Founding of the Federal Republic of Germany
Also called: Founding of West Germany, Basic Law, Grundgesetz
Delegates of the Western zones drafted the Basic Law in Bonn and the Federal Republic of Germany came into being; in September Adenauer became its first chancellor.
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At the urging of the three Western powers, 65 delegates of the western state parliaments met in Bonn in 1948 as the Parliamentary Council, chaired by Konrad Adenauer. Reluctant to seal the division, they called their work not a constitution but a “Basic Law”, a provisional order until unity, and promulgated it on 23 May 1949. Learning from the failure of Weimar, it put human dignity in its first article and provided for federalism and the constructive vote of no confidence.
The first federal election followed in August, and on 15 September the Christian Democrat Adenauer was elected chancellor by a majority of one vote. Bonn became the provisional capital. West Germany claimed to be the sole legitimate representative of Germany.