For freedom and the republic!

The Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold, Association of Republican War Veterans, was founded in the wake of the severe political unrest of 1923 as a cross-party organization dedicated to protecting the Weimar Republic. Social Democrats, members of the German Democratic Party (DDP), and members of the Center Party worked together to strengthen the republic and uphold the constitution.

The Reichsbanner was composed primarily of former soldiers from World War I. Unlike the far-right military organization Stahlhelm or the Red Front Fighters’ League of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), its members were committed to the still-young German democracy. The Reichsbanner quickly developed into a mass organization with up to three million members.

The association sought to anchor a democratic and republican spirit in the population. Following the National Socialists’ electoral success in 1930, the Reichsbanner intensified its efforts against National Socialist violence. Trade unions, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), the Reichsbanner, and workers’ sports organizations joined forces at the end of 1931 to form the Iron Front.

But with Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor on January 30, 1933, the defeat of the Republicans was sealed. On February 19, 1933, the Reichsbanner held one last major rally for freedom in front of the Berlin Palace. Shortly thereafter, the Reichsbanner was banned, its activists persecuted, imprisoned, and driven into exile. Through powerful photographs and documents,

the exhibition documents the Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold’s comprehensive commitment to the democratic Weimar Republic. It makes clear that one cannot speak of a “republic without Republicans.”