State parliamentary elections in Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1918-1933 - Lecture and discussion
55th History Salon: "State parliament elections in Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1918-1933"
Dr. Martin Buchsteiner and Paula Fritsche will give a lecture on the above-mentioned topic and will be available for discussion afterwards.
An extraordinary source find in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Archives forms the starting point for an evening of lectures on the early history of democracy in Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Official count sheets from the state parliament elections between 1919 and 1932 provide new insights into electoral organization, voter turnout and regional electoral decisions. In 1918, not only women but also men in Mecklenburg-Schwerin gained the right to elect a state parliament for the first time. The electoral regulations, which were drawn up by the People's Ministry, remained the subject of sometimes heated debate until they were suspended in 1933. Right-wing, as well as liberal and left-wing, parties sought to shape the electoral regulations in such a way as to secure their electoral victory. Dr. Martin Buchsteiner and Paula Fritsche from the Institute of History at the University of Greifswald trace how democratic elections were introduced and enforced, which political conflicts accompanied the electoral regulations and how regional and local peculiarities in voting behaviour developed. Using selected election results, continuities and changes in political preferences will be made visible and illustrated cartographically.
The event is being held in cooperation with the Mecklenburg Foundation.
Caption: Uniform ballot paper for the state election in Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1927.
Admission is 3 euros (reduced 2 euros) per person. Admission is free for Rostock students (Kulturticket).
