The Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany ) was an East German political party. The DBD was founded in 1948. It had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer

Volkskammer

The People's Chamber was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic . From its founding in 1949 until the first free elections on 18 March 1990, all members of the Volkskammer were elected on a slate controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , called the National Front...

, as part of the National Front

National Front (East Germany)

The National Front of the German Democratic Republic was an alliance of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany...

. The DBD participated in all GDR cabinets (with exception of the last GDR cabinet). According to Deutsche Bauernpartei from chronik der wende the founding of the DBD was an attempt by the SED to weaken the influence of CDU/LDPD in the rural community by establishing a party loyal to the SED. The leadership cadre came mainly from the ranks of the SED.

After the fall of Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...

, the party initially tried to find itself a niche as ecological agrarian party, but the first free Volkskammer election (1990) ended with unpromising results for the Farmers' Party. In 1990 the DBD merged with the Christian Democratic Union

Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)

The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ) was an East German political party founded in 1945. It was part of the National Front with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany until 1989....

.

International contacts

The DBD had friendly relations with peasants' parties in other Eastern Bloc

Eastern bloc

The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...

 countries. It had close contacts with the Polish United People's Party

United People's Party (Poland)

The United People's Party was an agrarian political party in the People's Republic of Poland. It was formed on 27 November 1949 from the merger of the communist Stronnictwo Ludowe party with remnants of the independent People's Party of Stanisław Mikołajczyk .ZSL became - as intended from its very...

 (Zjednoczone Stronnictwo Ludowe, ZSL) and the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union

Bulgarian Agrarian National Union

Bulgarian Agrarian National Union also tiranslated to English as Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union is a political party devoted to representing the causes of the Bulgarian peasantry. It was most powerful between 1900 and 1923. In practice, it was an agrarian movement...

 (Bǔlgarski Zemedelski Naroden Sǔyuz, BZNS). Besides that, there were some contacts with farmers' associations in West Germany.

Chairmen of the DBD

Ernst Goldenbaum Ernst Goldenbaum Ernst Goldenbaum was an East German politician.-Biography:Goldenbaum was born in Parchim. During World War I he served as a military and he participated in the German November Revolution...	1948–1982
Ernst Mecklenburg	1982–1987
Günther Maleuda Günther Maleuda Günther Maleuda is a former East German politician. From 13 November 1989 to March 1990 he was the President of the People's Chamber .-Early years:...	1987–1990
Ulrich Junghanns Ulrich Junghanns Ulrich Junghanns is a German politician. From 2002 till 2008 he was Minister of Economy in the German state of Brandenburg and deputy Minister-President from 2007 till 2008....	1990-1990

External links

• Deutsche Bauernpartei from chronik der wende