Liberal Democrats in The Soviet Zone of Germany, 1945-47

Abstract

The Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD) was founded in Berlin on 5 July 1945 and thus became the first liberal party to be established in post-war Germany.1 Its immediate area of activity was the Soviet Zone of Germany (SBZ) but it harboured ambitions to penetrate every corner of the former Reich. Despite the splitting of the country into four occupation zones an all-German liberal party, the Democratic Party of Germany, eventually came into existence in March 1947 at a meeting in Rothenburg.2 It was however short lived. After two meetings of its executive committee it fell victim to the Cold War and ceased to function in November 1947. The LDPD had