Passersby Read Election Posters for Various Parties Campaigning for the Reichstag Election (September 14, 1930)

In July 1930, Reich President Hindenburg dissolved the Reichstag when its delegates refused to support Chancellor Brüning’s budgetary policy. When Brüning, in an unconstitutional act, had put a draft law into effect by means of emergency decree after the Reichstag had vetoed his draft, the SPD filed a motion to repeal this emergency decree. The Reichstag passed the motion, in reaction to which President Hindenburg applied Article 25 of the Constitution to dissolve that parliamentary body. Elections were scheduled for September 14, 1930. While the SPD again became the strongest party despite a significant loss of mandates, the NSDAP won 18% of votes, thus becoming the second strongest party group. The KPD, too, gained votes, as did the Zentrum party. The losers of this election were the DNVP, DDP, and DVP. This photo shows passersby looking at various election posters, among them posters for the SPD, Staatspartei, and DNVP. 82% of those eligible to vote went to the polls. The political polarization which became apparent in the election results reflected both the uncertainty caused by the dire economic and social situation and the frustration with the continued political instability which appeared to disqualify the political parties as the pillars of parliamentary democracy.

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