German National Assembly

“ Where the Reich has not acquired railroads as a part of its administration, it may, by virtue of a national law and even against the objection of the states whose territory is crossed, but without prejudice to the sovereign rights of the states, construct on its own account such railways as are deemed necessary for general communication or national defense, or may confer upon others the power to construct, together with a grant of the right of expropriation in case of necessity.
Every railway administration must consent to connection with other railroads at the latter's expense. ”

“ In all schools effort shall be made to develop moral education, civic sentiments, and personal and vocational efficiency in the spirit of the German national character and of international conciliation. ”

“ The Reich shall endeavor to secure international regulation of the legal status of workers to the end that the entire working class of the world may enjoy a universal minimum of social rights.
Article 163. Every German shall, without prejudice to his personal freedom, be under the moral duty to use his intellectual and physical capacity as may be demanded by the general welfare.
Every German shall be given an opportunity to gain a living by productive work. In so far as a suitable occupation cannot be found for him, provision shall be made for his necessary maintenance. ”

“ The Reich may by law, without prejudicing the right of compensation, and with due application of the provisions in force with regard to expropriation, transfer to public ownership private economic enterprises suitable for socialization. The Reich itself may participate or may cause the states or municipalities to share in the management of economic enterprises and associations, or may in any other manner assure to itself a determining influence therein. ”

“ The Reich shall, with the controlling participation of the insured, establish a comprehensive scheme of insurance for the conservation of health and of the capacity to work, for the protection of maternity, and for the amelioration of the economic consequences of old age, infirmity, and the changing circumstances of life. ”

“ An ordinary national law shall also suffice where one of the states affected does not consent, but where the alteration of a boundary or the creation of a new state is demanded by the wishes of the population and an overwhelming national interest requires it. ”

“ If an official in the exercise of the public authority vested in him be guilty of a breach of his official duty toward a third party, responsibility therefor shall attach primarily to the state or to the public body in whose service the official is. ”

“ Organization and Functions of the Reich Section I: The Reich and the States Article 1. The German Reich is a Republic.
The political power emanates from the people.
Article 2. The territory of the Reich consists of the territories of the German states. Other territories may be incorporated in the Reich by a national law, if their populations so desire by virtue of the right of self-determination. ”

“ Private schools as a substitute for public schools shall require the approval of the state and shall be subject to the laws of the states. Such approval shall be granted if the standard of the private schools in their curricula and equipment, as well as in the scientific training of their teachers, does not fall below that of the public schools, and if no discrimination against pupils on account of the economic standing of their parents is fostered. ”

“ Any person who stands in a service or work relationship as employee or worker shall have the right to such free time as is necessary for the exercise of his civic rights and, in so far as the business in which he is engaged is not thereby seriously interfered with, for the performance of the public honorary official duties assigned to him. ”

“ The public school system shall be organized according to a general plan. The intermediate and higher school system shall be developed on the basis of an elementary school common to all. This development shall be governed by the varying requirements of vocations; and the admission of a child to a particular school shall be governed by his ability and aptitude and not by the economic and social position or the religious belief of his parents. ”

“ The Reichstag shall have power to bring before the Supreme Judicial Court impeachment proceedings against the President of the Reich, the Chancellor, and the national ministers, for a wrongful violation of the constitution or a national law. The bill of impeachment must be signed by at least one hundred members of the Reichstag and requires the approval of the majority necessary for constitutional amendments. Detailed regulations for the Supreme Judicial Court shall be prescribed by a national law. ”

“ In order to cover the costs of maintenance and construction of inland waterways, any person who profits from the construction of dams otherwise than by navigation may by national law be called upon to contribute, if more than one state shares in, or if the Reich bears, the cost of the work. ”

“ A Reichsrat shall be established to represent the German states in national legislation and administration.
Article 61. Each state shall have at least one vote in the Reichsrat. The larger states shall have one vote for each million of inhabitants. Any fraction which is equal at least to the total number of the inhabitants of the smallest state shall be counted as a million. No state may have a representation of more than two-fifths of the members.
German Austria, after union with the German Reich, shall be represented in the Reichsrat by votes corresponding in number to its population. ”

“ The division of the Reich into states shall serve the highest economic and cultural progress of the people, with due regard to the wishes of the population affected. The alteration of state boundaries and the creation of states within the Reich shall take place by virtue of national law modifying the constitution. ”

“ Intellectual labor, rights of authors, inventors, and artists shall enjoy the protection and care of the Reich.
Recognition of, and protection for, the products of German intellect, art, and technical science shall also be secured in foreign countries by international agreements.
Article 159. For the defense and amelioration of conditions of labor and of economic life, freedom of association is guaranteed to everyone and to all professions. All agreements and provisions which attempt to limit this freedom or seek to hinder its exercise are illegal. ”

“ Every German has the right to emigrate to non-German countries. Emigration may be restricted only by a national law.
All German citizens within and without the boundaries of the Reich have the right of protection by the Reich against foreign countries. ”

“ The wishes of those persons having the right to education shall be considered so far as possible. Detailed regulations shall be prescribed by state legislation on the basis of a national law.
To enable those in poor circumstances to attend secondary and higher schools, the Reich, the states, and the municipalities shall provide public funds, especially educational allowances for the parents of children who are considered qualified for further education in intermediate and higher schools until the completion of such education. ”

“ District Workers Councils and the Workers Council of the Reich shall meet with the representatives of employers and other interested population groups as District Economic Councils and as an Economic Council of the Reich for the purpose of performing economic functions and for cooperation in the execution of the laws of socialization. District Economic Councils and the Economic Council of the Reich shall be constituted so that all important economic groups shall be represented therein proportionately to their economic and social importance. ”

“ Officials, employees, and workers of the national administration shall, at their request, be employed within their home districts, in so far as this is possible, and in so far as may be consistent with the requirements of the service and of their training.
Article 17. Every state must have a republican constitution. The representative body must be elected by universal, equal, direct, and secret suffrage of all German citizens of either sex, according to the principles of proportional representation. The state ministry must have the confidence of the representative body. ”

“ The President shall exercise powers of discipline and police within the Reichstag building. The administration of the building is under his control; he has control over the income and. expenditures for the building within the limits laid down by the national budget, and he represents the Reich in all legal business and legal actions involved in his administration of the building.
Article 29. The sittings of the Reichstag shall be public. On the demand of fifty deputies the public may be excluded by a two-thirds majority vote. ”

“ Until the first President of the Reich assumes office, the President of the Reich elected by virtue of the law relating to the provisional powers of the Reich shall exercise the functions of the office. ”

“ The National Ministry shall, with the consent of the Reichsrat, establish an advisory council to consult and cooperate in matters pertaining to the posts, telegraphs, telephones, and rates.
Treaties with foreign states in respect to communication may be made only by the Reich.
Article 89. It shall be the duty of the Reich to acquire as its own property all railroads serving as means of general communication and to administer them as a uniform system of transportation. ”

“ National defense is a function of the Reich. The organization of the armed forces of the German people shall be regulated in a uniform manner by a national law with due regard to the special regional peculiarities of the population. ”

“ No German may be extradited for prosecution or punishment by a foreign government.
Article 113. The foreign language parts of the population of the Reich may not be interfered with by legislative or administrative action in their free racial development, especially in the use of their mother tongue in education, as well as in the communal administration and the administration of justice.
Article 114. Liberty of the person is inviolable. A restriction upon, or deprivation of, personal liberty, may not be imposed by public authority except by law. ”

“ The Reich shall have in addition the power of legislation as to taxation and other revenues in so far as they are claimed in whole or in part for its purposes. If the Reich lays claim to taxes or other revenues which formerly belonged to the states, due consideration must be given to the protection of the financial needs of the states. ”

“ Religious associations shall, to the extent that they were formerly, remain public corporations. The same rights may be accorded to other religious associations if, by their constitution and the number of their members, they give assurance of permanence. ”

“ In order to safeguard the representation of interests which arise in particular states from their special economic relations with, or their geographical contiguity to, foreign states, the Reich shall take the necessary measures and make the necessary arrangements in agreement with the states affected. ”

“ The inviolability of duly acquired rights and the right of resort to legal process for lawful salary claims are especially guaranteed to professional soldiers. Their status shall in other respects be regulated by national law. ”

“ The authorities have the right to inquire into a person's membership in a religious association only in so far as rights and duties are dependent thereon, or in so far as may be required by a legally instituted census. ”

“ Other adult Prussian citizens who were born within the territory of the province of Upper Silesia and who within one year after the establishment of the state (No. 2) declare that they desire to be citizens of Upper Silesia shall be citizens on the date of the filing of such declaration; (c) All citizens of the Reich who by birth, legitimation, or marriage follow the citizenship of any person specified in (a) or (b) . ”

“ Landed property the acquisition of which is necessary for the satisfaction of the demand for dwellings, for the promotion of colonization and reclamation, or for the improvement of agriculture may be expropriated. ”

“ Entries upon the service records of an official of facts unfavorable to him shall be taken into consideration only after he has been given an opportunity to be heard in respect to them. Officials shall have a right to inspect their service records. ”

“ Against their will they may be temporarily or permanently removed from office or transferred to another position or retired only by a judicial decision and only for reasons and according to forms prescribed by law. Legislation may fix age limits at which judges may be retired. ”