Chamber of States

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Chamber of States" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Chamber of States Länderkammer
People's Chamber
Seats	50
Meeting place
Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus

Politics of East Germany
Constitution 1949 1968
Leadership Socialist Unity Party General Secretary President (1949–1960) State Council (1960–1990) Head of State Council of Ministers Head of Government
Legislature President Chamber of States
Elections Referendums Constitutional Assembly 1949 General elections 1950 1954 1958 1963 1967 1971 1976 1981 1986 1990 Referendums 1951 1954 1968
Political parties Christian Democratic Union Democratic Farmers' Party Liberal Democratic Party National Democratic Party
Administrative divisions East Berlin (independent) Cottbus Dresden Erfurt Frankfurt Gera Halle Karl-Marx-Stadt Leipzig Magdeburg Neubrandenburg Potsdam Rostock Schwerin Suhl Leaders
Other countries
v t e

The Chamber of States (

(Volkskammer).

In the

although it is not legally classified as a legislative chamber.

Idea and reality

After 1945, the

.

Initially, in 1949, the communists aimed for a quasi-unitary state, with some degree of decentralization. Laws were to be made by the central legislature in East Berlin, and the Länder authorities were responsible for the implementation of the laws.

In practice, due to the democratic centralism of the SED, the GDR rapidly developed strong centralist tendencies. However, it initially operated in this bicameral framework in which the states were represented. The Chamber of States theoretically had the power to introduce bills and to veto laws proposed by the People's Chamber, although another vote in the People's Chamber could overturn such a veto. The Chamber of States never made use of its veto. The two chambers also elected the President of East Germany in joint session.

According to the

had no voting rights.)

In 1952, the

by their Bezirkstage. These delegates were appointed as a "suicide squad," raising no objection as the People's Chamber abolished the Chamber of States and the Länder on 8 December 1958.

Presidents of the Chamber of States

Name	Period	Party
Reinhold Lobedanz	October 11, 1949 – March 5, 1955	CDU
August Bach	March 5, 1955 – December 8, 1958	CDU

Vice-Presidents of the Chamber of States

Name	Period	Party
August Fröhlich	1950 – 1958	SED
Hans Luthardt	1950 – 1958	NDPD
Erich Hagemeier	1950 – 1954	LDPD
Dr. Karl Mühlmann	1954 – 1958	LDPD
Max Suhrbier	1958	LDPD
Diedrich Besler	1950 – 1954	DBD
Albert Rödiger	1954 – 1958	DBD

See also

• Administrative divisions of the German Democratic Republic
• Politics of East Germany

References

External links

• Law on the composition of the upper house of the German Democratic Republic.