Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

For other uses, see Mecklenburg-Strelitz (disambiguation).

Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Freistaat Mecklenburg-Strelitz (German)
State of the Weimar Republic
1918–1933
Flag Coat of arms (1921)
The Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (red) within the Weimar Republic
Capital	Neustrelitz
• Type	Republic
Historical era	Interwar period
• Established	11 November 1918
• Disestablished	31 December 1933
Preceded by Succeeded by Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Mecklenburg
Today part of	Germany

The Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (German : Freistaat Mecklenburg-Strelitz) was a state of the Weimar Republic established in 1918 following the German Revolution which had overthrown the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The state lasted until the Nazi Party (NSDAP) came to power in Germany and merged the state with the neighbouring Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin to form a united state of Mecklenburg on 1 January, 1934.

Government

The state parliament consisted of a landtag of 35 members, elected for a term of four years by universal suffrage. The state administration, headed by a Minister of State was responsible to the landtag and could be removed by a vote of no confidence. ^[1] For most of the Weimar period, the governments were headed by either a Social Democrat or a Nationalist.

However, following the Nazi seizure of power at the national level, they enacted the "Second Law on the Coordination of the States with the Reich" which established more direct control over the states by means of the new powerful position of Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor). Friedrich Hildebrandt was installed in this post on 26 May 1933. ^[2] He immediately moved to take full control of the state apparatus by the appointment of a fellow-Nazi, Fritz Stichtenoth, as Minister of State on 29 May 1933. ^[3]

By the end of the year, Hildebrandt, who was also Reichsstatthalter of the larger neighboring Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, moved to consolidate his domains and merged the two states into a new united state of Mecklenburg, effective 1 January 1934. ^[2] And with that, the brief fifteen-year existence of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz passed into history.

Rulers of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Chairmen of the State Ministry of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1918–1919

• Peter Franz Stubmann (DDP) 1918–1919
• Hans Krüger (SPD) 1919

Minister-Presidents of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 1919–1933

• Karl Gustav Hans Otto Freiherr von Reibnitz (SPD) 1919–1923
• Karl Schwabe (DNVP) 1923–1928
• Karl Gustav Hans Otto Freiherr von Reibnitz (SPD) 1928–1931
• Heinrich Wilhelm Ferdinand von Michael (DNVP) 1931–1933
• Fritz Stichtenoth (NSDAP) 1933

Reichsstatthalter

• Friedrich Hildebrandt 1933

See also

• Mecklenburg-Strelitz Landtag elections in the Weimar Republic

References

1. "Der Freistaat Mecklenburg-Strelitz Überblick" . Retrieved 2 March 2023.
2. Miller, Michael D.; Schulz, Andreas (2012). Gauleiter: The Regional Leaders of the Nazi Party and Their Deputies, 1925–1945. Vol. 1 (Herbert Albrecht - H. Wilhelm Hüttmann). R. James Bender Publishing. pp. 485–486. ISBN   978-1-932-97021-0.
3. "Der Freistaat Mecklenburg-Strelitz Die Staatsministerien 1918–1933" . Retrieved 2 March 2023.

External links

• States of Germany since 1918
• Promulgation of the union of Mecklenburg-Strelitz with Mecklenburg-Schwerin, effective 1 January 1934