German federal election, 1919

Electoral results by districts (in German), strongest parties:

  Social Democratic Party

  Independent Social Democratic Party

  Centre Party / Bavarian People's Party

  German National People's Party

hatched: occupied territory (Alsace-Lorraine, Posen) pending Treaty of Versailles

Federal elections were held in Germany on 19 January 1919. They were the first of the new Weimar Republic following World War I and the Revolution of 1918–19. It was also the first German election held using proportional representation and with women's suffrage. It is also reckoned as the first truly free and fair all-German election, as it was the first to be held after the scrapping of the old constituencies that grossly over-represented rural areas. The voting age was lowered to 20 (compared to 25 in the election of 1912).

From the subsequent first session on 6 February, the National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) functioned as both a constituent assembly and unicameral legislature. On 13 February President Friedrich Ebert appointed Philipp Scheidemann Reich Minister-President (the office was renamed Chancellor upon the promulgation of the Weimar Constitution in August), his government replaced the revolutionary Council of the People's Deputies. The supporting parties of the Weimar Coalition (SPD, Centre, DDP) together had gained 76.2% of the votes cast. Voter turnout was 83.0%.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats
Social Democratic Party	11,509,048	37.9	165
Christian People's Party	5,980,216	19.7	91
German Democratic Party	5,641,825	18.6	75
German National People's Party	3,121,479	10.3	44
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany	2,317,290	7.6	22
German People's Party	1,345,638	4.4	19
Bavarian Peasants' League	275,125	0.9	4
German-Hanoverian Party	77,226	0.3	1
Schleswig-Holsteinische Bauern- und Landarbeiterdemokratie	57,913	0.2	1
Braunschweig State Electoral Association	56,858	0.2	1
Mecklenburg Village League	10,891	0.0	0
German Peace Party	3,503	0.0	0
German Officials', Employees' and Middle Class Party	1,438	0.0	0
Christian Social Party	664	0.0	0
Middle Class Party	640	0.0	0
German Social Aristocracy	279	0.0	0
Democratic Middle Class Party	208	0.0	0
Social Reform Party	45	0.0	0
Invalid/blank votes	124,562	–	–
Total	30,524,848	100	423
Registered voters/turnout	37,362,100	83.0	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, Gonschior.de