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Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany

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Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany
Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands
ChairmanErnst Goldenbaum (1948–1982)
Ernst Mecklenburg (1982–1987)
Günther Maleuda (1987–1990)
Ulrich Junghanns (1990)
Founded29 April 1948
Dissolved15 September 1990
Merged intoCDU
HeadquartersEast Berlin, East Germany
NewspaperBauernecho
Membership (1988)122,000 [1]
IdeologyAgrarianism
Agrarian socialism[2] (until 1990)[3]
National affiliationDemocratic Bloc (1948–1950)
National Front (1950–90)
International affiliationNone
ColoursGreen
Party flag

The Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany (Template:Lang-de, DBD) was an East German political party. The DBD was founded in 1948. It had 52 representatives in the Volkskammer, as part of the National Front. The DBD participated in all GDR cabinets (with exception of the last GDR cabinet). The founding of the DBD was an attempt by the SED to weaken the influence of CDU/LDPD in the rural community by establishing a party loyal to the SED. The leadership cadre came mainly from the ranks of the SED.[4] In the late 1980s, the party had 117,000 members.[5]

After the fall of Berlin Wall, the party initially tried to find itself a niche as ecological agrarian party, but the first free Volkskammer election (1990) netted it only nine seats. In 1990 the DBD merged with the Christian Democratic Union.

International contacts

The DBD had friendly relations with peasants' parties in other Eastern Bloc countries. It had close contacts with the Polish United People's Party (Zjednoczone Stronnictwo Ludowe, ZSL) and the Bulgarian Agrarian National Union (Bǔlgarski Zemedelski Naroden Sǔyuz, BZNS).[6] Besides that, there were some contacts with farmers' associations in West Germany.[7] They had also some contacts with agrarian parties in Finland (Centre Party) and in Sweden (Centre Party).[citation needed]

Electoral history

Volkskammer elections

Volkskammer
Election Number of votes % Seats +/–
1949 with Democratic Bloc
15 / 330
[a]
1950 with National Front
30 / 400
Increase 15
1954 with National Front
45 / 400
Increase 15
1958 with National Front
45 / 400
Steady
1963 with National Front
45 / 434
Steady
1967 with National Front
45 / 434
Steady
1971 with National Front
45 / 434
Steady
1976 with National Front
45 / 434
Steady
1981 with National Front
52 / 500
Increase 7
1986 with National Front
52 / 500
Steady
1990 251,226 2.2%
9 / 400
Decrease 43
  1. ^ The 1,400 elected members of the Third German People's Congress selected the members of the second German People's Council.

Chairmen of the DBD

References

  1. ^ http://www.chronikderwende.de/lexikon/glossar/glossar_jsp/key=dbp.html DBD Deutsche Bauernpartei from chronik der wende
  2. ^ "Demokratische Bauernpartei Deutschlands (DBD)". jugendopposition.de.
  3. ^ Richter, Michael (2009). Die friedliche Revolution: Aufbruch zur Demokratie in Sachsen 1989/90. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 1078. ISBN 3647369144.
  4. ^ DBD Deutsche Bauernpartei from chronik der wende
  5. ^ Dirk Jurich, Staatssozialismus und gesellschaftliche Differenzierung: eine empirische Studie, p.31. LIT Verlag Münster, 2006, ISBN 3825898938
  6. ^ Peter Joachim Lapp Die "befreundeten Parteien" der SED, 1988, p. 103
  7. ^ Peter Joachim Lapp Die "befreundeten Parteien" der SED, 1988, p. 108