Brunswick Landtag elections in the Weimar Republic

Landtag elections in the Free State of Brunswick (Freistaat Braunschweig) during the Weimar Republic were held at two-year, later three-year, intervals between 1918 and 1930. Results with regard to the total vote, the percentage of the vote won and the number of seats allocated to each party are presented in the tables below. ^{[1] [2] [3]} On 31 March 1933, the sitting Landtag was dissolved by the Nazi-controlled central government and reconstituted to reflect the distribution of seats in the national Reichstag. The Landtag subsequently was formally abolished as a result of the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich" of 30 January 1934 which replaced the German federal system with a unitary state. ^[4]

Brunswick in the Weimar Republic. In the center in light brown

Brunswick Landtag building in Braunschweig

1918

The 1918 Brunswick state election was held on 22 December 1918 to elect the 60 members of the Landtag. ^[5]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	58,759	27.67	17
	Brunswick State Electoral Association	55,621	26.19	16
	Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany	51,672	24.33	14
	German Democratic Party	46,293	21.80	13
Total		212,345	100.00	60
Valid votes		212,345	99.92
Invalid/blank votes		177	0.08
Total votes		212,522	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		283,501	74.96

1920

The 1920 Brunswick state election was held on 16 May 1920 to elect the 60 members of the Landtag. ^[6]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Brunswick State Electoral Association	86,161	37.32	23
	Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany	86,123	37.31	23
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	34,237	14.83	9
	German Democratic Party	21,899	9.49	5
	Communist Party of Germany	2,423	1.05	0
Total		230,843	100.00	60
Valid votes		230,843	99.85
Invalid/blank votes		344	0.15
Total votes		231,187	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		301,941	76.57

1922

The 1922 Brunswick state election was held on 22 January 1922 to elect the 60 members of the Landtag. ^[7]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Brunswick State Electoral Association	101,004	37.97	23
	Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany	73,404	27.59	17
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	52,640	19.79	12
	German Democratic Party	28,446	10.69	6
	Communist Party of Germany	10,518	3.95	2
Total		266,012	100.00	60
Valid votes		266,012	99.52
Invalid/blank votes		1,296	0.48
Total votes		267,308	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		309,552	86.35

1924

The 1924 Brunswick state election was held on 7 December 1924 to elect the 48 members of the Landtag. ^[8]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	103,463	37.36	19
	German National People's Party	51,289	18.52	10
	German People's Party	47,526	17.16	9
	Economic Unity List	23,030	8.32	4
	German Democratic Party	14,775	5.33	2
	Communist Party of Germany	12,527	4.52	2
	National Socialist Freedom Movement	9,479	3.42	1
	Brunswick-Lower Saxony Party (German-Hanoverian Party)	8,791	3.17	1
	Centre Party	4,359	1.57	0
	Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany	1,719	0.62	0
Total		276,958	100.00	48
Valid votes		276,958	98.24
Invalid/blank votes		4,962	1.76
Total votes		281,920	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		328,230	85.89

1927

The 1927 Brunswick state election was held on 27 November 1927 to elect the 48 members of the Landtag. ^[9]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	128,317	46.20	24
	German People's Party	39,646	14.27	8
	German National People's Party	26,217	9.44	5
	Economic Party	22,605	8.14	4
	Communist Party of Germany	12,954	4.66	2
	Democrats and Farmers' Union (German Democratic Party)	12,806	4.61	2
	House and Land Owners	12,328	4.44	2
	Nazi Party	10,358	3.73	1
	People's Justice Party	4,690	1.69	0
	Centre Party	4,609	1.66	0
	Brunswick-Lower Saxony Party (German-Hanoverian Party)	3,237	1.17	0
Total		277,767	100.00	48
Valid votes		277,767	99.51
Invalid/blank votes		1,375	0.49
Total votes		279,142	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		336,058	83.06

1930

The 1930 Brunswick state election was held on 14 September 1930 to elect the 40 members of the Landtag. ^[10]

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Social Democratic Party of Germany	125,625	40.99	17
	Civil Unity List (DNVP–DVP–Z–WP)	79,684	26.00	11
	Nazi Party	67,902	22.16	9
	Communist Party of Germany	20,964	6.84	2
	German State Party	9,226	3.01	1
	People's Justice Party (VRP–CSVD)	2,323	0.76	0
	Reich Party (National Center)	727	0.24	0
Total		306,451	100.00	40
Valid votes		306,451	98.77
Invalid/blank votes		3,815	1.23
Total votes		310,266	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		347,581	89.26

References

1. Übersicht über die Landtagswahlen 1918 – 1933 (in German)
2. Weimarer Republik 1918-1933: Landtagswahlen Freistaat Braunschweig (in German)
3. Rother, Bernd (1990). Die Sozialdemokratie im Land Braunschweig 1918 bis 1933 (in German). Bonn: Verlag J. H. W. Dietz Nachf. p. 280. ISBN   3-8012-4016-9.
4. Wells, Roger H. (April 1936). "The Liquidation of the German Länder". The American Political Science Review. 30 (2). American Political Science Association: 351–352. doi:10.2307/1947263. JSTOR   1947263.
5. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 1. Landtag 1918". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
6. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 2. Landtag 1920". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
7. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 3. Landtag 1922". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
8. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 4. Landtag 1924". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
9. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 5. Landtag 1927". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
10. "Braunschweig: Wahl zum 6. Landtag 1930". www.gonschior.de. Retrieved 2025-03-23.