Landtag of Württemberg-Hohenzollern
The first freely elected parliament of the postwar German state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
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Overview
The Landtag of Württemberg-Hohenzollern was the elected state parliament of Württemberg-Hohenzollern, a postwar German state established within the French occupation zone after the Second World War. It succeeded the Advisory State Assembly, a body of municipal delegates that had been charged with preparing a constitution for the new state. The Landtag was therefore both a legislative institution and a transitional element in the reconstruction of democratic government in southwestern Germany after the collapse of the Nazi regime. The first election took place on 18 May 1947, at the same time as a referendum on the constitution drafted by the Advisory State Assembly. The election produced a clear victory for the Christian Democratic Union, which received 54.2 percent of the vote and an absolute majority of seats. The Social Democratic Party received 20.8 percent, the Democratic People's Party 17.7 percent, and the Communist Party 7.3 percent. The result established a predominantly Christian Democratic parliamentary majority during the state's short period of existence. The Landtag first convened on 3 June 1947. Its meetings were held at Bebenhausen Abbey near Tübingen, which served as the seat of government and the practical meeting place of the parliament. The winter refectory was used for all 118 sessions because it was the only sufficiently large room that could be heated. Other rooms of the former monastery were adapted for parliamentary and governmental purposes: the president used the former royal breakfast room, the Blue Hall hosted official functions and proceedings, and the Green Hall served as a common room for members. At its opening meeting, the members elected Karl Gengler of the CDU as president. Fritz Fleck of the SPD and Karl Kübler of the DVP became the first and second vice-presidents. After Kübler resigned on 22 June 1948, Eduard Leuze of the DVP was elected to replace him. The parliament operated through five standing committees and was elected for a four-year term under the state constitution. The expected election in early 1951 did not take place because the three southwestern German states—Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Baden, and Württemberg-Baden—were moving toward consolidation. The term of the Landtag was extended by decree of President Gebhard Müller until the planned state merger. That extension became constitutionally necessary after the Federal Constitutional Court ruled on 9 September 1951 that the federal law intended to extend the Landtag's term was unconstitutional. The ruling was issued by the court's Second Senate and was the first judgment delivered by the newly established Federal Constitutional Court. Voters approved the constitutional amendment authorizing the extension at the same time as the referendum on the unification of the three states on 9 December 1951. Württemberg-Hohenzollern subsequently ceased to exist as a separate state when Baden-Württemberg was created. The Landtag consequently ended with the dissolution of the state and was replaced within the institutional framework of the new southwestern German state. It was not a commercial brand, but a historical legislative institution whose significance lies in postwar democratization, constitutional reconstruction, and the territorial reorganization of southwestern Germany.
History
Württemberg-Hohenzollern was created after the Second World War in the French occupation zone from the southern part of the former state of Württemberg and the Prussian Hohenzollern lands. As the occupation authorities and German administrators rebuilt public institutions, an Advisory State Assembly composed of municipal delegates prepared a constitution for the new state. The Landtag was established as the constitutionally grounded, freely elected successor to that advisory body. The inaugural parliamentary election took place on 18 May 1947 and coincided with a popular vote on the proposed constitution. The Christian Democratic Union won 54.2 percent of the vote and an absolute majority. The Social Democratic Party obtained 20.8 percent, the Democratic People's Party 17.7 percent, and the Communist Party 7.3 percent. The first sitting followed on 3 June 1947 in Tübingen. Members elected Karl Gengler of the CDU as president, with Fritz Fleck of the SPD and Karl Kübler of the DVP as deputies. The parliament used Bebenhausen Abbey as its meeting place. The former monastery was located in the Tübingen area and provided the physical setting for the state's institutions. Because the winter refectory was the only room large enough and capable of being heated, all 118 parliamentary sessions took place there. Additional rooms served administrative and ceremonial functions, including offices for the Landtag president and spaces for official events and members' informal use. The location reflected the material constraints of government in the immediate postwar period. The Landtag was intended to serve a four-year term, which would have led to another state election in early 1951. That timetable was overtaken by plans to merge the three southwestern states in the American and French occupation zones: Baden, Württemberg-Baden, and Württemberg-Hohenzollern. President Gebhard Müller extended the Landtag's term by decree until the unification could be completed. A federal statute had also sought to provide for the extension, but the Federal Constitutional Court rejected that law on 9 September 1951. The ruling, issued by the Second Senate, was the court's first decision and established an early constitutional precedent concerning the relationship between federal legislation and state institutions. Because of the court's ruling, a constitutional amendment within Württemberg-Hohenzollern was required. Voters approved the amendment on 9 December 1951 in a referendum held together with the vote on unifying the three states. The amendment allowed the Landtag to remain in office during the transition rather than holding a separate election immediately before the planned merger. The creation of Baden-Württemberg brought the short institutional history of Württemberg-Hohenzollern to an end. Its Landtag therefore functioned for only one electoral period, but it played a significant role in restoring representative government, implementing a state constitution, and managing the legal transition from occupation-era statehood to the postwar federal structure of southwestern Germany.
- 1952
End of the parliament with the creation of Baden-Württemberg
[1]The Landtag ceased to exist when Württemberg-Hohenzollern was incorporated into the newly formed state of Baden-Württemberg.
- 1951
Constitutional Court ruling on the Landtag's term
[1]The Federal Constitutional Court struck down the federal statute that would have extended the Landtag's term, prompting the need for a state constitutional amendment.
- 1951
Approval of term-extension amendment
[1]Voters approved the required constitutional amendment on 9 December 1951 in conjunction with the referendum on unifying the southwestern German states.
- 1948
Change in the deputy presidency
[1]After Karl Kübler resigned as second deputy president on 22 June, Eduard Leuze was elected to succeed him.
- 1947
First state election
[1]The first election to the Landtag was held on 18 May 1947 together with the referendum on the state constitution. The CDU won an absolute majority with 54.2 percent of the vote.
- 1947
First parliamentary sitting
[1]The Landtag met for the first time on 3 June 1947 in Tübingen and elected its initial presiding officers.
Products and positioning
A postwar democratic state legislature responsible for lawmaking, constitutional government, and parliamentary oversight in Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
Brand decisions
1951
Continue the Landtag during the state-unification transitionStrategyBackground
The parliament's original four-year term was due to end in early 1951, but the planned merger of Württemberg-Hohenzollern with Baden and Württemberg-Baden made an interim election undesirable.
Action taken
President Gebhard Müller extended the Landtag's term by decree until the three states could be unified. After the Federal Constitutional Court invalidated the relevant federal law, voters approved a state constitutional amendment authorizing the continuation.
Aftermath
The Landtag remained in place through the transition and ended when Baden-Württemberg was established.
1951
Respond to the Federal Constitutional Court rulingOtherBackground
The Federal Constitutional Court ruled on 9 September 1951 that the federal law extending the Landtag's term was unconstitutional.
Action taken
Württemberg-Hohenzollern pursued a constitutional amendment at the state level and submitted it to voters alongside the referendum on state unification.
Aftermath
The amendment was approved on 9 December 1951, providing a legal basis for the Landtag's continued operation until the merger.
Recent events
- 1951
Federal Constitutional Court rejects federal term-extension law[1]
Regulation · Other
On 9 September 1951, the Federal Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the federal law that would have extended the Landtag's term. The decision was the court's first ruling.
- 1951
Referendum on constitutional amendment and state unification[1]
Other
On 9 December 1951, voters approved the constitutional amendment needed to maintain the Landtag until the planned union of Baden, Württemberg-Baden, and Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
- 1948
Karl Kübler resigns as second deputy president[1]
Leadership change
Karl Kübler left the office of second deputy president on 22 June 1948. Eduard Leuze was subsequently elected to the position.
- 1947
First election to the Landtag of Württemberg-Hohenzollern[1]
Other
The first state election was held on 18 May 1947 alongside a referendum on the constitution of Württemberg-Hohenzollern. The CDU won an absolute majority, followed by the SPD, DVP, and KPD.
- 1947
Constituent meeting of the Landtag[1]
Leadership change
The newly elected parliament held its first meeting in Tübingen on 3 June 1947 and established its presiding officers.
Sources1 sources
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