republic · Germany and Central Europe

Republic of Baden

1918 CE – 1945 CE · capital Karlsruhe

Democratic successor of the Grand Duchy of Baden, a stable Weimar-era state on the French border, divided after 1945.

Origins

In November 1918 a provisional government was formed in Karlsruhe and Grand Duke Frederick II abdicated. In January 1919 Baden elected a constituent assembly, one of the first German elections in which women could vote, and its constitution, approved by referendum in 1919, made Baden a democratic republic.

Rule and society

Baden was governed by a stable Weimar coalition of the Catholic Centre, Social Democrats and liberals. As a border state facing France, it suffered from the demilitarised zone along the Rhine and economic isolation. The Nazis took control in March 1933 under Reich governor Robert Wagner, who in 1940 deported Baden's Jews to the Gurs camp in France.

Decline and legacy

In 1945 Baden was divided between the American zone in the north, joined to Württemberg-Baden, and the French zone in the south, which became the state of Baden. All were merged into Baden-Württemberg in 1952.

Lineage

Grand Duchy of Baden 1806 CE – 1918 CERepublic of Baden

Connections (2)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Republic of Baden. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-baden
MLA
“Republic of Baden.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-baden. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Republic of Baden.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-baden.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Republic of Baden’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-baden (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻