The Weimar Republic and Its Key Figures
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic, established after World War I, served as Germany's first democratic experiment from 1919 to 1933. Named after the city where its constitution was drafted, the republic faced severe economic instabilities, hyperinflation, political extremism from both the left and right, and widespread resentment over the Treaty of Versailles. Despite these immense challenges, it became a vibrant center for cultural innovation and democratic reform. However, the devastating economic impact of the Great Depression, coupled with deep structural vulnerabilities and reliance on presidential emergency decrees, eroded parliamentary authority and eventually enabled the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, bringing a tragic end to the republic.
People
Birth
Death
Origin
Age (Death)
| 1860 | |
|---|---|
| 1863 | |
| 1867 | |
| 1871 | |
| 1875 | |
| 1876 | |
| 1878 | |
| 1885 |
Timeline
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
| Year | Weimar Republic |
|---|---|
| 1860 |
Birth of Friedrich Naumann (Period: March 25, 1860, Location: Großpösna (Störmthal district, Germany))
|
| 1863 |
Birth of Wilhelm Marx (Period: January 15, 1863, Location: Cologne, Germany)
|
| 1867 |
Birth of Walther Rathenau (Period: September 29, 1867, Location: Berlin, Germany (then North German Confederation))
|
| 1871 |
Birth of Friedrich Ebert (Period: February 4, 1871, Location: Heidelberg (Germany))
|
| 1875 |
Birth of Matthias Erzberger (Period: September 20, 1875, Location: Münsingen (Germany, Baden-Württemberg))
|
| 1876 |
Birth of Hermann Müller (Period: May 18, 1876, Location: Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire (present-day Mannheim, Germany))
|
| 1878 |
Birth of Gustav Stresemann (Period: May 10, 1878, Location: Berlin (Germany))
|
| 1879 |
Studies in Theology and Philosophy
|
| 1883 |
Educational Activities at Rauhes Haus
|
| 1885 |
Studies at the Universities of Berlin and Strasburg
Birth of Heinrich Brüning (Period: November 26, 1885, Location: Münster (Germany))
|
| 1886 |
Activities as a Pastor
|
| 1888 |
Beginning of Career as Jurist and Judge
|
| 1889 |
Joining the SPD and Participation in the Labor Movement
Marriage (Friedrich Naumann, Maria Magdalena Zimmermann)
|
| 1890 |
German Domestic Controversy over the Armenian Genocide
Military Service
|
| 1891 |
Marriage (Wilhelm Marx, Johanna Verkoyen)
|
| 1892 |
Work in the Swiss Aluminum Industry
|
| 1894 |
Founding and Editing of "Die Hilfe"
Activities as an Elementary School Teacher
Marriage (Friedrich Ebert, Louise Rump)
|
| 1896 |
Founding of the National-Social Association
Activities as a Journalist
|
| 1897 |
Participation in Founding Christian Trade Unions
|
| 1899 |
Political Activities in the Centre Party
Joining the Board of Directors of AEG
|
| 1900 |
Publication of "Democracy and Empire"
Marriage (Matthias Erzberger, Paula Eberhard)
|
| 1902 |
Industrial Activities and Political Participation
|
| 1903 |
Dissolution of the National-Social Association and Merger with the Liberal Camp
First Election to the Reichstag (Matthias Erzberger)
Marriage (Gustav Stresemann, Käthe Kleefeld)
|
| 1904 |
University Studies and Doctorate (Heinrich Brüning)
Herero and Namaqua Genocide
|
| 1905 |
Exposing Scandals in German Colonial Policy
|
| 1907 |
Election to the Reichstag (Gustav Stresemann)
First Election to the Reichstag (Friedrich Naumann)
Co-founding of the Deutscher Werkbund
Visit to German East Africa
|
| 1908 |
Visit to German Southwest Africa
Daily Telegraph Affair
|
| 1909 |
Participation in the 1909 Finance Reform
|
| 1912 |
Election to the Reichstag (Friedrich Ebert)
Joining the Leadership of the Centre Party Reichstag Group
|
| 1913 |
Assuming the Leadership of the SPD (Friedrich Ebert)
|
| 1914 |
World War I
Support for War Aims in early WWI
Establishment and Direction of the War Raw Materials Department
|
| 1915 |
Publication of "Mitteleuropa (Central Europe)"
Establishment of the Central European Work Committee
Becoming President of AEG (Walther Rathenau)
|
| 1916 |
Shift to a Peace of Understanding without Annexations
|
| 1917 |
Support for the 1917 Reichstag Peace Resolution
Support for the Peace Resolution during WWI
Founding of the National Political School
Leading the Reichstag Peace Resolution Initiative
1917 Reichstag Peace Resolution
|
| 1918 |
Formation of the German People's Party and Assumption of Party Leadership (Gustav Stresemann)
German Revolution
Rhineland Separatist Movement
Support for the Reintegration of Returning Soldiers
Post-WWI German Revolution and Civil Conflicts
Joining the German Democratic Party (DDP)
German Revolution of 1918
Appointment as State Secretary (Matthias Erzberger)
German Revolution (November Revolution)
German Revolution / November Revolution
Founding of the German Democratic Party (DDP)
Appointment as Head of the Armistice Commission (Matthias Erzberger)
Armistice of Compiègne
Taking Office as Chancellor in November 1918 (Friedrich Ebert)
Signing of the Armistice of Compiègne
1918 Christmas Crisis
|
| 1919 |
Participation in the Weimar National Assembly
Support for the Acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles
Issue of the Treaty of Versailles
Erzberger Finance Reform
German Domestic Political Conflicts over the Treaty of Versailles
Participation in the German Delegation to the Paris Peace Conference
Spartacist Uprising
Election to the National Assembly (Friedrich Naumann)
Establishment of the Weimar Constitution and Consolidation of Republic Government
Participation in Drafting the Weimar Constitution
Election as President by the National Assembly
Response to the Treaty of Versailles
Promoting Acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles
Taking Office as Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister (Matthias Erzberger)
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Assuming the Leadership of the German Democratic Party (Friedrich Naumann)
Death of Friedrich Naumann
Death of Friedrich Naumann
|
| 1920 |
Maintenance of Order in the Republic through Presidential Emergency Powers
Assuming Leadership of Christian Trade Unions (Heinrich Brüning)
Participation in the Socialization Commission
Participation in the Spa Conference
Erzberger-Helfferich Trial
Resignation as Finance Minister (Matthias Erzberger)
Kapp Putsch
Assassination Attempt in Esslingen
Return to the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic
|
| 1921 |
Taking Office as Minister for Reconstruction (Walther Rathenau)
Death of Matthias Erzberger
Assassination of Matthias Erzberger
Wiesbaden Agreement
|
| 1922 |
Assuming the Leadership of the Centre Party (Wilhelm Marx)
Taking Office as Foreign Minister (Walther Rathenau)
Genoa Conference
Conclusion of the Treaty of Rapallo
Investigation and Trial of the Rathenau Assassination
Death of Walther Rathenau
Assassination of Walther Rathenau
Anti-Terror Demonstrations after Rathenau's Assassination
|
| 1923 |
Occupation of the Ruhr
Occupation of the Ruhr and Passive Resistance
Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic
Taking Office as Chancellor and Foreign Minister (Gustav Stresemann)
End of Passive Resistance in the Ruhr
Rhenish Republic Movement
Currency Stabilization through the Rentenmark
Resignation as Chancellor and Continuation as Foreign Minister (Gustav Stresemann)
Beer Hall Putsch (Munich Putsch)
First Marx Cabinet
|
| 1924 |
Adoption of the Dawes Plan
First Election to the Reichstag (Heinrich Brüning)
Participation in the Dawes Plan
Political Conflict over the Magdeburg Libel Trial
|
| 1925 |
1925 German Presidential Election (Wilhelm Marx)
Taking Office as Minister-President of Prussia (Wilhelm Marx)
Death of Friedrich Ebert
Death of Friedrich Ebert
Locarno Treaties
|
| 1926 |
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (Gustav Stresemann)
Reichswehr Secret Military Cooperation Issue
Treaty of Berlin
Second Marx Cabinet
Referendum on the Expropriation of the Princes
Germany's Admission to the League of Nations
|
| 1927 |
Establishment of a Comprehensive Unemployment Insurance System
|
| 1928 |
Participation in the Kellogg-Briand Pact
Resignation as Chancellor and Retirement from Politics (Wilhelm Marx)
Election to the Prussian Landtag (Heinrich Brüning)
|
| 1929 |
Adoption of the Young Plan
Great Depression and German Economic Crisis
Death of Gustav Stresemann
Death of Gustav Stresemann
|
| 1930 |
Austerity and Deflationary Policy
Taking Office as Chancellor (Heinrich Brüning)
1930 Reichstag Election and the Rise of the Nazi Party (Heinrich Brüning)
|
| 1931 |
Concept of a German-Austrian Customs Union
Response to the Hoover Moratorium
Death of Hermann Müller
German Banking Crisis
Concurrently Serving as Foreign Minister
|
| 1932 |
Support for President Hindenburg's Re-election
Ban on SA and Communist Paramilitary Organizations
Collapse of the Brüning Cabinet
Resignation as Chancellor (Heinrich Brüning)
|
| 1933 |
National Union Trial
Later Years under the Nazi Regime
Reichstag Activities after the Nazi Rise to Power
|
| 1934 |
Exile to the United States and Professorship at Harvard University (Heinrich Brüning)
Exile before the Night of the Long Knives (Heinrich Brüning)
|
| 1939 | |
| 1946 |
Death of Wilhelm Marx
|
| 1951 |
Return to Postwar Germany and Activities at the University of Cologne (Heinrich Brüning)
|
| 1970 |
Death of Heinrich Brüning
Death of Heinrich Brüning
|
| Unknown |
Marriage (Heinrich Brüning, None, Period: Unmarried lifelong, Location: N/A)
Marriage (Walther Rathenau, N/A, Period: Unmarried lifelong, Location: N/A)
|
Map
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
Europe
World
Related Links
| Group | List |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | British Politics French Politics Jewish relief Nuclear Science |
| Central Europe | Nazi Germany Weimar Republic German Anti-Nazis Warsaw Ghetto Arts & Music |
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