Information About

Volkskammer




On paper, the Volkskammer had great power, appointing the Councils of State and Ministers, and the Chairman of the National Defence Council. However, the Parliament had little real power, and the most dissent ever shown by Parliament to the SED was the nays of fourteen and abstensions of eight CDU representatives in a vote on liberalising Abortion law.

A typical slate was as follows:


Party/GroupAcronymMembers
Socialist Unity Party Of Germany SED127
Free German Trade Union Federation FDGB68
Christian Democratic Union CDU52
Liberal Democratic Party Of Germany LPDP52
Democratic Farmers' Party Of Germany DBD52
National Democratic Party Of Germany NDPD52
Free German Youth FDJ50
Democratic Women's League Of Germany DFD35
Cultural Association Of The DDR KB22


In 1976, the Volkskammer moved into a specially-constructed building on Marx-Engels-Platz (now Schlossplatz again), the Palast Der Republik (Palace of the Republic).

After the 1990 elections, the disposition of the parties was as follows



Party/Group
Acronym
Members
Alliance For Germany CDU , DA , DSU 192
Social Democratic Party Of Germany SPD88
Party Of Democratic Socialism PDS, former SED66
Association Of Free Democrats DFP , FDP , LDP 21
Alliance 90 B9012
East German Green Party and Independent Women's Association GrĂ¼ne , UFV8
National Democratic Party Of Germany NDPD2
Democratic Women's League Of Germany DFD1
Othersother1



CHAIRMEN OF THE PEOPLE'S CHAMBER