On This Day
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Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany

The Frankfurt National Assembly (German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of the Austrian Empire,...

The Frankfurt National Assembly (German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of the Austrian Empire, elected on 1 May 1848 (see 1848 German federal election).

The session was held from 18 May 1848 to 30 May 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main. Its existence was part of the result of the "March Revolution" within the states of the German Confederation.

After long and controversial debates, the assembly produced the so-called Frankfurt Constitution (Paulskirchenverfassung or St. Paul's Church Constitution, officially the Verfassung des Deutschen Reiches) which proclaimed a German Empire based on the principles of parliamentary democracy.

Historical Significance

The Frankfurt National Assembly (German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of the Austrian Empire, elected on 1 May 1848 (see 1848 German federal election).

Events Before

  1. Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government

    Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of…

  2. Michigan becomes the first English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the st

    Michigan becomes the first English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the state)

  3. First civic public park, Birkenhead Park, designed by Joseph Paxton, opens in Birkenhead, England

    Birkenhead Park is a major public park located in the centre of Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It was designed by Joseph Paxton and opened on 5 April 1847.

  4. Author of Moby-Dick, American novelist Herman Melville (28) marries Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Chief Justice of the Mas

    Author of Moby-Dick, American novelist Herman Melville (28) marries Elizabeth Shaw, daughter of Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

  5. Battle of Chapultepec: American forces capture Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican–American War, allowing US General W

    Battle of Chapultepec: American forces capture Chapultepec Castle during the Mexican–American War, allowing US General Winfield Scott to take Mexico City

Events After

  1. Dutch Princess Marianne and Prince Albert of Prussia separate after 18-1/2 years of marriage

    Dutch Princess Marianne and Prince Albert of Prussia separate after 18-1/2 years of marriage

  2. Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera "Le prophète" premieres in Paris

    Le prophète (The Prophet) is a grand opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer, which was premiered in Paris on 16 April 1849.

  3. Bacteriologist Louis Pasteur (26) weds secretary Marie Laurent (23) in Strasbourg, France

    Bacteriologist Louis Pasteur (26) weds secretary Marie Laurent (23) in Strasbourg, France

  4. Prime Minister of Canada John Abbott (28) weds Mary Bethune at bride's parents home

    Prime Minister of Canada John Abbott (28) weds Mary Bethune at bride's parents home

  5. First chamber music group in the US gives its first concert in Boston, Massachusetts

    First chamber music group in the US gives its first concert in Boston, Massachusetts

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 18, 1848?
The Frankfurt National Assembly (German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of the Austrian Empire, elected on 1 May 1848 (see 1848 German federal election). The session was held from 18 May 1848 to 30 May 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main. Its existence was part of the result of the "March Revolution" within the states of the German Confederation.
Why is Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankf... significant?
The Frankfurt National Assembly (German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung) was the first freely elected parliament for all German states, including the German-populated areas of the Austrian Empire, elected on 1 May 1848 (see 1848 German federal election).

Explore More

May 18 in HistoryYear 1848