Liberalism in Germany
Encyclopedia
This article aims to give an historical overview of liberalism in Germany. The liberal
parties
dealt with in the timeline below are, largely, those which received sufficient support at one time or another to have been represented in parliament. Not all parties so included, however, necessarily labeled themselves "liberal". The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme.
in Germany
were the Hambacher Fest
(1832) and the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states.
In the National Assembly
in the Frankfurt Paulskirche (1848/1849), the bourgeois liberal factions Casino and Württemberger Hof (the latter led by Heinrich von Gagern
) were the majority. They favored a constitutional monarchy, popular sovereignty
, and parliament
ary rule.
Organized liberalism developed in the 1860s, combining the previous liberal and democratic currents. Between 1867 and 1933 liberalism was divided into progressive liberal and national liberal factions. Since 1945 only one liberal party has been significant in politics at the national level: The Free Democratic Party
(Freie Demokratische Partei, member LI
), ELDR
.
the following German thinkers are included:
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
dealt with in the timeline below are, largely, those which received sufficient support at one time or another to have been represented in parliament. Not all parties so included, however, necessarily labeled themselves "liberal". The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme.
Background
The early high points of liberalismLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
were the Hambacher Fest
Hambacher Fest
The Hambacher Fest was a German national democratic festival—disguised as a non-political county fair—that was celebrated from 27 May to 30 May 1832 at Hambach Castle near Neustadt an der Weinstraße ....
(1832) and the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states.
In the National Assembly
Frankfurt Parliament
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
in the Frankfurt Paulskirche (1848/1849), the bourgeois liberal factions Casino and Württemberger Hof (the latter led by Heinrich von Gagern
Heinrich von Gagern
Heinrich Wilhelm August Freiherr von Gagern was a statesman who argued for the unification of Germany.The third son of Hans Christoph Ernst, Baron von Gagern, a liberal statesman from Hesse, Heinrich von Gagern was born at Bayreuth, educated at the military academy at Munich, and, as an officer in...
) were the majority. They favored a constitutional monarchy, popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the political principle that the legitimacy of the state is created and sustained by the will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. It is closely associated with Republicanism and the social contract...
, and parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary rule.
Organized liberalism developed in the 1860s, combining the previous liberal and democratic currents. Between 1867 and 1933 liberalism was divided into progressive liberal and national liberal factions. Since 1945 only one liberal party has been significant in politics at the national level: The Free Democratic Party
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...
(Freie Demokratische Partei, member LI
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
), ELDR
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party is a European political party mainly active in the European Union, composed of 56 national-level liberal and liberal-democratic parties from across Europe...
.
From German Progress Party to German State Party
- 1861: Liberals united in the German Progress PartyGerman Progress PartyThe German Progress Party was the first modern political party with a program in Germany, founded by the liberal members of the Prussian Lower House in 6 June, 1861....
(Deutsche Fortschrittspartei) - 1867: The moderate faction seceded as the ⇒ National Liberal Party
- 1868: A radical South German faction seceded as the ⇒ Democratic People's Party
- 1884: The party merged with the ⇒ Liberal Union into the German Freeminded PartyGerman Freeminded PartyThe German Free-minded Party was a German liberal party, founded as a result of the merger of the German Progress Party and Liberal Union in 5 March, 1884....
(Deutsche Freisinnige Partei) - 1893: The party split in the Freeminded People's PartyFreeminded People's Party (Germany)The Free-minded People's Party was a left liberal party in the German Empire, founded as a result of the split of the German Free-minded Party in 1893. One of its most notable members was Eugen Richter, who was party leader from 1893 to 1906...
(Freisinnige Volkspartei) and the ⇒ Freeminded Union (Freisinnige Vereinigung) - 1910: The FVP merged with the ⇒ Freeminded Union and the ⇒ German People's Party into the Progressive People's PartyProgressive People's Party (Germany)The Progressive People's Party was a liberal party of late Imperial Germany. It was formed in 6 March, 1910 as a merger of Freeminded People's Party, Freeminded Union, and German People's Party in order to unify the various liberal groups represented in parliament...
(Fortschrittliche Volkspartei) - 1918: The party is reorganised into the German Democratic Party (Deutsche Demokratische Partei), incorporating parts of the ⇒ National Liberal Party
- 1930: The DDP in an attempt to survive reorganised itself into the German State PartyGerman State PartyThe German State Party was a short-lived German political party of the Weimar Republic, formed by the merger of the German Democratic Party with the People's National Reich Association in July 1930...
(Deutsche Staatspartei) - 1933: The party is forced to dissolve itself
German People's Party (1868)
- 1868: A radical faction of the ⇒ German Progress Party formed the German People's PartyGerman People's Party (1868)The German People's Party was a German liberal party created in 1868 by the wing of the German Progress Party which during the conflict about whether the Unification of Germany should be led by the Kingdom of Prussia or Austria-Hungary supported Austria.The party was most popular in Southern Germany...
(Deutsche Volkspartei) - 1910: The DVP merged into the ⇒ Progressive People's Party
National Liberal Party / German People's Party (1918)
National Liberals- 1867: A right-wing faction of the ⇒ German Progress Party formed the National Liberal PartyNational Liberal Party (Germany)The National Liberal Party was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918. It was formed by Prussian liberals who put aside their differences with Bismarck over domestic policy due to their support for his highly successful foreign policy, which resulted in the unification of...
(Nationalliberale Partei) - 1871: A conservative faction of NLP formed the Imperial Liberal Party (Liberale Reichspartei)
- 1880: A left-wing faction seceded as the ⇒ Liberal Union
- 1918: The NLP is reorganised into the German People's PartyGerman People's PartyThe German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:...
(Deutsche Volkspartei), part of the party joined the German Democratic Party - 1933: The party is dissolved
Liberal Union
- 1880: A left-wing faction of the ⇒ National Liberal Party formed the Liberal UnionLiberal Union (Germany)The Liberal Union was a short-lived liberal party in the German Empire. It was founded as a break-away from the National Liberal Party, therefore also called Secession, in 1880, and merged with the left liberal German Progress Party to form the German Free-minded Party in 1884.The leftist faction...
(Liberale Vereinigung) - 1884: The party merged with the ⇒ German Progress Party into the ⇒ German Freeminded Party
Freeminded Union
- 1893: The ⇒ German Freeminded Party split into the Freeminded Union (Freisinnige Vereinigung) and the ⇒ Freeminded People's Party
- 1903: The ⇒ National Social Union joined the Freeminded Union
- 1908: A left-wing faction seceded as the ⇒ Democratic Union
- 1910: The party merged into the ⇒ Progressive People's Party
National Social Union
- 1896: The National Social Union (Nationalsozialer Verein) is formed
- 1903: The party is dissolved and members joined the ⇒ Freeminded Union
Democratic Union
- 1908: A left-wing faction of the ⇒ Freeminded Union formed the Democratic UnionDemocratic Union (Germany)The Democratic Union was a German political party in the German Empire.The Union was founded in 1908 by former members of the Freeminded Union . The party demanded full equal voting rights for all, and a strict separation of Church and State...
(Demokratische Vereinigung) - 1918: The remnants of the Union joined the German Democratic Party
From Liberal Democratic Party of Germany to Alliance of Free Democrats (GDR)
- 1945: Liberals in East Germany re-organised themselves into the Liberal Democratic Party of GermanyLiberal Democratic Party of GermanyThe Liberal Democratic Party of Germany ) was a political party in East Germany. Like the other allied parties of the SED in the National Front it had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer.-Foundation:...
(Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands). Since 1949 the party is under control of the communist dictatorship - 1990: The LDPD regained its liberal profile and shortened its name in February into Liberal Democratic PartyLiberal Democratic Party of GermanyThe Liberal Democratic Party of Germany ) was a political party in East Germany. Like the other allied parties of the SED in the National Front it had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer.-Foundation:...
(Liberal-Demokratische Partei). The same month it joined the newly founded Free Democratic Party (GDR) (Freie Demokratische Partei (DDR)) and the German Forum PartyGerman Forum PartyThe German Forum Party was an opposition political party in East Germany. It was formed from the New Forum citizens' movement. It was founded in Karl-Marx-Stadt on 27 January 1990. Its first chairman was Jürgen Schmieder...
(Deutsche Forumpartei) into Association of Free DemocratsAssociation of Free DemocratsThe Association of Free Democrats was a liberal coalition formed in East Germany on 12 February 1990. It originally consisted of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party and the German Forum Party. In the Volkskammer election of the 18 March 1990 the Association of Free Democrats...
(Bund Freier Demokraten). In March the Association of Free Democrats absorbed the National Democratic Party of GermanyNational Democratic Party of Germany (East Germany)The National Democratic Party of Germany was an East German political party that acted as an organisation for former members of the NSDAP, the Wehrmacht and middle classes...
(Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands), and finally in August it merged into present-day ⇒ Free Democratic Party
Free Democratic Party
- 1945-1946: Liberals in West Germany re-organised themselves in regional parties
- 1948: The regional liberal parties merged into the Free Democratic Party (Freie Demokratische Partei)
- 1956: A conservative faction seceded and formed the Free People's Party (Germany)Free People's Party (Germany)The Free People's Party was a short-lived political party in Germany. It was formed in 1956 by Franz Blücher, Fritz Neumayer and others, but the following year it merged into the German Party....
(Freie Volkspartei) - 1982: A left-wing faction seceded as the ⇒ Liberal Democrats
- 1990: The FDP incorporated the ⇒ Alliance of Free Democrats
Liberal Democrats
- 1982: A left-wing faction of the ⇒ Free Democratic Party formed the present-day Liberal Democrats (Liberale Demokraten), without success
Liberal leaders
- Liberals before 1918: Rudolf von BennigsenRudolf von BennigsenRudolf von Bennigsen was a German politician descended from an old Hanoverian family. His father, Karl von Bennigsen, was an officer in the Hanoverian army who rose to the rank of general and also held diplomatic appointments...
- Hans Victor von UnruhHans Victor von UnruhHans Victor von Unruh was a Prussian Public Official and Politician, President of the Prussian National Assembly of 1848 and Member of the Reichstag.- Biography :...
- Eugen RichterEugen RichterEugen Richter was a German politician and journalist.-Career:Born as the son of a combat medic, Richter attended the Gymnasium in his home town of Düsseldorf. Since 1856, he studied Law and Economics at the Universities of Bonn, Berlin and Heidelberg, that he finished with a law degree in 1859... - Freisinn: Theodor BarthTheodor BarthTheodor Barth was a German liberal politician and publicist. He was a member of the Reichstag between 1881 and 1884, between 1885 and 1898, and between 1901 and 1903.-Career:...
- Friedrich Naumann - Max WeberMax WeberKarl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself... - Deutsche Demokratische Partei: Walther RathenauWalther RathenauWalther Rathenau was a German Jewish industrialist, politician, writer, and statesman who served as Foreign Minister of Germany during the Weimar Republic...
- Theodor HeussTheodor HeussTheodor 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... - Deutsche Volkspartei: Gustav StresemannGustav Stresemannwas a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic. He was co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1926.Stresemann's politics defy easy categorization...
- LDPD (East-Germany): Waldemar KochWaldemar KochWaldemar Koch was a German liberal politician and economist.He was born in Bad Harzburg, Lower Saxony. Koch studied Economy and worked for years for AEG....
, Wilhelm KülzWilhelm KülzWilhelm Külz was a German politician . In 1926 he was interior minister of the Weimar Republic. After 1945 he took actively part in establishing the LDPD...
, Manfred GerlachManfred GerlachManfred Gerlach was a German jurist and politician . He served as the acting Chairman of the Council of State and was thus head of state of East Germany from 6 December 1989 to 5 April 1990.-Early life:... - Freie Demokratische Partei: Ralf DahrendorfRalf DahrendorfRalf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, KBE, FBA was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician....
- Karl-Hermann FlachKarl-Hermann FlachKarl-Hermann Flach was a German journalist of the Frankfurter Rundschau and a politician of the liberal Free Democrats ....
- Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
- Walter ScheelWalter ScheelWalter Scheel is a German politician . He served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966, Foreign Minister of Germany and Vice Chancellor from 1969 to 1974, acting Chancellor of Germany from 7 May to 16 May 1974 , and finally as President of the Federal...
Liberal thinkers
In the Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theory
Individual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...
the following German thinkers are included:
- Immanuel KantImmanuel KantImmanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
(1724–1804) - August Ludwig von SchlözerAugust Ludwig von SchlözerAugust Ludwig von Schlözer was a German historian who laid foundations for the critical study of Russian history.-Early career:...
(1735–1809) - Wilhelm von HumboldtWilhelm von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand Freiherr von Humboldt was a German philosopher, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of Humboldt Universität. He is especially remembered as a linguist who made important contributions to the philosophy of language and to the theory and practice...
(1767–1835) - Ludwig Joseph Brentano (1844–1931)
- Friedrich Naumann (1860–1919)
- Max WeberMax WeberKarl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
(1864–1920) - Walther RathenauWalther RathenauWalther Rathenau was a German Jewish industrialist, politician, writer, and statesman who served as Foreign Minister of Germany during the Weimar Republic...
(1867–1922) - Adolf von HarnackAdolf von HarnackAdolf von Harnack , was a German theologian and prominent church historian.He produced many religious publications from 1873-1912....
(1851–1930) - Wilhelm RöpkeWilhelm RöpkeWilhelm Röpke was Professor of Economics, first in Jena, then in Graz, Marburg, Istanbul and finally in Geneva, and the main spiritual father of the German social market economy, theorising and collaborating to organise the post-World War II economic re-awakening of the then destroyed German...
(1899–1966) - Ralf DahrendorfRalf DahrendorfRalf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, KBE, FBA was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician....
(1929–2009)
See also
- History of GermanyHistory of GermanyThe concept of Germany as a distinct region in central Europe can be traced to Roman commander Julius Caesar, who referred to the unconquered area east of the Rhine as Germania, thus distinguishing it from Gaul , which he had conquered. The victory of the Germanic tribes in the Battle of the...
- Politics of GermanyPolitics of GermanyThe Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...
- List of political parties in Germany
Further reading
- Åberg, Martin. Swedish and German Liberalism: From Factions to Parties 1860-1920 (2011)
- Jarausch, Konrad, et al. eds. In search of a liberal Germany: studies in the history of German liberalism from 1789 to the present (1990), essays by scholars
- Langewiesche, Dieter. Liberalism in Germany (2000)
- Mork, Gordon R. "Bismarck and the 'Capitulation' of German Liberalism," Journal of Modern History Vol. 43, No. 1 (March 1971), pp. 59-75 in JSTOR