Social Democratic Party of the Memel Territory
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Social Democratic Party of the Memel Territory
Sozialdemokratische Partei des Memelgebietes |
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| Founded | 1925 |
| Dissolved | 1935 |
| Split from | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
| Newspaper | Memelländische Volkszeitung |
| Ideology | Social democracy |
| Parliament of the Klaipėda Region (1925) |
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The Social Democratic Party of the Memel Territory (German: Sozialdemokratische Partei des Memelgebietes) was a social democratic political party in the Memel Territory/Klaipėda Region 1925–1935. The party was led by August Kislat and Fritz Matzies. The party was based amongst the ethnic German population of the territory.
The foundation of the party followed the coming into force of the Memel Convention and the Memel Statute on August 25, 1925, after which the labour movement in the Memel Territory detached itself organizationally from the German labour movement. The party was founded on the basis of the erstwhile organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the area. Parallel to the foundation the Social Democratic Party of the Memel Territory, an independent Memel trade union movement was created (Gewerkschaftsbund des Memelgebiets). The party was divided into four district organizations (Kreisverbände): Memel-Stadt, Memel-Land, Heydekrug and Pogegen. The social base of the party differed significantly between the four districts. In Memel city (i.e. present-day Klaipėda) the party had a strong support amongst industrial and port workers. In the Memel-Land district there was representation of industrial, agricultural and commercial workers. In Pogegen, a rural area, party members were predominately agricultural labourers.
The party contested the first elections to the Parliament of the Klaipėda Region, held in October 19, 1925. The party formed a Unity Front together with the two other main German parties, the Memel Agricultural Party and the Memel People's Party. Together these three parties won 27 out of 29 seats in the regional parliament. The main opponents of the social democrats were the Greater Lithuanian nationalists. The Social Democratic Party obtained 10,010 votes (16%) and 5 seats. The elected parliamentarians of the party were August Kislat (Trade union secretary, Heydekrug), Adolf Plennis (Agricultural worker, Truschellen), Michel Bertschus (Chairman of the Union of War Wounded, Memel), Ernst Rausch (Worker, Übermemel) and Martin Seewaldt (Secretary of Gewerkschaftsbund des Memelgebiets, Memel).
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