Prussian State Council (Nazi Germany)

The Prussian State Council of Nazi Germany (German: ''Preußischer Staatsrat'') was an advisory body to the Prussian minister president from 1933 to 1945. It was the successor to the Weimar Republic body of the same name that represented the interests of Prussia's provinces in the legislative process. In Nazi Germany its members were either appointed by Prussian minister president Hermann Göring or were members as a result of their official positions in the state of Prussia. The Council met only six times and ceased to exist with the end of Nazi rule in 1945.

History

Background

During the Weimar Republic, the Prussian State Council was the second chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Free State of Prussia. Its members were elected by the Prussian provincial parliaments to represent the interests of the provinces at the state level.

With the elections to the Prussian state parliament () that were held in parallel with the national Reichstag elections on 5 March 1933, and also with the elections to the Prussian provincial parliaments held on 12 March 1933, the Nazi Party was able to secure the necessary majority in the and in the State Council to pass a Prussian enabling act on 18 May 1933. It gave the Prussian state government the same powers at the state level that the Reich government had received at the national level through the Enabling Act of 24 March 1933. The Prussian minister president could make and implement laws without the involvement of the legislature. Through the enabling act, the State Council was deprived of its co-legislative and co-executive functions. Article 15 of the Prussian State Council Act of 8 July 1933 then dissolved the State Council in its previous form.

Founding of the National Socialist State Council

The "Law on the State Council" created a new body in line with the National Socialist worldview. It was a purely advisory body that consisted of members by virtue of office and members awarded the title of State Councilor () who were appointed by Hermann Göring in his capacity as Prussian minister president. Members by virtue of office were the Prussian ministers and state secretaries as well as certain other office holders.

Members had to be males at least 25 years old with a residence in Prussia. For those who were members by virtue of office, membership ended by leaving office. Appointed members' terms were ended by death, resignation, or dismissal by Göring. Members of the State Council received an expense allowance of 1,000 Reichsmarks per month (from 1 April 1936, RM 500).

Meetings

Only six meetings of the State Council were held. It met for the first time on 15 September 1933 in the auditorium of the Friedrich Wilhelms University in Berlin. The second meeting was held on 12 October 1933 and the third on 18 June 1934, with a report by the minister of finance on Prussia's financial situation. The fourth session was convened on 21 March 1935, the second anniversary of Potsdam Day commemorating the reopening of the Reichstag building following the fire of February 1933, and the fifth was on 25 June 1935. The last session was held on 5 March 1936.

End of the State Council

After the March 1936 session, the State Council was no longer convened, although it continued to exist. In 1943 Albert Hoffmann was the last member appointed to the State Council. With the fall of the National Socialist state in 1945, the State Council also came to an end.

Text of the law establishing the State Council

Notes to the text

References

{{Authority control
Historical legislatures in Germany
Politics of Nazi Germany
1933 establishments in Germany
1945 disestablishments in Germany