1890 German Federal Election

20 February 1890 · The Imperial Reichstag · 397 seats, 199 for a majority

A federal election for the eighth Reichstag of the German Empire was held on 20 February 1890. It was an early election called after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck requested that the Reichstag elected in February 1887 be dissolved because it had refused to extend the Anti-Socialist Laws.

Chancellor before

Otto von Bismarck

Independent

Chancellor after

Leo von Caprivi

Independent

Largest force

Centre

107 of 397 seats

Turnout

71.6%

The result

Sort by

Centre

Ludwig Windthorst · 18.6% of votes · +9 seats

107

seats

DKP

Otto von Helldorff · 12.2% of votes · -9 seats

seats

DFP

Rudolf Virchow · 15.9% of votes · +35 seats

seats

NLP

Rudolf von Bennigsen · 15.6% of votes · -60 seats

seats

SPD

Paul Singer · 19.8% of votes · +24 seats

seats

DRP

6.4% of votes · -22 seats

seats


Centre	Ludwig Windthorst	107	+9	1.340.688	18.6%	-1.4
DKP	Otto von Helldorff	71	-9	882.820	12.2%	-3.0
DFP	Rudolf Virchow	67	+35	1.148.468	15.9%	+3.3
NLP	Rudolf von Bennigsen	38	-60	1.130.842	15.6%	-6.3
SPD	Paul Singer	35	+24	1.427.323	19.8%	+9.6
DRP	—	19	-22	461.307	6.4%	-3.4

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