1887 German Federal Election

21 February 1887 · The Imperial Reichstag · 397 seats, 199 for a majority

A federal election for the seventh Reichstag of the German Empire was held on 21 February 1887. It was an early election called after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck requested the dissolution of the Reichstag elected in October 1884 because it had refused to accept his seven-year military budget.

Chancellor before

Otto von Bismarck

Independent

Chancellor (continued)

Otto von Bismarck

Independent

Largest force

NLP

98 of 397 seats

Turnout

77.5%

The result

Sort by

NLP

Rudolf von Bennigsen · 21.9% of votes · +48 seats

seats

Centre

Ludwig Windthorst · 19.9% of votes · -1 seats

seats

DKP

Otto von Helldorff · 15.2% of votes · +2 seats

seats

DRP

Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor · 9.8% of votes · +13 seats

seats

DFP

Rudolf Virchow · 12.6% of votes · -34 seats

seats

Polish Party

3.0% of votes · -3 seats

seats


NLP	Rudolf von Bennigsen	98	+48	1.651.288	21.9%	+4.5
Centre	Ludwig Windthorst	98	-1	1.501.774	19.9%	-2.6
DKP	Otto von Helldorff	80	+2	1.147.200	15.2%	+0.1
DRP	Viktor I, Duke of Ratibor	41	+13	736.389	9.8%	+2.9
DFP	Rudolf Virchow	32	-34	951.861	12.6%	-4.7
Polish Party	—	13	-3	227.835	3.0%	-0.7

35 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.