June 1946 Bavarian state election

Last updated
1946 Bavarian state election
Flag of Bavaria (striped).svg
  1932 30 June 1946 December 1946  

All 180 seats in the Bavarian Constituent Assembly
91 seats needed for a majority
Turnout3,048,337 (72.1%)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F014934-0005, Alois Hundhammer.jpg Stock.jpg Silver - replace this image male cropped.png
Leader Alois Hundhammer Jean Stock Hermann Schirmer
Party CSU SPD KPD
Seats won109519
Popular vote1,587,595786,045145,749
Percentage58.3%28.8%5.3%

 Fourth partyFifth party
  Silver - replace this image male cropped.png Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F018867-0026, Bonn, Minister aus Sudamerika im Bundestag (Ausschnitt Dehler).jpg
Leader Alfred Loritz Thomas Dehler
Party WAV FDP
Seats won83
Popular vote137,76568,417
Percentage5.1%2.5%

Minister-President before election

Wilhelm Hoegner
SPD

Elected Minister-President

Wilhelm Hoegner
SPD

The June 1946 Bavarian state election was held on 30 June 1946 to elect the members of the Bavarian Constituent Assembly. It was the first election held in Bavaria since 1932. The constituent assembly was tasked with drafting and passing a new constitution for the Bavarian state. After the passage of the constitution, the Constituent Assembly was dissolved and new elections called for December.

Contents

Background

Bavaria was completely occupied by American troops at the end of April 1945. General George S. Patton appointed Christian democrat Fritz Schäffer as interim Minister-President on 28 May 1945, before being dismissed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower on 28 September 1945 due to Schäffer's past anti-Semitic positions, and hiring of ex-Nazis within his administration. [1]

The Ministry was then handed over to social democrat Wilhelm Hoegner, who oversaw the creation of a new Bavarian constitution in the spring and summer of 1946. To aid him, the Advisory State Committee was formed, with its members being appointed by the political parties or the state. The body was eventually dissolved, with direct elections being called for a Constituent State Assembly to oversee the passage of the Constitution. Thus, the first democratic elections were held in Bavaria since 1932. [2]

Election result

Summary of the election results for the Landtag of Bavaria
PartyVotes %SeatsSeats %
Christian Social Union (CSU)1,587,59558.310960.6
Social Democratic Party (SPD)786,04528.85128.3
Communist Party (KPD)145,7495.395
Economic Reconstruction Union (WAV)137,7655.184.4
Free Democratic Party (FDP)68,4172.531.7
Total3,048,337100.0180
Voter turnout72.1
Popular Vote
CSU
58.3%
SPD
28.8%
KPD
5.3%
WUV
5.1%
FDP
2.5%
Landtag seats
CSU
60.6%
SPD
28.3%
KPD
5%
WUV
4.4%
FDP
1.7%

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References

  1. Power Grabber Time Magazine, 20 February 1956, accessed: 27 May 2020
  2. [ permanent dead link ] Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, accessed 27 May 2020