Germany: Polity Style: 1867-2024 |
| 1 Jul 1867 |
the Constitution of the North German Confederaton (Verfassung des Norddeutschen Bundes) is adopted by the Reichstag of the North German Confederation on 16 Apr 1867 and comes into effect on 1 Jul 1867 (Verhandlungen des Reichstages - Norddeutscher Bund, 1:729; Reichsgesetzblatt, No. 1, 2 Aug 1867, pp. 1-23) [1] |
| 1 Jul 1867 - 31 Dec 1870 |
Norddeutscher Bund |
| 1 Jan 1871 |
the Constitution of the German Confederaton (Verfassung des Deutschen Bundes), designating the polity style as the German Reich (Deutsches Reich), comes into effect on the date (1 Jan 1871) fixed by a protocol signed by the representatives of the King of Prussia (in the name of the German Confederation), the Grand Duke of Baden, and the Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine on 15 Nov 1870 in Versailles, France (Reichsgesetzblatt, No. 51, 31 Dec 1870, pp. 627-653) [2] |
| 1 Jan 1871 - 5 Jun 1945 |
Deutsches Reich [3][4] |
| 4 May 1871 |
the Constitution of the German Reich (Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs) is promulgated by the German Emperor (16 Apr 1871) and comes into effect on the 14th day after the end of the day on which it was published (4 May 1871) (Reichsgesetzblatt, No. 16, 20 Apr 1871, pp. 63-85) |
| 5 Jun 1945 |
the governments of the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France issue a declaration on "assumption of supreme authority with respect to Germany" [5] |
| 24 May 1949 |
the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is adopted by the Parliamentary Council (Parlamentarischer Rat) on 8 May 1949 and comes into operation at the end of the day of its promulgation (24.00 23 May/00.00 24 May 1949) (Bundesgesetzblatt, No. 1, 23 May 1949, pp. 1-19) |
| 24 May 1949 - |
Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
| |
| [1] |
The Constitution was promulgated in 23 constituent states by means of a Publications-Patent issued between 21 and 27 Jun 1867 by each monarch and/or by the Senate of a free Hanseatic city (Gesetz-Sammlung für die Königlich-Preußischen Staaten, No. 56, 25 Jun 1867, pp. 817-840; Archiv des Norddeutschen Bundes, 1:117-124). 1 Jul 1867 was fixed as the effective date for the commencement of the Constitution in each Publications-Patent. |
| [2] |
An amendment to the draft of the Constitution of the German Confederation, affecting the polity name, was approved by the resolutions passed by the Bundesrat (9 Dec 1870) and by the Reichstag (10 Dec 1870) of the Confederation (Verhandlungen des Bundesrates - Norddeutscher Bund, 1870, pp. 273-276; Verhandlungen des Reichstages - Norddeutscher Bund, 1870, 2:167-168; Reichsgesetzblatt, No. 51, 31 Dec 1870, pp. 627-653). Deutscher Bund was preserved, however, in the heading and in the articles of the Constitution. In the period before the taking effect of the Constitution of the German Reich (4 May 1871), both Deutscher Bund and Deutsches Reich were in official use. |
| [3] |
The use of Deutsches Reich between 10 Nov 1918 and 6 Feb 1919 is largely discontinued, but no substitute style is ever officially declared. Alternative polity styles - Deutsche Sozialistische Republik, Deutsche Republik, Deutschland - are in official use, but have no Constitutional status. |
| [4] |
The style Großdeutsches Reich: a) designates the territorial scope of legislation applying to the Deutsches Reich together with Bohemia and Moravia (Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren, from 16 Mar 1939); b) becomes part of the official style of the Head of State for
external relations (from 28 Jul 1942); c) is also used for external relations as the polity style (from 26 Jun 1943); no Constitutional status given. |
| [5] |
Amtsblatt des Kontrollrats in Deutschland, Ergänzungsblatt Nr. 1, Sammlung von Urkunden betreffend die Errichtung der Alliierten Kontrollbehörde (Berlin, 1946), pp. 7-9. Full title (English): Declaration regarding the defeat of Germany and the assumption of supreme authority with respect to Germany by the Governments of the United States of America, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the Provisional Government of the French Republic; full title (German): Erklärung in Anbetracht der Niederlage Deutschlands und der Übernahme der obersten Regierungsgewalt hinsichtlich Deutschlands durch die Regierungen des Vereinigten Königreichs, der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und der Union der Sozialistischen Sowjet-Republiken und durch die Provisorische Regierung der Französischen Republik. |
