German presidential election, 1949
Encyclopedia
The election of the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany was held on 12 September 1949, following the first Bundestag
election of August 14, 1949 and coalition talks/ negotiations between CDU/CSU, FDP and German Party
(DP).
The FDP leader Theodor Heuss
, who was nominated by CDU
/CSU
and FDP
because of an accord in the coalition agreement, was elected by the Federal Convention (composed of all federal MPs and an equal number of delegates selected by the state legislatures).
Under the 1949 Basic Law
, the new office of the Federal President was given less powers than the preceding office of Reich President, due to the bad experiences of the past, especially the abuse of emergency powers. Heuss therefore assumed a largerly ceremonial role. However, his duties included the nomination of the first Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer
. Federal President Heuss took the oath of office in front of Bundestag
and Bundesrat
the day following his election, on September 13, 1949.
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
election of August 14, 1949 and coalition talks/ negotiations between CDU/CSU, FDP and German Party
German Party
The German Party is a name used by a number of German political parties in the country's history. The current incarnation is represented only at the local level in Germany. However, from 1949 to 1961, a German Party was part of the ruling coalition in the Bundestag...
(DP).
The FDP leader Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss was a liberal German politician who served as the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II from 1949 to 1959...
, who was nominated by CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
/CSU
Christian Social Union of Bavaria
The Christian Social Union in Bavaria is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It operates only in the state of Bavaria, while its sister party, the Christian Democratic Union , operates in the other 15 states of Germany...
and FDP
Free Democratic Party (Germany)
The Free Democratic Party , abbreviated to FDP, is a centre-right classical liberal political party in Germany. It is led by Philipp Rösler and currently serves as the junior coalition partner to the Union in the German federal government...
because of an accord in the coalition agreement, was elected by the Federal Convention (composed of all federal MPs and an equal number of delegates selected by the state legislatures).
Under the 1949 Basic Law
Basic Law
The term basic law is used in some places as an alternative to "constitution", implying it is a temporary but necessary measure without formal enactment of constitution. A basic law is either a codified constitution, or in countries with uncodified constitutions, a law given to have constitution...
, the new office of the Federal President was given less powers than the preceding office of Reich President, due to the bad experiences of the past, especially the abuse of emergency powers. Heuss therefore assumed a largerly ceremonial role. However, his duties included the nomination of the first Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
. Federal President Heuss took the oath of office in front of Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and Bundesrat
Bundesrat
Bundesrat means federal council and may refer to:* Bundesrat of Germany* Federal Council of Austria* Swiss Federal Council...
the day following his election, on September 13, 1949.
| Ballot | Canditate | Voters | % | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ballot | Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss was a liberal German politician who served as the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II from 1949 to 1959... |
377 | 46.9 % | FDP |
| Kurt Schumacher Kurt Schumacher Dr. Kurt Schumacher , was chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1946 and first Leader of the Opposition in the West German Bundestag parliament from 1949 until his death... |
311 | 38.7 % | SPD | |
| Rudolf Amelunxen Rudolf Amelunxen Rudolf Amelunxen was a German politician of the Zentrum and the first Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia . He was born in Cologne and died in Düsseldorf.-External links:*... |
28 | 3.5 % | Zentrum Centre Party (Germany) The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church... |
|
| Hans Schlange-Schöningen | 6 | 0.7 % | CDU | |
| Karl Arnold | 1 | 0.1 % | CDU | |
| Josef Müller | 1 | 0.1 % | CSU | |
| Alfred Loritz | 1 | 0.1 % | WAV | |
| Abstention | 76 | 9.5 % | ||
| Invalid | 2 | 0.2 % | ||
| 2. ballot | Theodor Heuss | 416 | 51.7 % | FDP |
| Kurt Schumacher Kurt Schumacher Dr. Kurt Schumacher , was chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany from 1946 and first Leader of the Opposition in the West German Bundestag parliament from 1949 until his death... |
312 | 38.8 % | SPD | |
| Rudolf Amelunxen | 30 | 3.7 % | Zentrum | |
| Hans Schlange-Schöningen | 2 | 0.2 % | CDU | |
| Abstention | 37 | 4.6 % | ||
| Invalid | 3 | 0.4 % |