Independent Local Lists in East and West Germany

Abstract

Since 1945, independent local lists have been an established part of the local political system in Germany, with conspicuous strongholds in Southern Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg). After successful years in the formative phase of the German party system, followed by a weak period, independent lists went through a remarkable revival over the last two decades. Today, local lists are a regular feature in West Germany’s political landscape and successful in every state, while still maintaining strongholds in the south. Also, in East Germany, they were able to establish themselves almost effortlessly after 1990. Apparently, this happened without personal, financial, and organisational help from the West as it was the case for the party system, whose (re)formation after 1990 was part of the institutional transfer from the West to the East. In East Germany, these local lists became an integral part in the process of societal re-organisation and political reformation after the collapse of 1989–90. But despite of this almost area-wide presence of non-partisan local lists in East and West Germany, there is very little research in this field.