Bundesrat (German Empire)

Bundesrat Deutscher Bundesrat
Legislative body of Germany
Type
Type	Upper house
History
Established	1871
Disbanded	1918
Preceded by	Bundesrat of the North German Confederation
Succeeded by	Reichsrat of the Weimar Republic
Seats	61 (at dissolution)
Elections
Voting system	Appointed
Meeting place
Leipziger Straße 4, Berlin (1871–1894)
Constitution
Constitution of the German Empire

The Bundesrat (German: Federal Council) was the highest legislative body in the German Empire (1871–1918). Its members were appointed by the governments of Germany's constituent states to represent their interests in the German parliament. The popularly elected Reichstag was the lower house. The Constitution of the German Empire required that both the Bundesrat and the Reichstag approve laws before they came into force. The Bundesrat was responsible for the enactment of the laws, administrative regulations and the judicial resolution of disputes between constituent states. Its approval was required for declarations of war and, with certain limitations, the conclusion of state treaties.

The chairman of the Bundesrat was the chancellor, who was appointed by the emperor. Constitutionally, his only functions were to chair the Bundesrat's meetings and implement its resolutions. He had neither a seat nor a vote in the chamber and could not propose legislation. In practice, however, the chancellor was almost always the minister president of Prussia as well. As Prussian minister president, the chancellor could act as a member of the Bundesrat and introduce legislation.

The predecessor of the German Empire, the North German Confederation (1867–1870), had a Bundesrat that was carried over to the newly united Germany with little change. Emperor Wilhelm I (r. 1871–1888) wished to rename the Bundesrat to the "Reichsrat", but his chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, convinced him that the federal character of the Empire should continue to be emphasized. The name therefore remained "Bundesrat".