Complex sentence: It soon expanded into neighbouring states under the chairmanship of Heinrich Hellwege and gained 27 seats (18.1 per cent of the total) in the first Lower Saxon Landtag "election in 1947 Gerhard A. Ritter and Merith Niehuss," Wahlen in Deutschland 1946-1991.
Split into simpler sentences: It soon expanded into neighbouring states under the chairmanship of Heinrich Hellwege. It gained 27 seats (18.1 per cent of the total) in the first Lower Saxon Landtag election of 1947 Gerhard A. Ritter and Merith Niehuss, Wahlen in Deutschland 1946-1991.