German Party (Romania)

The German Party (German: Deutsche Partei in Rumänien; Romanian: Partidul German din România, PGR) was a political party in post-World War I Romania, claiming to represent the entire ethnic German community.

The German Party went through a rather lengthy period of creation. It was founded on the initiative of part of the ethnic German bourgeoisie at Timișoara on 6 September 1919, in advance of the November election. Gradually, it extended its organisations into Transylvania, Banat, Bukovina and Bessarabia, territories with appreciable numbers of Volksdeutsche. Its leadership organs were elected by general assemblies or by congresses. The party was the political expression of the Union of Romanian Germans (UGR, Uniunea Germanilor din România), which oversaw a wide range of activities (political, cultural, religious, economic). Although it claimed to speak for all local Germans, in reality the party overwhelmingly represented the interests of the wealthiest layer of that national minority.

The programme adopted in 1919 and which, in essence, remained the same for the entire interwar period, called for the application of the resolution adopted at the Alba Iulia National Assembly on 1 December 1918 regarding minorities, respect for the rights and liberties guaranteed by Romanian legislation, and the promotion of certain specific interests (cultural rights; maternal-language education; the right to found schools and other institutions maintained through special contributions paid by the German population; the right to associate for religious, cultural, economic, and other purposes). A core motivation was to secure recognition of the UGR by successive governments as a distinct entity within Romania, with the right to speak on behalf of all ethnic Germans. The PGR fought for an ever-larger representation of the German minority in Parliament as well as on county and communal councils.

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