Free State of Anhalt

The Free State of Anhalt (German: Freistaat Anhalt) was formed after Joachim Ernst, Duke of Anhalt abdicated on 12 November 1918, ending the Duchy of Anhalt. It became a state of Germany under the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and for most of that time it was led by politicians from the Social-Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

Free State of Anhalt Freistaat Anhalt
State of Germany
1918–1945
Flag Coat of arms
The Free State of Anhalt (red) within the Weimar Republic
Anthem
Anhaltlied "Song of Anhalt"
Capital	Dessau
Area
• Coordinates	51°50′N 12°15′E
• 1925	2,314 km2 (893 sq mi)
Population
• 1925	351045
History
Government
• Type	Republic
Reichsstatthalter
• 1933–1935	Wilhelm Loeper
• 1935–1937	Fritz Sauckel
• 1937–1945	Rudolf Jordan
Minister-President
• 1918–1919	Wolfgang Heine (first)
• 1919–1924	Heinrich Deist
• 1924–1924	Willy Knorr
• 1924–1932	Heinrich Deist
• 1932–1940	Alfred Freyberg
• 1940–1945	Rudolf Jordan (last)
Historical era	Interwar / World War II
• Established	12 November 1918
• Disestablished	23 July 1945
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (1945-1952)

However, in May 1932, the Nazi Party won the Landtag election and formed a coalition government with its ally, the German National People's Party (DNVP). Following the Nazi seizure of power at the Reich level in 1933, Anhalt, along with all other German states, had its Landtag abolished and its state sovereignty transferred to the Reich government by the "Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich" of 30 January 1934. Though the state itself was not formally abolished, it was superseded in administrative importance by the Nazi Party Gau Magdeburg-Anhalt.

At the end of World War II, when Germany was divided into zones of occupation, Anhalt was merged with the bulk of the Prussian Province of Saxony to form the Soviet-administered German state of Saxony-Anhalt. This state was then dissolved in 1952 but reformed in 1990 after the reunification of Germany.