^ Fritsch: Reich Party. 1984, p. 742.
- ↑ general election results in www.gonschior.de: May 1928 , September 1930 , July 1932 , November 1932 .
- ↑ Compiled according to the information at www.gonschior.de
literature
- Werner Fritsch: Reich Party for People's Law and Appreciation (People's Law Party) [VRP] 1926–1933. In: Dieter Fricke (Hrsg.): Lexicon for the history of parties. The bourgeois and petty bourgeois parties and associations in Germany (1789–1945). Volume 2: German League for the League of Nations - general association of Christian trade unions in Germany. Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1984, pp. 739-744.