National Front (East Germany)
The National Front of the German Democratic Republic (German: Nationale Front der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, NF, until 1973: German: Nationale Front des Demokratischen Deutschlands) was an alliance (Popular Front) of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany (also known as a Blockpartei). The NF was controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and was formed to stand in elections to the East German parliament, the Volkskammer ("People's Chamber").
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[edit] Constituent parties
- Socialist Unity Party of Germany (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands: SED)
- Christian Democratic Union (Christlich-Demokratische Union: CDU)
- Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (Liberal-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands: LDPD)
- Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands: DBD)
- National Democratic Party of Germany (National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands: NDPD)
(all existing parties until 7 October 1989)
[edit] Constituent mass organisations
- Mass organisations with representatives in the People's Chamber of the GDR
- Free German Trade Union Federation (Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund; FDGB)
- Free German Youth (Freie Deutsche Jugand; FDJ)
- Democratic Women's League of Germany (Demokratischer Frauenbund Deutschlands: DFD)
- Cultural Association of the DDR (Kulturbund)
- Peasants Mutual Aid Association (Vereinigung der gegenseitigen Bauernhilfe, VdgB)
- Other organisations and associations
- Society for German–Soviet Friendship (Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft, DSF)
- Committee of Antifascist Resistance Fighters (Komitee der Antifaschistischen Widerstandskämpfer, KdAW)
- People's Solidarity (Volkssolidarität, VS)
- Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation (Pionierorganisation „Ernst Thälmann“, TP)
- Writers' Association of the GDR (Schriftstellerverband der DDR)
- Domowina (league of Sorbs)
[edit] History
The National Front was the successor to the Demokratischer Block which had been founded in the Soviet occupation zone. The Front itself was founded on March 30, 1950. It operated through the issuing of a generally consistent proportion of seats (divided between the Front's parties and SED-controlled mass organisations) submitted in the form of a single list of candidates during each election to the People's Chamber and based on a set quota rather than vote totals.[1] As the Front's list was the only one submitted it "won" with virtually unanimous levels of support.[2]
In 1950-1951, the public rejection of the validity of the list by some German politicians resulted in prison penalties for "rejecting the electoral law of the German Democratic Republic" (as in the case of LDPD leader Günther Stempel).
On December 5, 1989, the Front was effectively rendered impotent when the Christian Democratic Union and Liberal Democratic Party withdrew from it. On December 16 the ruling Socialist Unity Party was reformed into the Party of Democratic Socialism and distanced itself from prior SED policies. On February 20, 1990, an amendment to the Constitution of East Germany removed mention of the Front.[3]
[edit] Chairmen of the National Front
- Prof. Erich Correns (1950-1981)
- Prof. Lothar Kolditz (1981-1989)
[edit] See also
- Politics of East Germany
- List of Volkskammer members (9th election period)
- United Front (PRC) for a currently running system similar to the National Front of the DDR.
[edit] References
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard October 29, 1989. p. 5A.
- ^ Kurt Sontheimer & Wilhelm Bleek. The Government and Politics of East Germany. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1975. p. 66.
- ^ Peter E. Quint. The Imperfect Union: Constitutional Structures of German Unification. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. 1997. p. 37.
[edit] External links
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