Volkskammer

E134799

The Volkskammer was the unicameral parliament of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany), serving as its nominal supreme legislative body under socialist one-party rule.

All labels observed (5)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf former national legislature
legislative body
unicameral parliament
alsoKnownAs People's Chamber
compositionPrinciple representation of mass organizations and parties in the National Front
controlledBy National Front of the German Democratic Republic
country East Germany
surface form: German Democratic Republic
deFactoControl Socialist Unity Party of Germany
deJureRole supreme legislative body
supreme organ of state power
dissolutionDate 2 October 1990
dissolved 1990
dominantParty Socialist Unity Party of Germany
firstElection October 1949 East German general election
followedBy Bundestag representation of the new federal states
hadStandingCommittees yes
historicalEra Cold War
ideologicalOrientation Marxist–Leninist state structure
inception 1949
jurisdiction territory of the German Democratic Republic
languageUsed German
lastElection 18 March 1990 East German general election
legalBasis Constitution of the German Democratic Republic
legislatureOf East Germany
locatedIn East Berlin
mainFunction adoption of laws
approval of state plans and budgets
election of the Council of Ministers
election of the Council of State
meetingPlace Palast der Republik
nativeName Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
surface form: Volkskammer der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
notableSession session approving accession of the GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany
numberOfHouses 1
oversightOf Council of Ministers
State Council
politicalCharacter rubber-stamp parliament for SED decisions
politicalSystemContext socialist one-party state
precededBy Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
surface form: Provisional Volkskammer
region Eastern Bloc
shortName Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
surface form: Volkskammer der DDR
significance last freely elected parliament in East German history
supervisedBody Council of Ministers of the GDR
Council of State of the GDR
termLength 4 years (formally)
5 years (after constitutional changes)
typeOfStateOrgan organ of state power
votingSystem semi-free multi-party election (1990)
single-list bloc voting (until 1990)

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (15)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

East Germany legislature Volkskammer
East Berlin hadParliament Volkskammer
Hans Modrow servedIn Volkskammer
Volkskammer nativeName Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Volkskammer der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
Volkskammer shortName Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Volkskammer der DDR
Volkskammer precededBy Volkskammer self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Provisional Volkskammer
Lothar de Maizière memberOf Volkskammer
Democratic Farmers' Party of Germany parliamentaryRepresentation Volkskammer
this entity surface form: Chamber of the People (Volkskammer)