Reichstag (Weimar Republic)

Reichstag Deutscher Reichstag
Legislative body of Germany
Type
Type	Lower house
History
Established	1919
Disbanded	1933
Preceded by	Weimar National Assembly
Succeeded by	Großdeutscher Reichstag
Seats	647 (at dissolution)
Elections
Voting system	Party-list proportional representation
First election	6 June 1920
Last election	5 March 1933
Meeting place
Reichstag building, Berlin
Constitution
Constitution of the German Reich

The Reichstag of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) was the lower house of Germany's parliament; the upper house was the Reichsrat, which represented the states. The Reichstag convened for the first time on 24 June 1920, taking over from the Weimar National Assembly, which had served as an interim parliament following the collapse of the German Empire in November 1918.

Under the Weimar Constitution of 1919, the Reichstag was elected every four years by universal, equal, secret and direct suffrage, using a system of party-list proportional representation. All citizens who had reached the age of 20 were allowed to vote, including women for the first time, but excluding soldiers on active duty.^[1] The Reichstag voted on the laws of the Reich and was responsible for the budget, questions of war and peace, and confirmation of state treaties. Oversight of the Reich government (the ministers responsible for executing the laws) also resided with the Reichstag. It could force individual ministers or the entire government to resign by means of a vote of no confidence, and under Article 48 of the constitution^[2] it could rescind emergency decrees issued by the Reich president. The Reich president could dissolve the Reichstag under Article 25 of the constitution, but only once for the same reason.^[2]

The Reichstag as a free and democratic institution ceased to exist following the passage of the Enabling Act of 1933 which granted Chancellor Adolf Hitler the power to draft and enforce laws as he pleased.