The Weimar Republic, founded in November 1918, was the first real democracy on German territory. It didn’t last long. On the 23th of March 1933, Hitler took power and abolished democracy to start... Show moreThe Weimar Republic, founded in November 1918, was the first real democracy on German territory. It didn’t last long. On the 23th of March 1933, Hitler took power and abolished democracy to start building his totalitarian Third Reich. Since then, the Weimar Republic became famous – or rather infamous – for being a ‘failed democracy’. In this research, the downfall of Weimar’s democracy is of central interest. After broadly stating the historical reality of the first Germany democracy, this thesis focusses on the juridical and philosophical concepts underlying the Weimar democracy to answer the question to what extent they offered real possibilities to defend the democratic state. It answers this question for the dominant philosophical school in Germany when the Weimar Constitution was drafted: legal positivism, for the Weimar Constitution itself as well as for Hans Kelsen, Carl Schmitt, Hermann Heller and Rudolf Smend. Show less
Het doel van dit onderzoek is om tot inzicht te komen inzake de omvang van de juridische beperking die uitgaat van de botsing tussen de verschillende levensbeschouwingen voor de vrijheid van... Show moreHet doel van dit onderzoek is om tot inzicht te komen inzake de omvang van de juridische beperking die uitgaat van de botsing tussen de verschillende levensbeschouwingen voor de vrijheid van meningsuiting. Show less
