Constitution of Rhineland-Palatinate

The constitution was drafted by the Advisory State Assembly, which met for its constituent session on 22 November 1946 in the Koblenz City Theatre.

After controversial discussions, the State Advisory Assembly passed the draft constitution on April 25, 1947, and recommended that the population accept it.

The following constitutional questions were controversially discussed: The French occupying authorities were negative about the retention of denominational schools due to France's secular tradition.

This "Rhineland-Palatinate guillotine" was only completed and ready for use five days after the Parliamentary Council's decision to abolish the death penalty.

[2] Adolf Süsterhenn, Rhineland-Palatinate Justice Minister from 1946 until 1951 and “intellectual father of the state constitution”, was a supporter of the death penalty.

Memorial plaque for Ernst Biesten and Adolf Süsterhenn in Unkel, Bahnhofstraße 7
Unkel, Bahnhofstraße 7: the house where the constitution was drafted and amended
Ballot paper for the constitutional referendum