Friedrich Ebert
Biography
Friedrich Ebert was a German politician who served as the first President of the Weimar Republic, with a significant part of that republic's foundation occurring in Weimar. A Social Democrat from a humble background, Ebert rose through party ranks advocating workers' rights. In the tumultuous days following World War I and the Kaiser's abdication, Ebert became leader of the provisional government. Under his guidance, the National Assembly convened in Weimar in 1919 to draft a democratic constitution. Ebert relocated to Weimar for the Assembly's duration, lending the city his stature during those critical months. On 11 February 1919, the Assembly elected him President of Germany, an office he held until his death in 1925. Ebert's presidency was marked by efforts to stabilize the fragile new republic – he oversaw the signing of the Weimar Constitution in the Weimar National Theater in August 1919 and navigated crises like uprisings and economic turmoil. Though Ebert's time in Weimar city was brief, his legacy is entwined with it: the term "Weimar Republic" itself commemorates the city's role in Germany's first democracy. Weimar has a square named after Ebert and historical exhibits detailing the 1919 Assembly. Friedrich Ebert's pragmatic, moderate leadership helped birth German democracy in Weimar, a legacy honored as part of the city's rich political heritage.
Notable Works & Achievements
Weimar Constitution
Opening Address to National Assembly (1919)
Connected Places in Weimar
Theaterplatz 2, 99423 Weimar
Presided over German National Assembly here in 1919; commemorated by plaque in theater
Evidence: National Theater hosted Assembly where Ebert was elected President (the event marked on site)
Theaterplatz, 99423 Weimar
Laid wreath during 1919 National Assembly to honor Weimar's cultural forebears
Evidence: Ebert and delegates paid tribute at Goethe-Schiller Monument during 1919 convention (documented in Assembly reports)
Historical Context
Presided over the 1919 National Assembly in Weimar and became first president of Germany during Weimar Republic
Historical evidence: Ebert led the Weimar National Assembly in 1919 and was elected president in Weimar
The city of Weimar lent its name to the Weimar Republic, Germany's experiment in democracy between World War I and the Nazi era. In November 1918 the German monarchy collapsed, and in early 1919 political leaders chose Weimar – a calm, central location – to convene the National Assembly that drafted a new constitution. In August 1919, the "Weimar Constitution" was signed in the Deutsches Nationaltheater, making Weimar synonymous with Germany's first republic. Friedrich Ebert, a Social Democrat, served as the Republic's first president. The period was marked by political turmoil but also cultural innovation. Weimar, as capital of the new state of Thuringia (formed 1920), saw progressive and reactionary forces struggle for influence. Modern artists and intellectuals like those of the Bauhaus (founded in Weimar in 1919) thrived under initial left-leaning governments, while right-wing elements (völkisch nationalists) grew in opposition. By the late 1920s, conservative and extremist forces gained the upper hand in Thuringia. In 1926 Weimar hosted a Nazi Party rally, and in 1930 Thuringia appointed Germany's first Nazi minister, signaling the Republic's destabilization. Despite economic crises (like hyperinflation) and political violence, the Weimar Republic era fostered a dynamic cultural life. It ended as Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933, but the democratic ideals born in Weimar left a complex legacy in German history.
Read more about this period →Quick Facts
1871
1925
German