Open-Air Exhibition: Invitations to democracy — You get the vote

Elections and referendums demonstrate just how diverse and dynamic democratic processes are. Through elections, citizens determine their representatives, distribute power, demand political accountability, and express the common will. They legitimize political rule and bind those in power to the will of the electorate. In referendums, on the other hand, the direct will of the people is expressed on specific issues—whether through initiatives, referendums, or popular votes.

How has the right to vote changed?

The development of the right to vote in Germany was a long and often contentious process. At the beginning of the 19th century, voting was a privilege. Only a few people were allowed to participate in politics. The revolutionaries of 1848–49 secured universal male suffrage for the first time for the election to the National Assembly in St. Paul’s Church. The Imperial Constitution of 1871 adopted this right to vote at the imperial level. In many individual states, however, the right to vote remained a privilege dependent on wealth and social status. It was not until after the November Revolution of 1918 that the Council of People’s Representatives introduced universal and equal suffrage at all levels—regardless of gender, income, or social status. In 1919, the Weimar Republic thus established a representative democracy based on broad social participation, which was restored and consolidated by the Basic Law in 1949 and 1990. The referendum, as a direct instrument of democracy, has had an eventful history in Germany. While it was frequently used during the Weimar Republic, its scope is deliberately limited under the Basic Law. This prevents abuses such as those perpetrated by the National Socialists. Thus, the Basic Law offers few opportunities for direct democracy; however, the constitutions of the individual federal states provide a wealth of possibilities in this regard. The exhibition highlights key steps on the path toward inclusive suffrage and democratic participation. It explores both specific historical sites and abstract concepts that have shaped democratic change. All of these locations illustrate that elections form the foundation of our democracy. Voting means shaping democracy—it is both a right and a responsibility.

Democracy in concrete forms — ballots, voting booths, mailboxes

Voting, in and of itself, is not yet a sign of democracy. However, there are certain ideas and principles of democratic participation that have been fought for over time and established as the cornerstones of democratic participation—freedom and equality for all voters, secrecy and fairness, and the accountability of politics to the views of those being governed. These are the invisible pillars of our democracy and the result of centuries of social and political negotiation.

Absentee Voting

Over the decades, absentee voting in Germany has evolved from an exception to a widely used alternative to in-person voting. It revolutionized voter participation by making it easy for voters with limited mobility or those living abroad to cast their ballots. In West Germany, voting by mail was first permitted in the 1957 federal election; in East Germany, there was no way to vote without appearing in person at a polling place.

Voting Booth

The voting booth was first introduced in the United States in the late 19th century to preserve the secrecy of the ballot and prevent fraud. The secrecy of the ballot guarantees protection against undue influence. This principle was first formulated in the Paulskirchen Constitution of 1849. However, it did not take effect, as Prussia continued to adhere to the public voting procedure. It was not until the 1871 Reichstag elections that secret voting was established, a practice that was firmly enshrined in the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and the Basic Law of 1949.

Ballot box

The ballot box is an important tool for ensuring secret elections. It guarantees that every vote remains anonymous and that no one can determine how another person voted.

Ballot

The ballot—unassuming yet powerful—symbolizes each individual’s vote and has taken various forms throughout history: In antiquity, shards of clay served as a means of voting; in the Roman Republic, wax tablets were used. In the Middle Ages, differently colored balls were used, while in the 19th century, handwritten slips of paper were common, for example in elections to the German Reichstag. Later, the printed ballot became the norm: initially distributed by the candidates themselves, later issued by the political parties, and finally made available officially at polling places. In the postwar period, clear guidelines for the ballot were established in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to ensure transparency and traceability. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the ballot became a mere formality due to the single-party election system. Voting consisted of placing the ballot in the ballot box without any selection—whether by checking a box or by any other means—being provided for or required.

Election Stories

Kurhotel Schlangenbad, Bad Schlangenbad, Rhineland-Palatinate. In June 1949, the prime ministers of the West German states gathered at the Kurhotel Schlangenbad to pass the Federal Election Act. This law laid the foundation for the first Bundestag elections in the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany and guaranteed the principles of free, equal, and secret elections. A central tenet held by those present was that elections require not only technical procedures but also depend on a social consensus regarding the legitimacy of the electoral process.

State Parliament of the Free State of Anhalt, Dessau-Roßlau, Saxony-Anhalt. On December 15, 1918, the first free elections in Germany took place in Anhalt, in which women and men had equal suffrage and eligibility to hold office. There were 69 male candidates and 6 female candidates running for office. None of the women were elected to the state parliament on the first try. It was not until a year later that Marie Kettmann (SPD) took her seat. Nevertheless, the election results reflected the political diversity of the young republic: Social Democrats and liberal forces dominated the new state parliament, while conservative parties lost influence.

Lindenstraße 54/55, Potsdam, Brandenburg. Lindenstraße 54/55, once a remand prison of the Ministry for State Security (MfS), became the organizational hub for democratic initiatives in 1990. From here, civil rights activists organized the People’s Chamber election on March 18, 1990, as well as the local elections on May 6, 1990. This election was the first held under democratic conditions in the GDR and marked a decisive step on the path to German reunification. The activists advocated for transparent election administration and made important contributions to the political reappraisal of the SED dictatorship. Since 1995, Lindenstraße has been operated as a memorial site.

Prussian State Parliament, Berlin. In December 1918, the Imperial Congress of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils convened in Berlin, bringing together representatives from all the councils in Germany. The council movement of the November Revolution had tested an alternative model of representation: the collective will was expressed not through individual voting, but through elected representatives of specific social groups. The councils were a democratic experiment to legitimize those in power in a way other than through representative elections. The congress was tasked with deciding on Germany’s political system following the collapse of the German Empire: parliamentary democracy or a council system? The delegates voted by a large majority to introduce a parliamentary system and to convene a National Assembly. After the National Assembly was elected, the councils lost influence and, following the adoption of the Weimar Constitution, their legitimacy.

Ständehaus, Kassel, Hesse. The Hessian Assembly of Estates was one of the oldest institutions of representative participation in the German-speaking world. In 1830, the Kassel municipal government forced the convening of the Assembly of Estates, which the Hessian Elector had failed to convene from 1816 to 1830. Representatives of the nobility, the cities, and certain rural communities gathered there. Within limited parameters, the assembly expressed the common will vis-à-vis the sovereign by helping to shape financial and, in some cases, political decisions. The construction of the Ständehaus in 1834 reflects the assembly’s newly gained significance.