Social Democratic Party of Germany facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Social Democratic Party of Germany Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
Abbreviation	SPD
General Secretary	Kevin Kühnert
Co-leaders	Saskia Esken Lars Klingbeil
Deputy Leaders	See list Klara Geywitz Hubertus Heil Thomas Kutschaty Serpil Midyatli Anke Rehlinger
Founded	27 May 1875; 150 years ago (1875-05-27)
Merger of	ADAV SDAP
Headquarters	Willy-Brandt-Haus D-10911 Berlin
Newspaper	Vorwärts
Student wing	Juso-Hochschulgruppen
Youth wing	Young Socialists in the SPD
Women's wing	Association of Social Democratic Women
LGBT+ wing	SPDqueer
Paramilitary wing	Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold (1924–33)
Membership (2024)	365,190
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Colours	Red
Bundestag	207 / 736
Bundesrat	19 / 69
State parliaments	455 / 1,894
European Parliament	14 / 96
Heads of State Governments	7 / 16
Party flag
Politics of Germany Political parties

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is a major political party in Germany. It is known for its centre-left views and its focus on social democracy. This means they believe in a fair society where everyone has equal chances.

Currently, Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil are the party's co-leaders. In 2021, Olaf Scholz from the SPD became the Chancellor. The SPD now leads the German government, working with the Greens and the Free Democratic Party. The SPD is also a key part of many state governments across Germany.

The SPD started way back in 1863. It was one of the first parties to be influenced by Marxist ideas. For many years, it was the biggest Marxist party in Europe and very popular in Germany. After World War II, the SPD was re-established. In 1959, the party changed its focus, moving away from Marxism to become a broader party that appeals to many different people.

The SPD has led the German government several times. They were in charge from 1969 to 1982, from 1998 to 2005, and again since 2021. They also worked as a junior partner in other governments. The SPD supports the European Union and works with other similar parties in Europe and around the world.

History of the SPD

The Social Democratic Party began when two groups, the General German Workers' Association (1863) and the Social Democratic Workers' Party (1869), joined together in 1875. They formed the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany. Even when laws tried to stop them from spreading socialist ideas between 1878 and 1890, the party still grew. In 1890, when the ban was lifted, they became the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Early Years and World War I

The SPD quickly became the most popular political party in Germany. They were the largest Marxist party in Europe. Even though they were strong, they were not part of the government. Before World War I, the SPD aimed for reforms through democracy.

When World War I started, the SPD supported Germany's war efforts. This caused some members to disagree. Those who were against the war left the party and formed the Independent Social Democratic Party.

The Weimar Republic Era

The SPD played a big role in the German Revolution of 1918–1919. On November 9, 1918, Friedrich Ebert, a leading SPD member, became chancellor. Another Social Democrat, Philipp Scheidemann, declared Germany a republic. The new government brought in many changes, like new civil liberties and labor rights.

The SPD government believed in parliamentary democracy. They used military force against more extreme communist groups. This led to a lasting split between the SPD and other left-wing groups. The SPD was the largest party for the first 13 years of the new Weimar Republic. In 1919, they won the election, and Ebert became the first president.

Later, the SPD lost some support. They were still part of the government until 1924. In 1928, the SPD's Hermann Müller became chancellor.

The Rise of the Nazis

When the Great Depression hit Germany, Müller resigned in 1930. The Nazi Party grew stronger, and Adolf Hitler became chancellor in 1933. The SPD was the only party in the Reichstag to vote against the Enabling Act of 1933, which gave Hitler special powers. Because of this, the SPD was banned in June 1933. Many members were arrested or killed, while others had to leave the country.

Post-War Germany

After World War II, the SPD was allowed to start again in West Germany in 1945. In East Germany, the SPD was forced to join with the Communist Party to form the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. This new party ruled East Germany until 1989.

In West Germany, the SPD became one of the two main parties. In 1959, the party changed its goals with the Godesberg Program. They moved away from Marxist ideas to attract more voters from the middle class.

After being in opposition for 17 years, the SPD joined a large coalition government with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1966 to 1969. In 1969, Willy Brandt of the SPD became chancellor. His government worked to improve relations with East Germany and other Eastern European countries. This policy was called Ostpolitik.

The SPD had its best election result in 1972. After Brandt resigned in 1974, Helmut Schmidt became chancellor until 1982.

Reunification and Recent Years

During the peaceful revolution in East Germany, the East German SPD was re-established. It then merged with the West German party in 1990, just before Germany became one country again.

The SPD returned to power in 1998 with Gerhard Schröder as chancellor. They formed a government with the Greens. This government was re-elected in 2002 but lost in 2005. The SPD then became a junior partner in a coalition with the CDU until 2009. After some time in opposition, they again joined a coalition with the CDU from 2013 to 2021.

In the 2021 election, the SPD won and became the largest party. Olaf Scholz became the new chancellor in December 2021, leading a government with the Green Party and the Free Democrats.

What the SPD Believes In

The SPD started as a Marxist party in 1875. Over time, their ideas changed a lot. The Godesberg Program in 1959 helped the party appeal to a wider range of voters.

Today, the SPD believes in democratic socialism. This means they want a society that is free, fair, and where everyone supports each other. They believe in a system where people have basic rights, and there is no unfair treatment.

Here are some key things the SPD believes in:

• They want to strengthen the social market economy. This system aims to ensure everyone in the country has enough to live well.
• The SPD strongly supports a welfare state. This means the government helps people with things like healthcare, education, and unemployment benefits.
• They also believe in careful fiscal policy. This means they are against too much government debt.
• In terms of social issues, they support civil and political rights for everyone. They want an open society.
• For foreign policy, the SPD wants to keep global peace. They believe in working with other countries through democratic means. European integration is very important to them.
• During the Israel–Hamas war, the party supported sending aid to Israel. They also spoke out against the actions of Hamas.
• The SPD supports rules for the economy to protect banks and people from big financial losses. They want a common European economic policy. This would help prevent financial problems and support environmentally friendly growth.

Different Views Within the Party

The SPD has two main groups of members. One group supports Keynesian social democracy. The other group is more moderate and belongs to the Seeheimer Kreis.

The more moderate group generally supports programs like "Agenda 2010." These programs were introduced by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The traditional social democrats, however, prefer older left-wing policies and a stronger welfare state. Some members even left the party because they felt the welfare state was being cut back. These members later joined a new party called The Left.

Where SPD Gets Its Support

Before World War II, the SPD was popular among non-Catholic workers. It also had support from thinkers who wanted social progress and more economic equality. After the war, the SPD changed to attract more voters. They still focus on the economic needs of union workers and the working class.

SPD's Geographic Support

Today, the SPD gets a lot of support from large cities. This is especially true in northern and western Germany, and in Berlin. Many of the biggest cities in Germany have SPD mayors.

The Ruhr Area, which used to be a big coal and steel region, has been a strong base for the SPD for a long time. The city of Bremen has been governed by the SPD since 1949.

In southern Germany, the SPD usually has less support. But they are still strong in the biggest cities there. The SPD is weakest in states like Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia. However, in the 2021 election, they gained more votes in the states that used to be East Germany.

SPD Leaders After World War II

The SPD has a federal leader, supported by six Deputy Leaders and a party executive. As of 2021, Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans were the leaders. Germany is a federal republic, so each state has its own SPD party.

Party Leaders

Leaders in the Bundestag

The Bundestag is the German parliament. These are the SPD leaders there.

SPD Federal Presidents

These SPD members have served as the President of Germany.

SPD Federal Chancellors

These SPD members have served as the Chancellor of Germany, the head of government.

SPD Vice Chancellors

These SPD members have served as the Vice-Chancellor of Germany.

Images for kids

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  SPD members in Reichstag 1889. Sitting from left to right: Georg Schumacher, Friedrich Harm, August Bebel, Heinrich Meister and Karl Frohme. Standing: Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Dietz, August Kühn, Wilhelm Liebknecht, Karl Grillenberger, and Paul Singer.

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  A widely publicized SPD election poster from 1932, with the Three Arrows symbol representing resistance against reactionary conservatism, Nazism and Communism, and with the slogan "Against Papen, Hitler, Thälmann"

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  SPD membership statistics (in thousands) since 1945. Despite heavy losses since 1990, the SPD is still the largest party in Germany, ahead of the CDU.

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  Sigmar Gabriel, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (2013–2018) and former chairman of the SPD

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  2021 federal election SPD results

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  Election results and governments since 1949

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  Constituency results, 1912

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  Constituency results, 1919

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  Constituency results, 1928

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  Constituency results, 1953

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  Constituency results, 1972

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  Constituency results, 1990

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  Constituency results, 1998

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  Constituency results, 2021

See also

• Bundestag (Federal Assembly of Germany)
• List of political parties in Germany
• Politics of Germany
• Weimar Republic