Bonn, May 23

The Constitution for Western Germany became law this afternoon when the President of the Parliamentary Council, Dr. Adenauer, proclaimed the basic law as the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Dr. Adenauer hoped elections to a representative Western German Parliament would soon be held and a Western German Government formed. He hoped, too, that the day would soon come when all Germany would again be united under the black, red, and gold flag which draped the wall of the Assembly Hall of the Parliamentary Council to-day.

Signing of German treaty ends post-war political era – archive, 13 September 1990 Read more

In his introductory address Dr. Adenauer called to-day’s ceremony an occasion for which all who lived through the years of war and Nazi rule had long waited. A new Germany, he said, was born to-day and a great stride forward made from the post-war period when the victorious allies took over the apparatus of German administration. He spoke of the Constitution as “the expression of the free will and free decision of the German people, who will cherish it as a sacred possession.” He was thoroughly satisfied with the positive vote in favour of the Constitution in both the Parliamentary Council and the Land Parliaments.

Immediately afterwards the Constitution was signed – first by Dr. Adenauer and then by the two vice-presidents of the Parliamentary Council. All but the two Communist members of the Parliamentary Council then signed. Herr Renner walked up to the president’s tribune and made a short address and Herr Reimann merely shouted the word “No” from his seat. Later Herr Renner was heard shouting “Why don’t you sing Deutschland uber alles?” Other signatories included three representatives of the city of Berlin, the Premiers of the eleven Western German Lander, and the presidents of their Land Parliaments.

The three Western allied Military Governments were represented by their deputy Military Governors, Major General McLean for Britain, Major General Hays for the United States, and Major General Noiret for France.