House of Councillors

German: Kammer der Reichsräte
Type
Type

The House of Councillors (German: Kammer der Reichsräte) was the upper house of the Landtag of the Kingdom of Bavaria during its existence both as an independent state and as a federal subject of the German Empire. The House of Councillors was established by the 1818 Constitution of the kingdom, and its composition and powers remained unchanged until its abolition under the 1919 Bamberg Constitution.

History

Conference chamber of the Reichsräte, Munich, 1884

Modeled after the British House of Lords, the House of Councillors was intended to serve as an intermediary between the Crown and the House of Representatives, and formally served as the lower house's equal.[1][2] Its members comprised the aristocracy and noblemen, including the royal princes, holders of the crown offices, archbishops, members of the Mediatized Houses in bavaria and hereditary and lifelong nominees of the crown.[3]

The House of Councillors held its sessions in secret, which is one of the reasons why it received little public attention during the Vormärz in Bavaria. Recent research suggests that the power of the House of Councillors far exceeded that of the House of Representatives.[4]

Abolition

From 1919 on under the Bamberg Constitution in the Weimar Republic, the upper house of the Landtag was abolished and its lower house became a unicameral democratic elected assembly.[5][6]

Presidents of the Imperial Council

References

  1. ^ Bavarian Law Gazette 1818, p. 101.
  2. ^ Pölitz, Karl Heinrich Ludwig (1833). Die europäischen Verfassungen seit dem Jahre 1789 bis auf die neueste Zeit: Bd. Die Verfassungen Polens, der freien Stadt Cracau, der Königreiche Galizien und Lodomerien, Schwedens, Norwegens, der Schweiz und Griechenlands (in German). F.A. Brockhaus. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Verfassungsurkunde für das Königreich Bayern". verfassungen.de (in German). 29 November 2016. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  4. ^ Hawgood, John Arkas (1939). Modern Constitutions Since 1787. Macmillan and Company, limited. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  5. ^ Bayerisches Jahrbuch 1918 (31. Jahrgang) Buchdruckerei und Verlagsanstalt Carl Gerber, München 1917, S. 281/282.
  6. ^ Löffler, Bernhard (1996). Die bayerische Kammer der Reichsräte 1848 bis 1918: Grundlagen, Zusammensetzung, Politik (in German). C.H. Beck. ISBN 978-3-406-10689-7. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. ^ Valentin, Christoph (30 September 2020). Ultramontanisierung durch die päpstliche Diplomatie?: Der Apostolische Nuntius Michele Viale Prelà in München (1838-1845) (in German). Kohlhammer Verlag. ISBN 978-3-17-037692-2. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  8. ^ Albrecht, Dieter; Aretin, Karl O.; Schulze, Winfried (11 December 2014). Europa im Umbruch 1750–1850 (in German). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. p. 390. ISBN 978-3-486-82946-4. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte - Königreich - Leiningen, Karl Emich Fürst zu". www.hdbg.eu. Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Carl Ernst Fürst Fugger von Glött" (in German). Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte.

See also

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