June 1946 Bavarian state election

The June 1946 Bavarian state election was held on 30 June 1946 to elect the members of the Bavarian Constituent Assembly. It was the first election held in Bavaria since 1932. The constituent assembly was tasked with drafting and passing a new constitution for the Bavarian state. After the passage of the constitution, the Constituent Assembly was dissolved and new elections called for December.

1946 Bavarian state election
30 June 1946
All 180 seats in the Bavarian Constituent Assembly
91 seats needed for a majority
Turnout3,048,337 (72.1%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Alois Hundhammer Jean Stock Hermann Schirmer
Party CSU SPD KPD
Seats won 109 51 9
Popular vote 1,587,595 786,045 145,749
Percentage 58.3% 28.8% 5.3%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Alfred Loritz Thomas Dehler
Party WAV FDP
Seats won 8 3
Popular vote 137,765 68,417
Percentage 5.1% 2.5%
Minister-President before election

Wilhelm Hoegner
SPD

 Elected Minister-President

Wilhelm Hoegner
SPD

Background

Bavaria was completely occupied by American troops at the end of April 1945. General George S. Patton appointed Christian democrat Fritz Schäffer as interim Minister-President on 28 May 1945, before being dismissed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower on 28 September 1945 due to Schäffer's past anti-Semitic positions, and hiring of ex-Nazis within his administration.[1]

The Ministry was then handed over to social democrat Wilhelm Hoegner, who oversaw the creation of a new Bavarian constitution in the spring and summer of 1946. To aid him, the Advisory State Committee was formed, with its members being appointed by the political parties or the state. The body was eventually dissolved, with direct elections being called for a Constituent State Assembly to oversee the passage of the Constitution. Thus, the first democratic elections were held in Bavaria since 1932.[2]

Election result

Summary of the election results for the Landtag of Bavaria

Party Votes % Seats Seats %
Christian Social Union (CSU) 1,587,595 58.3 109 60.6
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 786,045 28.8 51 28.3
Communist Party (KPD) 145,749 5.3 9 5
Economic Reconstruction Union (WAV) 137,765 5.1 8 4.4
Free Democratic Party (FDP) 68,417 2.5 3 1.7
Total 3,048,337 100.0 180
Voter turnout 72.1
Popular Vote
CSU
 
 58.3%
SPD
 
 28.8%
KPD
 
 5.3%
WUV
 
 5.1%
FDP
 
 2.5%
Landtag seats
CSU
 
 60.6%
SPD
 
 28.3%
KPD
 
 5%
WUV
 
 4.4%
FDP
 
 1.7%

References
  1. Power Grabber Time Magazine, 20 February 1956, accessed: 27 May 2020
  2. Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, accessed 27 May 2020
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