Weimar Republic
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| Anthem: Das Lied der Deutschen | |||||
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| Capital | Berlin 52°31′N 13°24′E |
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| Language(s) | German | ||||
| Government | Republic | ||||
| President | |||||
| - 1918-1925 | Friedrich Ebert | ||||
| - 1925-1933 | Paul von Hindenburg | ||||
| Chancellor | |||||
| - 1919 | Philipp Scheidemann(first) | ||||
| - 1933 | Kurt von Schleicher (last) | ||||
| Legislature | Reichstag | ||||
| - State council | Reichsrat | ||||
| Historical era | Interwar period | ||||
| - Established | 9 November, 1918 | ||||
| - Hitler takes office | 30 January 1933 | ||||
| - Reichstag fire | 27 February, 1933 | ||||
| - Enabling Act | March 23, 1933 | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - 1925[1] | 468,787 km2 181,000 sq mi |
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| Population | |||||
| - 1925[1] est. | 62,411,000 | ||||
| Density | 133.1 /km² 344.8 /sq mi |
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| Currency | Papiermark (1919-1923) Reichsmark (1924-1933) |
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The Weimar Republic (German: Weimarer Republik) is the name we now use for the republic that governed Germany from 1919 to 1933.
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Origin
After the German Empire was defeated in World War I, Germany became a republic, but it was still called "Deutsches Reich" (German Empire). Today it is called the Weimar Republic and this period is called the Weimar period, because the constitution was made in the city of Weimar.
Beginning
On November 9, 1918, the Republic was proclaimed by Philipp Scheidemann at the Reichstag building in Berlin and two hours later a socialist republic was proclaimed around the corner at the Berlin Castle by Karl Liebknecht.
The Emperor, or Kaiser, Wilhelm II, went into exile in the Netherlands. The new Republic was declared even before the end of World War I.
Problems
The Weimar Republic had a lot of problems. The Treaty of Versailles made things very difficult for the economy. Inflation got completely out of hand. There were political problems because governments ruled only for a very short time, not long enough to be able to make important decisions. There were a lot of radical right and left extremists, for example monarchists (people who wanted back the monarchy) and communists, who believed that all things should be shared.
Good things
The Weimar period is also known for its culture. Artists tried out modern ideas and used new things like film. The Bauhaus began in the 1920s too.
End
What we now call The Weimar Republic came to an end on 30 January 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.
Other websites
- The Constitution of the German Reich (Weimar constitution) of 11th August 1919, in full text
- Data Bank
- Documents in German
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