Reichstag Fire Decree — 1933 decree in Nazi Germany that abolished key civil liberties for citizens
The decree suspended Weimar civil liberties and became a primary legal basis for Nazi authoritarian rule, remaining in force until 1945.
Key Facts
- Date Issued
- 28 February 1933
- Issuing Authority
- President Paul von Hindenburg
- Legal Basis
- Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution
- Duration in Force
- 1933 to 1945 (12 years)
- Liberties Suspended
- 7 key civil liberties including free speech and assembly
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin was set on fire. The Nazi government used this event as justification to invoke Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which permitted emergency decrees suspending constitutional rights, framing the fire as evidence of a communist threat to the state.
On 28 February 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg signed the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State. The decree immediately suspended personal liberty, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and association, privacy of communications, and protections against house searches and property confiscation across Germany.
The decree enabled the Nazi regime to arrest political opponents without charge, ban opposition publications and meetings, and extend central government control over German states. Although presented as a temporary emergency measure, it remained in force throughout the Nazi period until 1945 and served as one of the central legal foundations of the Nazi dictatorship.