The negotiations of the Rheinische Provinzialstände (Rhenish Provincial Estates)/Rheinischer Provinzial-Landtag (Rhenish Provincial Parliament) from 1826 to 1933 hold a special rank within the holdings of parliamentary material of the University and North Rhine-Westphalian State Library Düsseldorf, as they represent important evidence about the history of the Rhineland.
The holdings are divided into two parts. On the one hand, there are the “Verhandlungen der Rheinischen Provinzialstände auf dem ... Landtage” (negotiations of the Rhenish Provincial Estates in the … Parliament) from 1826 to 1837 as well as their successors, the “Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages” (negotiations of the … Rhenish Provincial Parliament) which cover the years from 1841 to 1933.
In addition, there are diverse supplements like stenographic reports, allocations and budget plans as well as reports of the Provinzialausschuss (Provincial Committee). You can find recent transcripts and agendas in digital form on the website of the Landtag Nordrhein-Westfalen (Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia).
History
With the conclusion of the Congress of Vienna, which had assembled after the abdication of Napoleon, large territories on both sides of the Rhine were given to Prussia in 1815. They were first divided into three provinces in 1815, then into two in 1822: Westphalia and the Rhine Province. In 1823, both were vested with a corporate interest group, the Provincial Parliament, on the basis of freehold property.
The first estate was constituted by the formerly immediate imperial estates; the second by the chivalry, which had to be newly created once more in the Rhineland; the third estate was the cities and the fourth the remaining landowners. Representatives of the two imperial estates first met in Düsseldorf and Münster respectively on October 29, 1826. The purview was narrow and did not at all correspond to the expectations of the ones affected. Both provinces even laid claim to being able to settle their affairs autonomously in the respective imperial estates. What is more, they also demanded political participation on the federal level. Thus, in 1830/31 for example, the members of the third Westphalian Provincial Parliament first filed petitions for dealing with the problem of a national constitution for Prussia; in 1843, the members of the Rhenish Parliament petitioned for entirely equal rights for Jews as a prerequisite for the realization of civil liberty.
For the old provinces in Prussia, a new provincial organization was established on January 1, 1876, which was also introduced in Westphalia and the Rhine Province by way of laws from August 1, 1886 and June 1, 1887. Subsequently, the Provincial Parliament, as legislative agency of the Provinzialverband (Provincial Association), had to decide mainly over the promulgation of provincial statutes and regulations as well as over the ascertainment of the provincial budget and the levying of taxes.
After the end of the First World War, general, equal, direct and secret elections were introduced in 1919, according to the principles of proportional representation. However, as a result of the supreme authority of the occupying powers, it was only on December 3, 1920 that this was officially executed. Every man and woman in possession of the German Reich nationality and the civil rights could be elected. The tasks of the Provincial Associations remained generally unchanged.
Based on the Reichstag election, the Rhenish Provincial Parliament was newly set up in 1933. It was completely dominated by the National Socialists. Under their reign, the authorities of the president were expanded and the provincial parliaments, committees and commissions were dissolved by a law of December 15, 1933.
With this, the negotiations of the Rhenish Provincial Parliament also ended. The budget plans, however, were continued until 1944 under the supervision of a National Socialist president.
Apart from the digitized works, we offer you to start your search with the list of members of the Rhenish Provincial Parliaments from 1841 until 1932 stating their profession, ward(s), place of residence, contributions and, if applicable, estate and party membership.
List of the members of the Rhenish Provincial Parliament from 1841 to 1932
Sources
- Rheinprovinz / Provinzial-Landtag: Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages
- Rheinprovinz / Provinzial-Landtag: Stenographischer Bericht über die Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages
- Torunsky, Vera: Die Abgeordneten der Rheinischen Provinziallandtage und Landschaftsversammlungen : ein biographisches Handbuch, Bd. 1, Köln 1998
- Landschaftsverband Rheinland: Abgeordnete der Rheinischen Provinziallandtage 1888−1933 (sorted by place of residence) via http://www.afz.lvr.de/media/archive_im_rheinland/archiv_des_lvr/Abgeordnetenliste.pdf
Parliamentary Material
The negotiations of the Rheinische Provinzialstände (Rhenish Provincial Estates)/Rheinischer Provinzial-Landtag (Rhenish Provincial Parliament) from 1826 to 1933 hold a special rank within the holdings of parliamentary material of the University and North Rhine-Westphalian State Library Düsseldorf, as they represent important evidence about the history of the Rhineland.
The holdings are divided into two parts. On the one hand, there are the “Verhandlungen der Rheinischen Provinzialstände auf dem ... Landtage” (negotiations of the Rhenish Provincial Estates in the … Parliament) from 1826 to 1837 as well as their successors, the “Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages” (negotiations of the … Rhenish Provincial Parliament) which cover the years from 1841 to 1933.
In addition, there are diverse supplements like stenographic reports, allocations and budget plans as well as reports of the Provinzialausschuss (Provincial Committee). You can find recent transcripts and agendas in digital form on the website of the Landtag Nordrhein-Westfalen (Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia).
History
With the conclusion of the Congress of Vienna, which had assembled after the abdication of Napoleon, large territories on both sides of the Rhine were given to Prussia in 1815. They were first divided into three provinces in 1815, then into two in 1822: Westphalia and the Rhine Province. In 1823, both were vested with a corporate interest group, the Provincial Parliament, on the basis of freehold property.
The first estate was constituted by the formerly immediate imperial estates; the second by the chivalry, which had to be newly created once more in the Rhineland; the third estate was the cities and the fourth the remaining landowners. Representatives of the two imperial estates first met in Düsseldorf and Münster respectively on October 29, 1826. The purview was narrow and did not at all correspond to the expectations of the ones affected. Both provinces even laid claim to being able to settle their affairs autonomously in the respective imperial estates. What is more, they also demanded political participation on the federal level. Thus, in 1830/31 for example, the members of the third Westphalian Provincial Parliament first filed petitions for dealing with the problem of a national constitution for Prussia; in 1843, the members of the Rhenish Parliament petitioned for entirely equal rights for Jews as a prerequisite for the realization of civil liberty.
For the old provinces in Prussia, a new provincial organization was established on January 1, 1876, which was also introduced in Westphalia and the Rhine Province by way of laws from August 1, 1886 and June 1, 1887. Subsequently, the Provincial Parliament, as legislative agency of the Provinzialverband (Provincial Association), had to decide mainly over the promulgation of provincial statutes and regulations as well as over the ascertainment of the provincial budget and the levying of taxes.
After the end of the First World War, general, equal, direct and secret elections were introduced in 1919, according to the principles of proportional representation. However, as a result of the supreme authority of the occupying powers, it was only on December 3, 1920 that this was officially executed. Every man and woman in possession of the German Reich nationality and the civil rights could be elected. The tasks of the Provincial Associations remained generally unchanged.
Based on the Reichstag election, the Rhenish Provincial Parliament was newly set up in 1933. It was completely dominated by the National Socialists. Under their reign, the authorities of the president were expanded and the provincial parliaments, committees and commissions were dissolved by a law of December 15, 1933.
With this, the negotiations of the Rhenish Provincial Parliament also ended. The budget plans, however, were continued until 1944 under the supervision of a National Socialist president.
Apart from the digitized works, we offer you to start your search with the list of members of the Rhenish Provincial Parliaments from 1841 until 1932 stating their profession, ward(s), place of residence, contributions and, if applicable, estate and party membership.
List of the members of the Rhenish Provincial Parliament from 1841 to 1932
Sources
- Rheinprovinz / Provinzial-Landtag: Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages
- Rheinprovinz / Provinzial-Landtag: Stenographischer Bericht über die Verhandlungen des ... Rheinischen Provinzial-Landtages
- Torunsky, Vera: Die Abgeordneten der Rheinischen Provinziallandtage und Landschaftsversammlungen : ein biographisches Handbuch, Bd. 1, Köln 1998
- Landschaftsverband Rheinland: Abgeordnete der Rheinischen Provinziallandtage 1888−1933 (sorted by place of residence) via www.afz.lvr.de/media/archive_im_rheinland/archiv_des_lvr/Abgeordnetenliste.pdf