The 1919 German presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) was the first election to the office of
President of the Reich (Reichspräsident),
Germany's
head of state during the 1919−1933
Weimar Republic. The constitution that stipulated a direct popular vote was not completed before 11 August 1919. Because a head of state was needed immediately the 1919 presidential election was held indirectly, by the
National Assembly, on 11 February 1919. The winner was
SPD chairman
Friedrich Ebert, who beat former (Imperial) Secretary of the Interior
Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner in the first round of voting by 277 to 49 votes. Ebert was supported by the SPD, the
German Centre Party and the
German Democratic Party (DDP), the parties of the "
Weimar Coalition", which held more than 77 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. He became President of Germany, holding the office until his death in 1925.
With the subsequent
1925 and
1932 German presidential elections held with direct universal suffrage, this election would be the sole indirect presidential election held until the end of
World War II. Further, Ebert would also remain the sole
Social Democrat elected
President of Germany until the election of
Gustav Heinemann in
1969, and the only socialist to serve in that position between
1919 and the
end of the war in 1945.
The 1919 German presidential election (Reichspräsidentenwahl) was the first election to the office of
President of the Reich (Reichspräsident),
Germany's
head of state during the 1919−1933
Weimar Republic. The constitution that stipulated a direct popular vote was not completed before 11 August 1919. Because a head of state was needed immediately the 1919 presidential election was held indirectly, by the
National Assembly, on 11 February 1919. The winner was
SPD chairman
Friedrich Ebert, who beat former (Imperial) Secretary of the Interior
Arthur von Posadowsky-Wehner in the first round of voting by 277 to 49 votes. Ebert was supported by the SPD, the
German Centre Party and the
German Democratic Party (DDP), the parties of the "
Weimar Coalition", which held more than 77 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly. He became President of Germany, holding the office until his death in 1925.
With the subsequent
1925 and
1932 German presidential elections held with direct universal suffrage, this election would be the sole indirect presidential election held until the end of
World War II. Further, Ebert would also remain the sole
Social Democrat elected
President of Germany until the election of
Gustav Heinemann in
1969, and the only socialist to serve in that position between
1919 and the
end of the war in 1945.