Constitution of the German Empire (1871)

E150212

The Constitution of the German Empire (1871) was the foundational legal charter that established and regulated the federal structure, powers, and institutions of the unified German Empire under Prussian leadership.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (55)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitution
foundational legal charter
supreme law
alsoKnownAs Bismarck Constitution
Constitution of 16 April 1871
Verfassung des Deutschen Reiches (1871)
appliedTo federal states of the German Empire
linked to: German states
basedOn Constitution of the North German Confederation (1867)
cameIntoForce 1871-05-04
chancellorAppointedBy German Emperor
chancellorResponsibleTo German Emperor
chiefMinister Reich Chancellor
country German Empire
createdInstitution Bundesrat
German Emperor
Imperial Court (Reichsgericht)
linked to: Reichsgericht

Reich Chancellor
Reichstag
dateAdopted 1871-04-16
definedStateAs federal monarchy
didNotProvide parliamentary responsibility of chancellor to Reichstag
dominantState Kingdom of Prussia
linked to: Prussia
enshrined dominant role of Prussia in imperial institutions
executiveHead German Emperor
federalStructure union of German states
grantedPowerTo Bundesrat to initiate legislation
Bundesrat to veto legislation
German Emperor to appoint and dismiss the Reich Chancellor
German Emperor to conclude treaties
German Emperor to declare war (with Bundesrat consent for offensive wars)
Reichstag to participate in legislation
headOfStateTitle German Emperor
historicalPeriod German Empire (1871–1918)
linked to: German Empire
language German
legalFormOfState federal state
legislativeBody Bundesrat
Reichstag
limited sovereignty of member states in foreign policy and military affairs
locationSigned Berlin
mainAuthor Otto von Bismarck
precededBy North German Confederation Constitution (1867)
providedFor universal male suffrage for Reichstag elections
regulated citizenship of the empire
customs and trade policy
distribution of powers between empire and federal states
foreign policy competence
freedom of movement within the empire
freedom of settlement within the empire
imperial administration
imperial finances and taxation
imperial legislation
military command
repealedOn 1919-08-14
replacedBy Weimar Constitution
votingAge 25 years

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

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

German Empire constitutionalInstrument Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Imperial German Army legalBasis German Imperial Constitution
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Weimar Constitution precededBy Constitution of the German Empire
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Prussian Constitution of 1850 relatedTo German Empire Constitution of 1871
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
German Emperor grantedBy Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Constitution of the German Empire (1871) alsoKnownAs Bismarck Constitution
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Constitution of the German Empire (1871) alsoKnownAs Verfassung des Deutschen Reiches (1871)
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Constitution of the North German Confederation followedBy Constitution of the German Empire
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Constitution of the North German Confederation influenced Constitution of the German Empire
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Constitution of the North German Confederation repealedBy Constitution of the German Empire
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)
Reichstag of the German Empire establishedBy Constitution of the German Empire
linked to: Constitution of the German Empire (1871)