Reich President facts for kids

The Reich President (German: Reichspräsident) was the president (head of state) of the German Reich during the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) and Nazi Germany (1933-1945).

The Reich President was the successor of the German emperor. He had more power than the current Federal President (Bundespräsident).

The Reich President was elected for a seven-year term by the German people, and could be re-elected. He was the head of the army, appointed and relieved the Reich Chancellor (Reichskanzler), and could also send away the Reichstag.

The Reich President was supposed to exercise the legislative power with the Reichstag but due to the instable situation of the Weimar Republic, he was often bypassing the Reichstag by using special legislation. This was the case during the early years of the Reich Presidency and especially in the early 1930s. During the Hitler period the Reichstag was just show.

Presidents

Weimar Republic:

• Friedrich Ebert (1919-1925, SPD, died in office)
• Hans Luther (1925, no political party, acting)
• Walter Simons (1925, no political party, acting)
• Paul von Hindenburg (1925-1933, no political party, re-elected in 1932)

Nazi Germany:

• Paul von Hindenburg (1933-1934, no political party, died in office)
• Adolf Hitler (1934-1945, NSDAP, killed himself)
• Karl Dönitz (1945, NSDAP, imprisoned)

• Presidents and Assemblies, Chapter 4. Matthew Soberg Shugart, John M. Carey. Cambridge University Press. 1992.

Images for kids

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  Candidate Karl Jarres (conservatives and national liberals) in 1925, first round.

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  Propaganda for Paul von Hindenburg, right-wing candidate in the second round of 1925.

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  Propaganda at a poll site, 12 April 1932.

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  Friedrich Ebert, president 1919–1925, painted by Lovis Corinth in 1924.

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  Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg (center) at the Reichstag, 1 January 1931.

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  The Reichstag, 12 September 1932: Chancellor Franz von Papen (standing left) who wants to declare the dismission, above at the right the Reichstag president Hermann Göring (NSDAP) who looks the other way.

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  Paul von Hindenburg, president 1925–1934, painted by Max Liebermann in 1927.

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Alemania (1919-1945) para niños