Senat der Freien Stadt Danzig Selected records of the Senate of the Free City Gdańsk Senat Wolnego Miasta Gdańska (Sygn. 260)

In accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, the creation of the Free City of Gdańsk (Wolne Miasto Gdansk) began on January 20, 1920, the power in Gdansk was handed over to the representative of the allied powers, Sir Reginald Tower. From March 5, 1920, the State Council (Staatsrat), which included representatives of the highest Gdansk offices, and representatives of political parties from March 25, were active there. It was headed by Heinrich Sahm, mayor of Gdańsk. On August 11, 1920, the Constitutional Assembly adopted the constitution, after which on November 15, 1920, Lt. Strutt solemnly proclaimed establishing Gdańsk as a Free City. After the election of the Free City of Gdańsk Senate on December 6, 1920, the Council of State was dissolved and the Constitutional Assembly was transformed into a parliament called the Volkstag. On May 1, 1921, the Senate dissolved the Municipal Office and Volkstag took over the functions of the city council. The Senate was the highest executive and management body of the Free City of Gdańsk, it was also entitled to legislative powers (right of legislative initiative and veto power), with time it obtained the right to issue ordinances with the force of law. The structure of the Senate was defined by the constitution. The Senate acted in the role of the "head of state", he performed the functions of the government and organs of government administration and local self-government. The president of the Senate was the president, who had personal and foreign affairs and supervised the work of the Senate. Individual types of cases were dealt with within the created Departments. After the change of the constitution from the beginning of the 1930s, the number of deputies to the Volkstag was reduced to 72. In turn, the Senate had 12 senators. After the elections on May 28, 1933, the Germans obtained an absolute majority of votes and seats. On August 23, 1939, the Senate suspended the constitution and Forster was appointed head of state (Staatsoberhaupt). On September 1, 1939, Gdańsk was incorporated into the Reich. [Source: Information based on the source Archives description, http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/sezam.php?l=pl&mode=show&zespoly_id=11483]

Archiwum Państwowe w Gdańsku

Forms part of the Claims Conference International Holocaust Documentation Archive at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This archive consists of documentation whose reproduction and/or acquisition was made possible with funding from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Source of acquisition is the Archiwum Państwowe w Gdańsku, Poland, Sygn. 260. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received the filmed collection via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archival Programs Division in March 2018.