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Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany

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The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany ( German : Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands , USPD ) was a short-lived political party in Germany during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic . The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of anti-war members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), from the left of the party as well as the centre and the right. The organization attempted to chart a course between electorally oriented reformism on the one hand and Bolshevist revolutionism on the other. After several splits and mergers, the last part of the organization was terminated in 1931 through merger with the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany (SAPD).

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92-573: On 21 December 1915, several SPD members in the Reichstag , the German parliament, voted against the authorization of further credits to finance World War I , an incident that emphasized existing tensions between the party's leadership and the pacifists surrounding Hugo Haase and ultimately led to the expulsion of the group from the SPD on 24 March 1916. To be able to continue their parliamentary work,

184-426: A cold semi-arid climate (BSk). Using the most current climate data from April 2017 to March 2022, the annual precipitation is 17 mm too much to be classified as a cold semi-arid climate. For example, using the climate data from September 2015 to August 2020, the climate would fulfill the requirements to be classified as a cold semi-arid climate. Notwithstanding, the great variation of annual precipitation between

276-466: A center for Pietism , a movement encouraged by King Frederick William I of Prussia (reigned 1713–1740) because it caused the area's large Lutheran population to be more inclined to Fredrick William I's religion ( Calvinism ), as well as more loyal to the Prussian king instead of to the decentralized feudal system. By the 1740s Halle had established many orphanages as well as schools for the wealthy in

368-559: A common working group on 14 July 1922. Two months later on 24 September, the parties officially merged again after a joint party convention in Nürnberg , adopting the name of United Social Democratic Party of Germany ( Vereinigte Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands , VSPD) which was shortened again to SPD in 1924. Elements of the USPD continued as an independent party led by Georg Ledebour and Theodor Liebknecht , who refused to work with

460-756: A consequence security measures at Jewish facilities were increased. Halle has a population of about 238,000 and is the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt State. In the East Germany era, Halle had a lot of big industry with many workplaces. At the time Halle was one of the leading cities in East Germany, along with Leipzig and Dresden . Halle reached its highest population in 1991 with about 305,000 people. Since German reunification , Halle's population began to decline due to its loss of industry, with many people moving to former West Germany . Halle

552-440: A large factory owned by Orgacid  [ de ] produced mustard gas . Near the end of World War II, there were two bombing raids carried out against the town: the first on 31 March 1945, the second a few days later. The first attack took place between the railway station and the city's centre, and the second bombing was in the southern district. It killed over 1,000 inhabitants and destroyed 3,600 buildings. Among them, are

644-512: A longer period than the budget, which limited parliament's leeway, and contributions from the states were outside the Reichstag's competence. Parliament could reject new revenues, but it could not impose them on its own. Article 70 of the constitution stated that additional revenues "shall be raised, as long as no taxes of the Empire shall have been established, by assessing the several States of

736-552: A matter for the emperor. He needed the consent of the Bundesrat but not the Reichstag. For any area of government action, the Reichstag had the right of petition or interpellation (interruption of the order of the day by demanding an explanation from a minister). An interpellation required the consent of 30 deputies. The chancellor was not obliged to appear in the Reichstag or to answer questions. In practice, however, chancellors did so in order to justify their positions. Control of

828-434: A notable number of Olympic gold medallists and world champions, mainly in nautical and watersports, e.g., swimmer Kornelia Ender won four Olympic gold medals in 1976 and Andreas Hajek won four rowing world championships between 1998 and 2001. The basketball team of the club – these days known as Lions and focusing on the woman's team which plays in the national first division – won five men's and 10 women's championships of

920-436: A parliamentary democracy attracted many former SPD members and in spring 1920 the USPD had grown to more than 750,000 members, managing to increase their share of votes to 17.9% during the parliamentary elections on 6 June 1920 and becoming one of the largest factions in the new Reichstag , second only to the SPD (21.7%). During that period, the USPD briefly published a newspaper, Arbeiterpost . In 1920, four delegates from

1012-589: A strike demanding an end to the war and better food provisioning that was organized by revolutionaries affiliated with the USPD and officially supported by the party, the USPD quickly rose to about 120,000 members. The USPD reached a settlement with the SPD as the German Revolution began and even became part of the government in the form of the Rat der Volksbeauftragten ( Council of the People's Deputies ), which

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1104-483: A unique uniform with eighteen silver buttons, were known as Halloren , and this name was later used for the chocolates in the shape of these buttons. The Halloren-Werke , the oldest chocolate factory in Germany, was founded in 1804. Old documents are on display and a chocolate room can be visited. Within East Germany , Halle's chemical industry, now mainly shut down, was of great importance. The two main companies in

1196-520: A whole. Military budgets were set for a period of seven years, dropping later to five. It was very difficult to reduce the military budget, and even attempts to influence individual items met with problems. In the years between the adoption of a new military budget, parliament had no say in what was by far the Reich's largest area of expenditure. There were also limits to parliamentary influence over revenue. Indirect taxes and customs duties were fixed for

1288-827: Is at the heart of the larger Central German Metropolitan Region . Halle lies in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Leipzig Bay , the southernmost part of the North German Plain , and is the largest city on the River Saale (a tributary of the Elbe ), which is the third-longest river flowing entirely in Germany after the Weser and the Main . The White Elster flows into the Saale in the southern borough of Silberhöhe. Halle

1380-655: Is connected with the harvesting of salt. The name of the river Saale contains the Germanic root for salt, and salt-harvesting has taken place in Halle since at least the Bronze Age (2300–600 BC). From 1965 to 1995, the official name was Halle/Saale . The earliest documented mention of Halle dates from AD 806. It became a part of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg in the 10th century and remained so until 1680, when

1472-584: Is mostly used by suburban S-Bahn trains and unsuitable for the high-speed network) and the route via Halle is shorter, Halle is used as an intermediate stop by many Berlin-Munich trains. Leipzig/Halle Airport (opened in 1927) is an international airport located in Schkeuditz, Saxony, and serves both Leipzig, Saxony, and Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. As of 2018 it is Germany's 11th largest airport by passengers, handling more than 2.57 million mainly with flights to European leisure destinations. In terms of cargo traffic,

1564-462: Is now considered one of the poorest cities in Germany. Halle's foreign population began to grow in 2015 after refugees from Syria and other war torn countries moved to Halle. Population of foreign residents: The current mayor of Halle is independent politician Bernd Wiegand since 2012. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 October 2019, with a runoff held on 27 October, and the results were as follows: The most recent city council election

1656-638: Is one of the most extensive German tramway networks, and Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the second-most important hub of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland rapid transit network after Leipzig Hauptbahnhof . The Saale-Elster Viaduct , the longest bridge in Germany and longest high-speed rail bridge in Europe, which is part of the Erfurt–Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway , runs through the southern borough of Planena. The Nebra sky disc that

1748-631: Is the Halle (Saale) tramway network . It includes the world's first major electric-powered inner-city tram line, which was opened in 1891. Halle (Saale) Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station. Halle's prominence as a railway centre grew with the arrival of the Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle high-speed railway . Leipzig is also connected to this route, but since it is mostly a terminus station (the Leipzig City Tunnel , opened in 2013,

1840-638: Is the fourth-largest city in the Thuringian - Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz. Halle is one of the main economic and educational centers of Central Germany . The Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , with campuses in Halle and Wittenberg , is the largest university in Saxony-Anhalt and one of the oldest universities in Germany. The university hospital of Halle ( Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale) )

1932-425: Is the largest hospital in the state. The German National Academy of Sciences ( Leopoldina ) has its seat in Halle. Halle is an important radio hub - Halle Radio Tower is Germany's second-tallest lattice tower, and at night many public German radio stations from all over the country switch to the broadcasting center of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk in Halle which is responsible for the night program. The Halle tramway

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2024-612: The Stadtsingechor zu Halle  [ de ] , which was founded before the year 1116 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world. The University of Halle was founded here in 1694. It is now combined with the University of Wittenberg and called the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg . The university's medical school was established by Friedrich Hoffmann . Its botanical garden ,

2116-612: The Allies , parliament enacted constitutional reforms that required the Reichstag's approval for declaring war and making peace and that made the chancellor dependent on the confidence of the Reichstag rather than the emperor. But the reforms were not enough for either the Allies or the people of Germany, and in the German Revolution of 1918–1919 , brought an end to the Reichstag of the German Empire. Reichstag elections were held in

2208-634: The Botanische Garten der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg , dates back to 1698. Halle's German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina is the oldest and one of the most respected scientific societies in Germany. Halle is also home to Germany's oldest Protestant church library, known as the Marienbibliothek  [ de ] , with 27,000 titles. The seat of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology , one of

2300-669: The Margraviate of Brandenburg annexed it together with Magdeburg as the Duchy of Magdeburg , while it was an important location for Martin Luther 's Reformation in the 16th century. Cardinal Albert of Mainz ( Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1513 to 1545) also impacted on the town in this period. According to historic documents, the city of Halle became a member of the Hanseatic League at least as early as 1281. Halle became

2392-661: The Market Church , St. George Church, the Old Town Hall, the municipal theatre, historic buildings on Bruederstrasse and on Grosse Steinstrasse, and the city cemetery. On 17 April 1945, American soldiers occupied Halle, and the Red Tower was set on fire by artillery and destroyed. The Market Church and the Church of St. George received more hits. However, the city was spared further damage because an aerial bombardment

2484-614: The Nebra sky disk , a significant Bronze-Age find with astronomical significance. Halle Zoo contributes to the EAZA breeding programme, in particular for the Angolan lion and the Malaysian tiger . Halle is also known for its thriving coypu (or nutria) population, which is native to South America. With writers such as Heine , Eichendorff , Schleiermacher , Tieck and Novalis the town

2576-400: The Bundesrat, the latter's importance in everyday constitutional life gradually diminished. On the first reading of a bill, only a general debate on the principles of the draft was to take place. Not until the second reading were the individual articles allowed to be debated. At that point amendments could also be proposed. In the third reading, there was to be a synthesis of the results from

2668-493: The Empire according to their population, the amount of the assessment to be fixed by the chancellor of the Empire in accordance with the budget agreed upon." Also in the area of foreign policy, parliament's rights of participation were limited. Only in customs, trade, transport and similar areas was approval of international treaties required (Articles 4 and 11). In the making of alliances, agreements did not even need to be made known to parliament. Declarations of war or peace were

2760-658: The First World War, but was prevented from sitting during the German Revolution of 1918–1919 . Its last session took place on 26 October 1918. Its successors were the Weimar National Assembly (February 1919 to June 1920), followed by the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic that met for the first time in June of 1920. The 1871 Constitution of the German Empire did not change the legal form of

2852-651: The German Democratic Republic. The Hallescher FC's location is extremely close to a train station. Halle is twinned with: Halle also has friendly relations with: Halle (Saale) and Leipzig are the two centres of the Central German Metropolitan Region with more than 2.4 million people. Magdeburg , which is the 2nd largest city in Saxony-Anhalt and its state capital has a big rivalry with Halle since

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2944-417: The Reichstag enforced a period of one year. If unbudgeted expenditures occurred, a supplementary budget had to be passed. The Reichstag did not vote on the total amount as Bismarck had originally envisaged; instead the expenditures were broken down in detail, and the Reichstag could discuss each item separately. In this context, the discussion of the budget became the central debate on the government's actions as

3036-503: The Reichstag were public (Article 22 of the Reich Constitution), and the press reported widely on the debates. The electoral period was three years until 1888, then five. The Reichstag had no right of self-assembly but was convened annually by the emperor , an act that proved to be a formality. The Bundesrat was allowed to dissolve the Reichstag with the emperor's consent. New elections had to be held within sixty days, and

3128-583: The SPD, but it never attained any significance again. The party got 20,275 votes in the 1928 Reichstag election , but it won no seats. It merged into the Socialist Workers' Party of Germany ( Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei Deutschland , SAPD) in 1931. Reichstag (German Empire) The Reichstag ( German: [ˈʁaɪçstaːk] ) of the German Empire was Germany's lower House of Parliament from 1871 to 1918. Within

3220-587: The USPD ( Ernst Däumig , Arthur Crispien , Walter Stoecker and Wilhelm Dittmann ) attended the 2nd World Congress of the Comintern to discuss participating in the Comintern . Whilst Däumig and Stoecker agreed with the International's 21 conditions of entry, Crispien and Dittmann opposed them, leading to a controversial debate over joining the Comintern to break out in the USPD. Many members felt that

3312-574: The USPD in order to merge with other left-wing groups and form the Communist Party of Germany ( Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands , KPD). During the elections for the National Assembly on 19 January 1919 from which the SPD emerged as the strongest party with 37.9% of the votes, the USPD only managed to attract 7.6%. Nevertheless, the party's strong support for the introduction of a system of councils ( Räterepublik ) instead of

3404-413: The addition of fifteen electoral districts to Alsace–Lorraine in 1874, there were 397 until the end of the Empire in 1918. The electoral districts were initially drawn to include about 100,000 people each, with the exception of eight small states that formed their own electoral districts even though they had fewer than 100,000 inhabitants. Since the electoral district boundaries were based on the borders of

3496-574: The airport is the fifth-busiest in Europe and the second-busiest in Germany after Frankfurt Airport . The football team Hallescher FC Wacker 1900 had some regional importance before World War II. In the German Championship Wacker reached the semi-finals in 1921, and the quarter-finals in 1928. The successor team became East German champions in 1949 and 1952 under the names of ZSG Union and BSG Turbine Halle . From these evolved today's Turbine Halle and Hallescher FC . In

3588-415: The appointment or dismissal of the chancellor, which was a matter for the emperor. In practice, however, no policy could be implemented in the long term against the will of the Reichstag because it had to pass the laws by a majority vote and approve the budget. The chancellor therefore needed the Reichstag's political support even if he did not have to resign in the event of a vote of no confidence. Although

3680-515: The area of former East Germany after ( East ) Berlin , Leipzig , Dresden and Chemnitz , as well as the 31st-largest city of Germany. With around 244,000 inhabitants, it is slightly more populous than the state capital, Magdeburg . With Leipzig, the largest city of Saxony , Halle forms the polycentric Leipzig-Halle conurbation. Leipzig/Halle International Airport lies between the two cities, in Schkeuditz . The Leipzig-Halle conurbation

3772-411: The capital of the administrative district ( Bezirk ) of Halle. When Saxony-Anhalt was re-established as a Bundesland in 1990, Magdeburg , not Halle, became the capital. On 9 October 2019, two people were killed in a shooting incident at a synagogue in Halle. The Federal Prosecutor (Generalbundesanwalt) classified the attack as an act of right-wing terrorism stemming from antisemitism ; as

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3864-457: The chancellor was not accountable to parliament, he still depended on parliament's approval for laws and the budget. The newly formed Reich needed additional laws, and the increasingly complex economy and society led to a further need for legal regulations. By at times voting down major proposals supported by both the government and the emperor, the Reichstag showed its growing importance in the law-making process. Universal manhood suffrage (one of

3956-743: The city), which is now in the Museum Ludwig in Cologne. This painting appeared on a 55 eurocent stamp on 5 December 2002 as a part of the series "Deutsche Malerei des 20. Jahrhunderts" (German painting of the 20th century). Ludwig Wucherer made Halle an important rail hub in central Germany. In 1840 he opened the Magdeburg-Halle-Leipzig line , completing a connection between Magdeburg and Dresden . From 1841 to 1860, other lines to Erfurt , Kassel and Berlin followed. The centrepiece of Halle's urban public transport system

4048-422: The council. In 1899 the president assumed the function himself. Under Article 23 of the constitution, one of the Reichstag's central rights was that it could propose bills (its legislative initiative) and that a bill could become law only with its consent. The Reichstag shared both rights with the Bundesrat (Article 16). Even though no law could be enforced against the will of the state governments represented in

4140-591: The eastern suburbs. In 1815 Halle became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony . During World War II , KZ-Außenlager Birkhahn , a subcamp of Buchenwald was in Halle, where prisoners from Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union , France, Netherlands and other nations were forced to work in the Siebel aircraft plants, making combat aircraft. The plant was later dismantled. In Ammendorf ,

4232-494: The era of the German Democratic Republic, the latter club (as Chemie Halle ) was a mainstay in the first division and won the Cup tournament in 1956 and 1962. The most prominent player was 72-times international Bernd Bransch , who was with Chemie in the 1960s and 1970s. These days, Hallescher FC usually plays in the third division. The general sports club SV Halle  [ de ] , originating from Chemie Halle , created

4324-466: The exception of the 1907 election , new elections no longer brought any changes that would have improved the government's position. On the other hand, the contrast between the political camps continued to intensify, making joint action against the government more difficult. In October 1918, with the prospect of imminent defeat in World War I and in the hope of obtaining more favorable peace terms from

4416-435: The executive was further developed in the committees. A minor reform of the Reichstag's rules of procedure in 1912 introduced the right of each deputy to put a minor question to the Reich chancellor. The question was answered without subsequent debate. Furthermore, the right of interpellation was extended by allowing the question under discussion to be put to a vote. Under the constitution, the Reichstag had no direct influence on

4508-571: The federal structure of the Reich required that each state have a seat regardless of population, as was notably the case in Schaumburg-Lippe , with a population of about 45,000 in 1912. An 1869 electoral law stipulated that it was parliament and not a statutory order by the administration that adjusted electoral boundaries to reflect population changes. The Reichstag was suspicious of the administration because it had regularly manipulated district boundaries in Prussian state elections. But in

4600-405: The first and second readings. Newly proposed motions had to have the support of at least thirty deputies. Finally, the entire draft was put to a vote. The Reichstag's core responsibility was its budgetary authority and thus the decision on the Reich's budget in the form of a law (Article 69). Otto von Bismarck , who was Chancellor from 1871 to 1890, had proposed a budget covering three years, but

4692-423: The first round, a runoff election was held between the two candidates with the highest number of votes. Runoff elections became increasingly important during the life of the Empire. Whereas in the 1874 Reichstag election , runoffs had to be held in 46 of the 397 electoral districts (11.6%), in the 1890 election there were 147 (37%) and 190 in 1912 (47.9%). In 1871 the Reichstag consisted of 382 deputies. After

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4784-415: The floor if they disobeyed, or exclude them from the session. It was inadmissible to enter into a debate about the emperor. If a member dared to do so, the president intervened. The members of the Bundesrat enjoyed a special position in parliament. They were not subject to the presidential power of order and had the right to be heard. The chancellor as such did not have the right to speak, but in practice he

4876-512: The following decades, the Bundesrat, as a part of parliament, prevented a legislative adjustment of electoral districts. Deputies were considered representatives of the entire German people and under the constitution were not bound by instructions. They enjoyed immunity from prosecution on the basis of their office and security against loss or other financial burden (indemnity), as well as protection from disciplinary sanctions resulting from their political actions as parliamentarians. Strong emphasis

4968-475: The following years: Halle, Saxony-Anhalt Halle (Saale) , or simply Halle ( German: [ˈhalə] ; from the 15th to the 17th century: Hall in Sachsen ; until the beginning of the 20th century: Halle an der Saale [ˈhalə ʔan deːɐ̯ ˈzaːlə] ; from 1965 to 1995: Halle/Saale ) is the largest city of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt . It is the fifth-most populous city in

5060-482: The government depended on its internal political makeup. The German multi-party system made it difficult to form parliamentary majorities. Bismarck played the parties against each other, relying on shifting majorities or compliant coalitions. After the turn to a more conservative Reichstag in 1878–79, the parties often confined themselves to either reacting to or obstructing government measures. The parties' limited willingness to compromise among themselves made it easier for

5152-472: The government to achieve its goals. It resorted if necessary to dissolving the Reichstag, the possibility of which always played a background role for parliamentary decisions. After the Bismarck era, the threat of dissolution became less and less important. The fact that fixed political electoral camps were forming played a role in the change. There were few non-voters left for the government to win over. With

5244-531: The governmental structure of the Reich, it represented the national and democratic element alongside the federalism of the Bundesrat and the monarchic and bureaucratic element of the executive, embodied in the Reich chancellor . Together with the Bundesrat, the Reichstag had legislative power and shared in decision-making on the budget. It also had certain rights of control over the executive branch and could engage

5336-616: The group formed the Social Democratic Working Group ( Sozialdemokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft , SAG). Concerns from the SPD leadership and Friedrich Ebert that the SAG was intent on dividing the SPD then led to the expulsion of the SAG members from the SPD on 18 January 1917. On 6 April 1917, the USPD was founded at a conference in Gotha , with Hugo Haase as the party's first chairman. The Spartakusbund also merged into

5428-490: The individual German states, some electoral districts consisted of widely separated areas. The fragmentation was particularly pronounced in the Thuringian states . Due to differing rates of population growth caused primarily by internal migration to the big cities and industrial centers, large differences arose in the populations of the individual electoral districts. In 1912 there were twelve electoral districts with fewer than 75,000 inhabitants and twelve with more than 400,000,

5520-456: The largest of which, electoral district 10 in Potsdam , had 1,282,000. The layout of the electoral districts, which was based on the 1864 census and did not change afterwards, disadvantaged those political parties that had their constituencies primarily in the cities. The small electoral districts that coincided with individual "dwarf" states continued to send one deputy to the Reichstag because

5612-488: The largest state in the Empire, used a three-class franchise in elections to the Prussian House of Representatives , with votes weighted by the amount of tax paid. Since it was thought that allowing men in active military service to vote would politicize the military, they were denied the franchise, although they had the right to stand for election. Also ineligible to vote were men dependent on public assistance for

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5704-414: The majority principle, but were made unanimously. From around 1890, parties were represented in the body according to their strength. If the Reichstag president did not come from a strong party, he had to follow the council to a greater extent than if he came from a strong one. Until 1884 members of the presidium were not members of the council of elders. After that, the first vice president was also head of

5796-413: The most liberal voting rights of its time) resulted in large-scale political mobilization. Voter turnout rose from 51% in 1871 to 85% in 1912. Parties and interest groups of all kinds formulated their interests and effectively brought them to bear in parliament. The Reichstag thus also held a key position in the Reich's institutionalized decision-making structure. The Reichstag's position with respect to

5888-408: The name USPD. Led by Georg Ledebour and Arthur Crispien , they advocated a parliamentary democracy . The USPD was instrumental in the creation of the 2½ International in 1921. Over time, the political differences between SPD and USPD dwindled. Following the assassination of foreign minister Walther Rathenau by right-wing extremists in June 1922, the two parties' factions in the Reichstag formed

5980-606: The necessary requirements for joining would lead to a loss of the party's independence and a perceived dictate from Moscow while others, especially younger members such as Ernst Thälmann , argued that only the joining of the Comintern would allow the party to implement its socialist ideals. Ultimately, the proposition to join the Comintern was approved at a party convention in Halle in October 1920 by 237 votes to 156, with various international speakers including Julius Martov , Jean Longuet and Grigory Zinoviev . The USPD split up in

6072-434: The newly elected Reichstag had to be convened after 90 days at the latest. The Reichstag was dissolved only four times: in 1878 , 1887 , 1893 , and 1906 . The initiative always came from the chancellor, who hoped that the Reichstag parties supporting him would gain seats. Such an outcome was uncertain, which was a main factor behind the low number of Reichstag dissolutions. The Reichstag based its internal organization on

6164-626: The newly founded party, but it retained relative autonomy. To avoid confusion, the existing SPD was typically called the Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany ( Mehrheits-SPD or MSPD, majority-SPD) from then on. Luise Zietz was one of the main agitators in favor of a split in the party in 1917. She became a leader in the creation of the USPD's women's movement. Following the Januarstreik in January 1918,

6256-435: The office financially. Candidates who were not wealthy or civil servants were thus at a disadvantage. Lawyers and journalists, for example, were able to combine being a member of parliament with their profession. Max Weber also counted Prussian Junkers , industrialists, pensioners and high officials among the group. The majority of businessmen, on the other hand, were rarely free because of the demands of their occupation. This

6348-570: The parliament as it had been laid down for the Reichstag of the North German Confederation in its 1867 constitution . Members were elected by universal, equal and secret manhood suffrage, with the voting age set at 25. The suffrage was quite extensive both in comparison to other countries and to the various German state parliaments. In most countries at that time, votes were not equal but weighted by such factors as class or income ( census suffrage ). Prussia , for example,

6440-563: The poor, those over whose assets bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings had been initiated, and those who had been declared incapacitated or been deprived of their civil rights by a court judgment. In the 1912 Reichstag elections , 22.2% of the population (14.442 million men) were eligible to vote; by comparison the figures were 16% in Great Britain and 28% in the United States. The percentage eligible to vote in Reichstag elections

6532-438: The process, with both groups seeing themselves as the rightful USPD and the other one as being outcast. On 4 December 1920, the left wing of the USPD with about 400,000 members merged into the KPD, forming the United Communist Party of Germany ( Vereinigte Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands , VKPD) while the other half of the party, with about 340,000 members-including three quarters of the USPD's 81 Reichstag members-continued under

6624-509: The public through its debates. The emperor had little political power, and over time the position of the Reichstag strengthened with respect to both the imperial government and the Bundesrat. Reichstag members were elected for three-year terms from 1871 to 1888 and following that for five years. It had one of the most progressive electoral laws of its time: with only a few restrictions, all men 25 and older were allowed to vote, secretly and equally, in direct elections. The Reichstag met throughout

6716-521: The region were Buna-Werke and Leuna , and Halle-Neustadt was built in the 1960s to accommodate the employees of these two factories. Baroque composer Georg Friedrich Händel (later George Frideric Handel ) was born in Halle in 1685 and spent the first 17 years of his life in the city. The house where he lived is now a museum about his life. To celebrate his music, Halle has staged a Handel Festival since 1922, annually in June since 1952. The Franckesche Stiftungen (Francke Foundations) are home to

6808-451: The respective party leadership. They financed themselves through contributions from members. Regular meetings were held to discuss parliamentary procedure. There was no compulsion to belong to a parliamentary party. The threat of exclusion was nevertheless an important means of internal discipline. Abstaining from a vote was often the option for members in disagreement. Party discipline became more and more prevalent as time went on. Discipline

6900-440: The rules of procedure for the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic, there was no specification of the numbers or tasks of committees. Reichstag members elected a president and his deputies. The president represented the parliament externally and had the task of maintaining internal order. He set the agenda, and members could reject it only by a majority vote. The president could call speakers to order, request that they be deprived of

6992-427: The rules of procedure of the Prussian House of Representatives . They remained in force until 1922, after the end of the Empire. The expansion of parliamentary committees was halting. The number of members depended on the strength of the parliamentary parties. In the council of elders ( Seniorenkonvent ), generally made up of members of the parties' leadership, agreement was reached on committee chairmanships. Unlike

7084-568: The sober style Pietism encouraged. This Halle education was the first time the "modern education" system was established. The Halle Pietists also combatted poverty. During the War of the Fourth Coalition , French and Prussian forces clashed in the Battle of Halle on 17 October 1806. The fighting moved from the covered bridges on the city's west side, through the streets and market place, to

7176-702: The socialist free trade unions . In the conservative camp, the German Agrarian League ( Bund der Landwirte ) supported Reichstag members financially and expected political support in return. Industrial associations and the Catholic Church acted similarly. A government-funded expense allowance was made available in 1906, but the 3,000 marks per year was too little to live on. The makeup of the Reichstag showed that these types of financial provisions could not prevent something like professional political class from developing. The proceedings of

7268-542: The surrounding plains and the greater part of the neighboring Free State of Thuringia just to its south, and the Thuringian basin, northwards from the Thuringian Forest . Leipzig, one of Germany's major cities, is only 35 kilometres (22 mi) away. Its area is 135.01 km (52.13 sq mi). Köppen climate classification classifies its climate as oceanic (Cfb). However, it is close to being

7360-777: The world's largest social anthropological research institutions and a part of the Max Planck Society , is in Halle. Halle was a centre of German Pietism and played an important role in establishing the Lutheran church in North America, when Henry Muhlenberg and others were sent as missionaries to Pennsylvania in the mid-18th century. Muhlenberg is now called the first Patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America. He and his son, Frederick Muhlenberg , who

7452-435: The years allows agriculture and large trees to grow, surviving recurring drought periods and years like in the summers of 2018 and 2019 with severe drought because of regularly occurring wet periods and years and absence of extremely high temperatures - never reaching 40 °C (104 °F). With its vegetation, Halle is far from the steppe or semi-desert vegetation typical of cold semi-arid climates. Halle's early history

7544-480: Was a vibrant scene of the German Romanticism . Also Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a regular guest at the house of his close friend Johann Friedrich Reichardt . German-American expressionist painter Lyonel Feininger worked in Halle on an invitation by the city from 1929 to 1931. As one of eleven views of the city termed Halle Cycle , he painted in 1931 Die Türme über der Stadt (The towers above

7636-468: Was almost always a member of the Bundesrat. Parliamentary parties were not mentioned in parliamentary rules, but they de facto played a decisive role. They chose members of the presidium that was responsible for routine administrative activities and decided on speakers and the composition of committees. The parliamentary groups in the Empire were generally associations of deputies from the same party. The parties elected an executive committee, usually from

7728-597: Was also significantly higher than in German state elections, such as in Prussia , Bavaria and Saxony , where the right to vote was subject to additional conditions. Elections were held in districts that elected a single member by absolute majority, which meant that – unlike under the proportional representation of the Weimar Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany – there were only directly elected deputies. If no candidate received an absolute majority in

7820-663: Was canceled, after former naval officer Felix von Luckner negotiated the city's surrender to the American army. In July, the Americans withdrew and the city was occupied by the Red Army . After World War II, Halle served as the capital of the short-lived administrative region of Saxony-Anhalt until 1952, when the East German government abolished its "Länder" (states). As a part of East Germany (until 1990), it functioned as

7912-584: Was discovered in Nebra in the Unstrut valley between Halle and Erfurt , is exhibited in the Halle State Museum of Prehistory . The city is the birthplace of composer George Frideric Handel , who was born in the Handel House that has been converted into a music museum. Halle (Saale) is located in the southern part of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, along the river Saale which drains

8004-421: Was even more true for workers. Financial compensation could come through support from a member's party or an interest group. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) paid its deputies a kind of salary from 1876 on. Numerous parliamentarians were also employed as party functionaries or journalists for the party press. In 1898 about 40% of Social Democratic deputies were party employees and another 15–20% were employed by

8096-590: Was formed on 10 November 1918 and mutually led by Ebert and Haase during the German Revolution. However, the agreement did not last long as Haase, Wilhelm Dittmann and Emil Barth left the council on 29 December 1918 to protest the SPD's use of military force during the sailors' uprising in Berlin. At the same time, the Spartakusbund, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht , separated from

8188-657: Was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows: Salt, also known as white gold , was extracted from four "Borns" (well-like structures). The four Borns/brine named Gutjahrbrunnen, Meteritzbrunnen, Deutscher Born and Hackeborn, were located around the Hallmarket (or "Under Market"), now a market square with a fountain, just across from the TV station, MDR . The brine was highly concentrated and boiled in Koten , simple structured houses made from reed and clay. Salters, who wore

8280-399: Was placed on the separation between the executive and parliament. A deputy who was appointed Reich chancellor or a state secretary (minister) subordinate to him, or to a state government, had to resign his seat in the Reichstag. No allowances were paid because there were to be no professional politicians. In practice this meant that deputies had to have the time available and be able to afford

8372-603: Was the first Speaker of the United States House of Representatives , were graduates of Halle University. The Silver Treasure of the Halloren is displayed occasionally at the Technical Museum Saline. It is a unique collection of silver and gold goblets dating back to 1266. The ancient craft of "Schausieden" (boiling of the brine) can be observed there too. The State Museum of Prehistory houses

8464-422: Was weakest in the middle-class parties in which individual voting behavior was for a long time not uncommon. The council of elders operated outside the official rules of procedure. As the governing body of the Reichstag, leading representatives of the parties came together to vote on such matters as the agenda, committee appointments and procedural issues. The decisions of the council of elders were not subject to

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